2 Rogue cold calls in a week

The first was from "Tech Buddha" in Wellington.

The second was from "Windows Service" aka "PCHelpnSupport",
of 188 Hovsom St Auckland.

Both cited my name and address listed in the telephone book.
Both said they were receiving "error messages" from my Windows
computer. Then asked me if I use Mac or Linux.

Both asked me to hit the Windows Key and "R".

After tying them up for a wasted half hour, they gave up
and terminated their "help" call.

Brazen bloody cheek, I thought.
Anyone else had such calls ?

 

So how big is the rock you have been under? REally this scam has been going
for so long that it was in the main stream media many moons ago.

 

No. We have caller-id. We don't pick up calls from Private Callers.

 

I have had three in the last few months after having had none before.
My 'policy' is to string them along for as long as possible until they
want me to go to a dubious web site then I let them have it with both
barrels. I feel a bit guilty about this as the individual caller is
probably a person in extreme poverty working in some Manila or similar
'boiler room'.

I suspect they are paid by the hour as they are very persistent. If
they are paid by the call, or by the number of computers compromised,
they would quickly ascertain when they have a 'savvy' person on the
phone and disengage quickly.

For those who are not too computer savvy, Windows + R brings up the
'run' box in which you normally enter a program name to execute. If
you put a www item in, it passes it to your default browser.
Presumably it is easier to trick someone to go to a dubious web site
by this means instead of typing the name in the browser. IMO Microsoft
needs a kick in the arse for allowing this loophole - it is just not
necessary.