"Microsoft Support Call Scam"(Event Viewer)

Anonymous
2014-08-13T14:31:05+00:00

I received a phone call today from a private caller with an Indian accent saying he was from Microsoft Support.

He told me my computer was constantly sending windows errors to Microsooft and we needed to fix it.

He went on to ask me how many computers I have in my home and said all of them had to be fixed.

He had me go on my computer, type: EVENTVEWR in the box and look in options,all of this sounded strange as he kept asking me what i was seeing on my screen at the time.

I went on to ask him to hold and googled "Microsoft Support Call Event Viewer" in which I found a blog with lots of people having the same thing happen to them(http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_xp-security/phone-call-scam-received-call-from-a-technician/6ed2b99c-20ff-468b-a69b-aec78b93f287?page=22&tm=1407939072026 )

I then hung up the phone and he kept calling back(4 times)and this time it was a local number(15129633287), of which I googled immediately, bringing up a list of local numbers on a list with a foreign language as the titles.

I then decided to call Microsoft Support directly to confirm it was a scam and was informed that Microsoft never makes calls without a customer request and that Microsoft has its own set of programs it uses to fix computers instead of "event viewer".

I was told I could submit a post on here to let Microsoft know of the Incident, which is the purpose of this post..in addition to help anyone else from having to go through the experience many people have had with this issue.

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Security and privacy

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

0 comments

71 answers

Sort by: Most helpful
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Anonymous
    2017-12-07T20:34:24+00:00

    I have just had a lengthy discussion with most likely the same Indian sounding male. On this occasion he said he was from the Computer Licensing Dept based at Cambridge (although pronounce CAMM Bridge). He stated he had been trying to contact me for sometime (he knew both my email address and my name), because of suspicious activity from my I.P. address.

    I played along and he went on to say that people had been receiving emails from  a Mr Mountford at an email address from my IP address seeking monies be donated. He also asked how many computers were at my home ( I made up a false answer). He then said he could help me prevent this OR Microsoft would cease my licence and said he would need to put me on hold and pass me over to a technician. Once on hold I ceased the call.

    However I immediately received several phone calls back all from a private caller withheld number. In the end I did answer and it was the same male Indian accent. He said I would need to look at EVENT VIEWER on my Computer. However his time as I played along  I quizzed him and asked he gave the following details - said his name was Matt Taylor  (ie the detective in CSI New York), he gave his tel number as 122 32790610. When challenged this was not a UK number he said I could put an 0 in front of it!!! He gave an address for the Licensing Dept as Station Road Cambridge CB1 2FB

    NB The Tel number gets you through to something about Ocktoberfest and the address is the Tamburlaine Hotel Cambridge.

    Needless to say I terminated the call after telling him I would make enquiries with Microsoft and with the police to verify the details he had given. Of course I wont be wasting my time any further doing that!!!

    Was this answer helpful?

    1 person found this answer helpful.
    0 comments
  2. Anonymous
    2017-12-04T23:07:02+00:00

    I have been saying all along that I believe these people work for Dell or Microsoft indirectly, possibly through outsourcing jobs as I stated earlier this year. 

    d0gknees replied on

    ME>And how is it so clear to you Sir that the  Dell's outsourcing has nothing to do with it?

    Occams razor.

    mr. dogknees>The scammers don't need anything more than a phone directory to carry out their scam. What makes you think they need information that only Dell has?

    Maybe now dogknees can understand what I was trying to say.

    In its simplest form, Occam's Razor is expressed as "Entities are not to be multiplied without necessity."  In common parlance, this means, roughly, that when searching for the solution to a problem, the simplest answer that addresses all of the available evidence is probably the correct answer. You have multiplied entities without need, and perhaps ironically,  d0gknees' answer is a better "Occam" candidate.  The problem is more simply solved without involving Dell and Microsoft.

    Was this answer helpful?

    1 person found this answer helpful.
    0 comments
  3. Anonymous
    2017-11-14T08:41:32+00:00

    I have had a call from an Indian man today by the name of ALEX, who said that I there was a problem with the computer I was using.

    I had just done a bank transfer so was a little worried! However knowing that our internet is usually safe and that the pc was up to date with all security updates and anti virus software and that they are run regularly I took a deep breath and continued to play along.

    He said he was from the technical department and was to do with OPENREACH... had I heard of them?

    He asked me to go on my computer and press the windows key and the R key together, and asked what was on the screen, then to type in EVENTVWR, I was aware of this scam so asked for his number so that I could call him back as I had to get the children ready for school. Of course he wasn't able to give me a number.  I asked him lots of questions about who he worked for and what company and he wasn't forthcoming with any of it.

    I then told him he'd wasted enough of my time with his scam and then he said that too many people were saying it was a scam and that OPENREACH don't scam people and many computers are faulty because people keep thinking it is a scam.  After a few choice words I put the phone down on him.

    When is this going to end!!!  This is not the first time that this has happened.

    Was this answer helpful?

    1 person found this answer helpful.
    0 comments
  4. Anonymous
    2017-02-21T05:20:31+00:00

    Occams razor.

    The scammers don't need anything more than a phone directory to carry out their scam. What makes you think they need information that only Dell has?

    Was this answer helpful?

    1 person found this answer helpful.
    0 comments
  5. Anonymous
    2015-10-31T00:39:42+00:00

    Happened to me too. When I went to block the number it apparently sent a message to a local number.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments