How to scam a scammer...

[Baker Street]

A few months back I started getting the old "problems with Windows" scam phone calls.

http://www.informationweek.com/security/management/microsoft-windows-support-call-scams-7-f/240005023

I just hung up but they persisted, and I was getting calls about every week. So one day I was bored and decided to have some fun -

scammer "Hi I am soandso from the technical department of Windows operating system and we have received a report from your computer that you have a virus on the computer."

me "What that's terrible - what can I do ?"

scammer (getting excited) "Yes, yes, yes I am here to help you. Are you sitting at your computer ?"

me "Yes"

scammer "Good, good - now press the windows key and R together"

me "OK - done that"

scammer "Now type blah blah blah and hit enter"

me "Ok -done that" (I hadn't)

scammer "Now tell me what does the screen say?"

me "I don't know"

Silence -

scammer "Why don't you know?"

me "I can't read the screen"

scammer "Why can't you read the screen?"

me "I am blind"

Longer silence -

scammer "How can you use the computer if you are blind?"

me "I have a Braille keyboard"

Another long silence then *click beep beep*

Made my day :)

 

[cccdfern]

mm, ages ago I had two opportunities, ran one through it up to the point of OS, and told him I had a mac *dot dot dot click* xD; and the other I was just curious as to what they actually did. remote desktop settings allow any connections, then go to x site, stopped there

 

[CowsWithGuns]

I am going to use this xD

 

[noobItUp]

Nicely played Bakes.

@ fern, ARS technica did a report on a scammer that rang their office a couple of months ago. It was quite well done.

 

[nelots]

Should have a soundtrack of people screaming in the background.... that always gets the cops to my house

 

[Liam:)]

I said I had windows 96 and they hung up