clo_again

Just a heads-up to UK-based peeps; I just got a phone call from someone with an almost-incomprehensible foreign accent claiming to be from 'Windows'. He asked if I had a computer with a Windows system and then informed me of some bullshit about them having the information of my computer and seeing some malicious software downloads, could I go to my start option?

He clearly wanted me to go through some steps and (I suspect; I called him on his bullshit before he could say) download and install some software that would very certainly not help my computer or that'd probably have involved demands for credit card info. When I asked how he got the phone number, he said it'd been registered when I bought the computer and when I pointed out we'd moved several times since then and there should be no way Windows could connect this particular phone number to my computer, he waffled about some registered number and how they 'had the computer information'. We went around in circles for a couple of minutes while I tried to trip him up (I insisted that if they could track my computer to this phone number via my copy of Windows, they should know what make and model of computer this copy of Windows was registered to, and then we spent at least a minute engaged in a fruitless argument about how 'Windows Vista' was not the 'make and model' but rather the 'operating system'. And then I realised I was explaining to a supposed 'computer expert' what the difference between 'hardware' and 'software' is and no, anti-virus software desn't "only protect the hardware of my computer,not the software' because er, HOW DOES THAT EVEN WORK WHAT; SINCE WHEN DO COMPUTER VIRUSES MAKE YOUR LAPTOP BURST INTO RL FLAMES?) until I decided I wasn't going to get him to admit he was a crank and the conversation was really not a productive use of my time.

I told him that there was nothing wrong with my computer and not to call again; he had the cheek to say "We'll call again later" after that (I said "NO DO NOT CALL" because I had visions of my mother picking up and panicking). Weirdly, my internet cut off for about ten minutes afterward but I rather think that's a coincidence.

So, just a heads up to UK peeps; I suspect everyone reading this has more than enough computer-smarts to not give these idiots any infor but they're obviously making calls, so maybe you want to warn less tech-savvy family members etc. to not believe any such calls (unless of course you've actually called Microsoft to request support, in which case the Microsoft caller should know your specific support ID and deets like your full name. They'll also probably know the difference between a laptop model and an operating system. Well, probably; it is Microsoft. ;-) )

And to add some much-needed hilarity to this entry, have a Youtube link for what happens when the same sort of crank call gets made to an Australian with a sense of humour and time on his hands.