Microsoft license key/IP address scam

Thanks Jim! No, I've never seen this. I guess you actually have to go to the ftc site to see it because I've not heard it or seen it in the general everyday news sources. Sadly, despite what the article says, it really was only a few examples made with cracking down, though not as many as they need to considering the sheer number of companies abusing this, and the amount of unsolicited calls every day. Also, most of their efforts are primarily focused on robocalls, and not as much the other kinds like scammers, or the biggest problem today Caller ID Spoofing. That gets lip service and mentions in their literature, and they talk about being aware and doing something, but there isn't anything tangible showing that they have indeed made progress cracking down on those using spoofing. But ... your link was very helpful for me personally since I don't just read an article, but click on the links too in order to learn more. So thanks for that.

The following is lengthy, but I'm hoping it will help anyone coming to this thread to learn how they can take some action with this Microsoft call, and feel empowered, rather than just complain like I was doing and commiserate with other complainers. Ya, commiseration is therapy in its own right, but unproductive and we want relief! You can thank JimWynne as much as you might me because all of this was found through his taking the time to post a link to an article, which he no doubt did a bit of research to do, and I took it from there.  Thanks again Jim.

For anyone else reading this thread, the FTC site had a really good page to explain why it is so important to take the time to report each call. One of those reasons is to help the phone companies as they try to develop call blocking technologies. Not knowing how the phone industry tracks call origination, I'm not sure how they can get a handle on caller ID spoofing like this Microsoft one showing my home landline on the caller ID, but apparently we are supposed to report those kind too. Since you report it with date and time of day, they must have some way of tracking the call at that time? Logic would say there should be, but  I don't know if the various phone companies spent the time developing systems that can go that nitty gritty. Here's the article:

https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/2017/08/heres-big-reason-complain-about-unwanted-calls

**I would encourage anyone coming to this page having the same experience with the Microsoft license call to report them.**Date, time of day, caller ID number shown, (in my case it's always my home phone,) if you answered - then report anything that the caller said and what the subject of the call was. In my case, I will be reporting the details for at least 25 calls originating from my "home number" for this Microsoft scam just from the past 4 days since they are still in my call history log. Maybe if all of us do the same it will be worth our time. Following is some help if you want it... 

Even though I find it relatively simple, others can find it to be tedious navigating through a website's many links to find just the right place to do this. Since I just did it for myself and navigated through all the many menus and descriptions, I'll place the link here for the computer related reports to help out should you want that, and you can just go right to it and save time. Click here for the FTC Link to that page for starting a complaint related to computer scams - and it will have the following three categories:  

1. Hardware or Software
2. Spyware or Computer Viruses
3. Someone pretended to be associated with a company offering to remove a virus or malware from your computer

I'm not sure which one our Microsoft scammer would be reported to because technically a Windows license problem is "software" (category 1) but they pretend to be associated with Microsoft (category 3) but it is not related to virus removal but to your IP address being compromised and placing your license at risk (IP-related not listed specifically.) So ... technically it is just as much of a scam about your IP address as it is your software license. Good luck deciding. LOL  There is a category for Internet Services, but I believe that is more about the call trying to sell you internet services and support, etc.

There is also a category under "Scams and Ripoffs" called "Impostor Scams: Someone posing as a well-known business, a family/friend, or a government agency." Here is the direct link to start a complaint under that category: Imposter Scams. I guess our Microsoft call fits this one just as much as a computer related category, and I might choose this one since number 3 above specifically states offers to remove virus/malware. I haven't decided yet, but hope I've helped point out a couple places where you can go.

One last thing to the desperately annoyed like me:  there are also call blocking services you can try to use. I have one but it appears that after five years it is not working very well anymore given I have over 15 unwanted calls each day. Scammers are constantly changing the number they use and most of those services just block previously reported numbers. In that case I could have a full time unpaid job reporting all the calls that I get. But here is a link to information about other services and methods that I haven't looked at yet:   

https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0548-blocking-unwanted-calls

This identical instance has happened to be 3 times now.

It's bad enough this scam is going on, but I'd like to know how these people got my cell phone number.  Is there any point in placing yourself on the State or Federal No-Call List then?

Dido the above e-mail.

I don't see a reply even if 2 people were helped by this reply? Show me. I been a Microsoft customer since 1983/84, somewhere in there, and have never had a call/e-mail/text, what ever and know this has to be a scam of some kind. How ever, so me the reply that helped 2 people. 

What does "dido" mean?  What "above email"?     What does "...so me the reply that helped 2 people" mean?  Do you have a question?

This is well known SCAM and has been around for many years, you may report them to Microsoft:

https://cyberdefend.wordpress.com/2014/12/20/report-technical-support-scammers-to-microsoft/

My husband just called me and said my Microsoft IP address was compromised.  Strangely enough my husband passed away 4 years ago.  The scammers are up and running!