Author Topic: Scam Phone Call  (Read 1177 times)

mis sally

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Scam Phone Call
« on: Feb 17, 2011, 03:22:45 PM »
Hi all
 I received a call today from a man who identified himself as being a representative of the software company "virtual pc doctor" He told me in a very strong Indian accent that they had detected that my computer had a virus on it and it was very important that I now go to my computer, while he talked me through the steps of how to remove it. I began to suspect something funny when he got very stroppy when i asked him to repeat what he had just told me. I then asked him to give me his name and phone number which he did then I told him I would call my internet supplier to check out that they had dealings with this company .Well!! he really got a strop on then and started to talk over me and shouting  “how would your internet provider be able to help you” it’s a software problem not an internet problem and that I really had a very bad infection much worse than any virus and it was going to knock out my computer. Basically I think he was trying to get me to open up remote assistance for him to get access
 I immediately bit his head off ( not literally of course)  ;D and put the phone down on him.

After hanging up on him I looked up "virtual pc doctor" on Google and a lot of scam reports came up.
 Just wondering if anyone else as received one of these calls.
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Hugh

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Re: Scam Phone Call
« Reply #1 on: Feb 17, 2011, 09:32:46 PM »
I guess its just one of many scams going on and with phone calls I use the red button pretty quick. Then do a 1471 to see if there is a return phone number. Unfortunatly these people alway target pensioners who quite often fall for these scams.

cheddar-caveman

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Re: Scam Phone Call
« Reply #2 on: Feb 18, 2011, 08:46:33 AM »
Huh, not this one! I've been inundated with calls about "claim back thousands of pounds for miss sold credit card insurance.
We are registered with the financial ombudsman" (I checked this and they were?) BUT they wanted £360 up front to work on my case?
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Chrisjay

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Re: Scam Phone Call
« Reply #3 on: Feb 18, 2011, 11:19:31 AM »
I don't get scam phone calls or selling phone calls as about two years ago I picked up a magazine in the doctors and read to stop these calls press the star on your phone (I do it 15 times to include the 0044 for my number) as it deletes your number from their system.

As soon as I hang up I do it and I seldom get any whereas I used at one time in Wales had them every half hour and sometimes more and in the middle of the night and so did my staff - we all did it and it does work.

As for the internet I also get very little spam mail as I don't sign up to 'iffy' sites - I always check they have their proper contact details posted and they check out.

As I have internet banking I would have been very worried about your experience. Worth notifying the police as they have specific units set up to combat this sort of thing and do monitor sites that are suspicious.  They have already arrested 300 people for internet scams selling Olympic tickets which they cannot possible do as they are not on sale yet.
 

phyllis

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Re: Scam Phone Call
« Reply #4 on: Feb 19, 2011, 02:45:46 PM »
Thank you for the heads up on the star key, I have had a fax machine calling me since I moved here I will try the star for that too. Wonder if it works on mobile phones keep gertting marketing calls on that too.

Chrisjay

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Re: Scam Phone Call
« Reply #5 on: Feb 19, 2011, 03:27:44 PM »
Funny I have a fax machine calling me too and had thought it was a one off with someones fax machine close to my number and it usually rings at 2am in the morning must try my own advice on that - I had not linked it to scams - another senior moment ;D
 

caminito

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Chrisjay

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Re: Scam Phone Call
« Reply #7 on: Feb 19, 2011, 05:44:21 PM »
I have never found choose to refuse works  :-\
 

caminito

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Re: Scam Phone Call
« Reply #8 on: Feb 21, 2011, 05:47:58 PM »