I usually only write about stocks on my blog, but I received a phone call yesterday and I think this phone call is worth talking about to warn others about this scam. Here’s what happened:

• I was sleeping and the phone rang.

• I picked up the phone and I heard the voice of a machine that had a terrible (I mean terrible) English accent. The only word I was able to make out from this machine was Microsoft.

• Usually I hang up at this point, but then I thought, it’s the first time that a machine with an accent calls me, it might be a real person, and since the word Microsoft was mentioned, I figured that it must be something serious.

• So, I told the machine to repeat what it said, and it turned out that a real person was actually speaking, so he repeated what he said, and I was able, this time, to make out most of his conversation: Apparently, he’s from Microsoft, and my PC is infected with some sort of virus and it is sending them reports. And, I need to turn on my PC so that he can tell me how to fix it.

• Now I’m very educated when it comes to PC stuff (I have a BS in computer science), so I asked him “Where are you calling from?” He told me “Microsoft”, and then I asked him “How did you know my phone number?” He told me “Could you please turn on your PC so that we can help you solve the problem?” I then said “What’s your name?” He gave me a name that I can never ever remember. I then asked him, what is my IP? He then repeated the same sentence (this time sounding like he was annoyed) “Could you please turn on your PC so that we can help you solve the problem?” I then asked him “Where are you calling from?” “Toronto” he said. I then told him that I cannot do this until he tells me what is the IP of my PC, or at least the name of the PC. Again, he repeated the same sentence. So I told him, you’re not going to let me go to a link where I get a virus on my PC, are you? Again, he told me (while sounding very annoyed this time) to turn on my PC for them to fix my problem. So I hung up.

• I then checked the time, it was 12:30 AM my time (30 minutes past midnight). I then thought that there are 2 options:

  • Microsoft now is too caring for its users to the point of insanity (calling them at midnight)
  • It’s a fake call

  I think it’s easy to notice that the latter option is the more realistic. But then the phone rang again…

• I picked up and it was the same person, so here’s what I said: “Are you guys insane? Calling me in the middle of the night telling me that there’s a problem on my PC? I don’t care which company you’re calling from, but never ever call this number again!” Click!

• He never called back!

This morning when I woke up I researched this and it was definitely a scam and Microsoft is aware of it. Apparently, this scam has been going for at least a year now (they call you and tell you to turn on your PC and then go to a website where you can download something to “fix” your computer, which his really a malaware, and then they make you pay for this malaware – yes, you are a gigantic sucker if you fall for it).

Just remember, Microsoft, Apple, and the likes will never call you to tell you anything about your PC! They couldn’t care less!

This article (as well as all other articles on this website) is an intellectual property and copyright of Fadi El-Eter and can only appear on fadi.el-eter.com.