Thursday, May 26, 2011
My phone scammer experience
David Farrar from Kiwiblog has been rung by the same phone scammer that has rung me. We have been rung at least 10 times by this lot, and I answered three of these. I had a good conversation with the Asian scammer. She told me my computer was infected, and she needed to get inside it. They were from “Windows”. I knew they were scammers so I asked if they meant my laptop or my computer.She said my computer was able to be turned on, but they needed to get inside it to fix the infection. As it happens my laptop is working fine but my desktop computer needs to be fixed as it is stuffed and wont boot up.
So she told me in order to see through the “windows” I’d need to turn my computer on. I feigned innocence and asked them to tell me where the button was to turn the computer on. She said it was on the bottom of the computer and all I had to do was press it.
After a wee while she asked me if they I could see my “Windows”. I told them that I could see the Windows perfectly well, here in the kitchen, and asked him if she could see though her Windows. She told me she was looking at her Windows now. I told her I couldn’t see much through my Windows as it was dark. But the Window itself was fine, and perhaps I may be able to see through the Windows a little better in the morning, and could she call back then.
I asked her what was supposed to be around the “Windows” and told the girl I had a nice white frame around mine. She didn’t know what a window frame was.
She said I had some damaging files on my computer and they needed to get into it. But she wasn't sure what kind of damaging files I had. I asked her if she wanted to get into my laptop, but no, she just wanted to get into my computer. After discussing Windows and whether she could break hers if she struck it hard enough, she eventually gave up and hung up on me.
Anyway, since we had been rung so many times I complained to Telecom, who have informed me that they have had tons of complaints and that Internal Affairs has been doing an investigation on this crowd, but as they were not from New Zealand, they couldn’t do that much. Apparently there was a story in the media about this crowd earlier in the year.
I now have my referees whistle next to my phone. If they ring again, I’m going to give them a blast.