Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Adventures in phishing

Recently, Bev and I were awakened by what turned out to be a phishing call.  "Unknown Number," read our phone.  A thick-accented young man, yelling like his chair was on fire, informed us that our computer has a virus.  He wanted us to bring up a page and do something.  That's when I hung up.

He called back.  Bev hung up.

He called back again.

Me: Hello?
Him:  HELLO!  WE WERE CUT OFF?
Me:  I'm sorry?
Him: WE WERE CUT OFF.  ARE YOU THERE?
Me:  Yes.
Him:  YOUR COMPUTER HAS A VIRUS.  YOU HAVE TO...
Me:  Whose computer?
Him: WHAT?
Me: Whose computer?
Him: YOUR COMPUTER.
Me: (Click)

He never called back.  Anyway, I will cherish the "Whose computer?" "YOUR COMPUTER" exchange as long as I live.

If we'd asked him who we were speaking to, no doubt he would have responded, "ME."

Lee

5 comments:

Ernie said...

I've played with those folks a couple of times. They're so incompetent as to be fun.

Anonymous said...

At least that one was funny. We've gotten calls from our "bank" saying they need immediate access to our account to "avert a serious problem".
Riiiight. -click-
--Bill

nidostar said...

Yes, I love it when, after they announce they are calling from 'Windows' you play them along and they explain that you need to click on the Start button at the bottom left of the screen. I fain stupidity and say I can't see the button. Of course they insist it's there. And so the ridiculous conversation goes on until I have had enough and tell them, perhaps with some words I would not use in polite conversation, that I am using an Apple Mac!
The other day my wife heard me berating a similar caller and chastised me for being so mean as "they are only doing their job". I explained that it was not a genuine call from Microsoft and that they were no more "doing their job" than a hitman does his!

rbarban said...

I've used the, "Well, I have used Macs all my life and have never had a virus." They hang up immediately.
But the ones I like are the guys (never had a woman "phisher," yet...) who, when they think you are playing them, start swearing at you...I laugh because it is so funny to hear them using profanity in their accents, which is usually the case.

Den said...

I love these calls. I ask what operating system, they say Windows. Then I say you have wrong IP address. They say what I say I have a Mac. They hang up.

Buy a Mac. :)