Microsoft my ass

[retro]

My response is usually, "Please hold while I get him"

Then I place the phone right next to the TV and put the hard rock channel on.

LOUDLY.

They've usually gone when "he" picks up the phone.

[Mr Hero]

I used to keep a book beside the phone and begin reading it at them. You see, they're not supposed to hang up unless they get caught out as scammers etc. But sadly the furthest I ever got was four pages in before they hung up. *sad sigh*

On the up side, since moving to a house without a landline phone, I haven't had a single call!

What you should do is keep a book there specifically for this. Read as far as you can before they hang up, but once they do stop. Then when you get another call, pick up where you left off. See if you can finish an entire book in this way.

[MadMike]

I screen anything that I don't recognize on Caller ID, but I've googled a few of the numbers after the fact, and apparently these scammers have tried to call me once or twice.

I'm not a confrontational person (but if you piss me off bad enough, watch out!), so I haven't tried to play with these scammers, but if I ever did decide to, I think I'd pretend to follow their instructions, and claim that I kept getting a "page not found" every time. I'm sure they'd eventually ask if I was connected to the internet, and then I'd tell them, "No, I just moved in here, and I haven't ordered internet service yet. Is that a problem?"

[SteeleDragon78]

my brother tech_monkey had one on a work cell, he had some fun with that guy. i only heard his side as i was sliding down the wall holding my sides laughing.

[KatherineB]

I used to keep a book beside the phone and begin reading it at them. You see, they're not supposed to hang up unless they get caught out as scammers etc. But sadly the furthest I ever got was four pages in before they hung up. *sad sigh*

On the up side, since moving to a house without a landline phone, I haven't had a single call!

[freeatlast]

They used to call here periodically - I told them we were definitely not interested and not to call again. A few months ago, they made the mistake of calling here again. I went off. "Now listen here Hadji - I told you before not to call here again and you were obviously too stupid to listed to my demand. Now you will give me your name, company name and address and your personal address and phone number. I am sure that all that info will be required when I file a harrassment suit against you and your company." Rude little SOB hung up on me and hasn't called back

[dalesys]

FBI? Uncle Ho and Chairman Mao are friends and they're coming over for dinner. <click>

(... files on ape. actions on tape. dramas on tape ...)

[Silent-Hunter]

Right, I can see this happening...

"I was impersonating a Microsoft representative and committing electronic fraud when he responded saying he was an FBI agent! Arrest them!"

That will sure work out well for them.

You make a good point! I myself will still play it safeand mess with them in other ways.

Come to think of it, yeah they'd get in trouble, but you might as well.

[HiddenMica]

My boyfriend has has some fun with the Western Union Scammers at work. Basically the same thing but Western Union NEVER calls so it's easy to pick up a scammer, if they called they are a scammer.

He even had one try and pull "I'm making an honest living! You don't know what it's like living in a third world country!" Yea... That didn't go over well with him, he grew up on a reservation in Canada. "I grew up on the reservation! It's a third world country inside a first world country try that f**ker!"

He's actually rather surprised they haven't taken that store off the auto dialer yet...

[An Haddock]

Mom had them for almost a hour once before she said she didn't have a computer.

Your mom rules!

[lordlundar]

And be careful, I'm sure imperonating an FBI agent can actually get you arrested if the scammers know that and report you.

Right, I can see this happening...

"I was impersonating a Microsoft representative and committing electronic fraud when he responded saying he was an FBI agent! Arrest them!"

That will sure work out well for them.

[Headset Hellion]

I've had a few customers who initially called to report a billing dispute but I ended up transferring to our fraud department because of this scam. The story is always the same: they got a call from "Microsoft," the "tech" told them they had viruses on their computer and promised to fix it (for a nominal fee, of course), so they authorized their credit card for the "repair" services. Now their computer is worse off than before, and they can't get anyone from "Microsoft" to return their calls.

All of the customers have been elderly, and they feel very ashamed for falling for the scam. I've heard a lot of, "How could I be so stupid?" I try to reassure them that it's not their fault, but it makes me sad that some criminal made them feel that way in the first place.

[Crossbow]

I just turn them over to Mrs. Crossbow... who HAS worked for Microsoft. That revelation usually gets them to hang up fast...

[Silent-Hunter]

My boyfriend's mother had thie exact thing, but it was supposedly the ISP calling.

And be careful, I'm sure imperonating an FBI agent can actually get you arrested if the scammers know that and report you.

I will tell them the truth if they call me. I use Linux.

[IT Grunt]

My mom got one of those when I was visiting. She knows enough about computers to send email and surf the 'net but that's it. She had no idea what the guy was talking about and said 'Here, talk to my son, he does computers for a living.' There was no one on the line when I got the phone. Busted.