Those annoying calls about your computer

[woody06]

It's 11:35 PM and I just hung up on one of those calls from the computer scammers in India or Pakistan or where ever they are. Got another one about half an hour before this one. And 4 more earlier in the day. Yesterday I got 6 calls over the day with the last one at about 11 PM. I normally get 4 or 5 calls a week from them and usually just hang up but the recent increased frequency of calls and the late night calls have gone beyond just an annoyance. I've repeatedly asked them to remove me from their call list but they just hang up and the calls continue to come in.

I've thought about changing our phone number but we've had it for many years and it would be very difficult to notify everyone who has our number. I'm ready to try almost anything to stop the calls.

Has anyone been successful in getting them to stop calling?

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[ZA_Survivalist]

I threaten them with extreme violence as I also call out their scam. Seemed to stop my calls.

 

[SA Shooter]

I have a landline and it's hooked up to a fax machine only. There isn't a landline phone plugged into it as the Mrs. and I use cel phones exclusively. I did this a while back specifically due to the number of spam calls we used to get on a weekly basis. I didn't want to change the home phone number but I knew I had to do something.

The number of scammer calls has diminished considerably as all they get when they call is fax machine noise. At that point they seem to be removing it from their electronic call lists because it's a fax. And if anyone here believes that they don't sell call lists, think again. The more those lists get distributed, the fewer number of asshats have called my home phone number.

Anyone (friends, family, health care providers, etc...) that we want to or need to talk to calls the cellular numbers.

 

[nextgenar]

They always call about your Windows computer? Tell them you have a Mac./ Apple. That usually stuns them enough that they will leave you alone.

 

[BillM]

They always call about your Windows computer? Tell them you have a Mac./ Apple. That usually stuns them enough that they will leave you alone.

LMAO. One of the last calls we got before we dumped the landline and went cell only a couple of years ago:

Female voice, oriental accent. "Hello, I am calling about the problem with your Windows computer"

My reply---" I don't have any Windows computers, all of mine are Apple" --she apologizes and hangs up.

TWO MINUTES LATER---same voice---"Hello, I am calling about the problem with your Apple computer"

I was laughing too hard to reply.

 

[v0lcom13sn0w]

lol i dont have a computer and i get those calls. i just tell them to F--- off or find a roof and jump off.

 

[Boboclown]

I only got one of those calls. I just said I use Linux and they never called again.

 

[Mikej]

I do one of two things. 1( After their initial spiel I give out a good chuckle and tell them how amazed I am they still try to get people on this old scam. "I mean, you guys have been doing this for how long now? Everyone know it's a scam, (Chuckle), when you going to give up?". If he/she starts up again, then I'll hang up. I may choose to chat just a bit more with them.

2( This is the one I use when no number comes up on the caller ID. After their initial spiel..."OKAY, but first I'll need the number your calling from?" They may say something. "I need a number where you can be reached, okay?" ..... "You have MY number, I'll need your number also." The few times I've had the opportunity to use these have been very satisfying! I especially like asking for their number. One time I did that they hung up like they'd connected with the FBI! The other time the guy mumbles "What the..." and hung up. Good times!

 

[JRuby]

I tell them I work in IT myself and then start asking about symptoms and really digging into it to waste thier time. What is the mac id what protocol what virus and so on. I know this is a scam and before long they know I know it's a scam. Most of these idiots are computer illiterate. It's kind of fun to screw with these guys. Cheap entertainment.

 

[Mikej]

That's ^^ Good! See, turn this negative into a positive.

 

[AMT]

If I could remember how to do this, I'd do it to every single one of them scammers.

 

[UserNameInUse]

At that point they seem to be removing it from their electronic call lists because it's a fax.

I just recorded this fax machine sound as my voicemail greeting.

 

[Gbirk]

Jolly Roger Telephone Company, saving the world from bad telemarketing

 

[phoneguy]

New member here. here is a youtube link that explains the prosess of porting your land line to google .

once you complete the the steps you can set up your google voice account to block all junk calls and allow your friends and family and important "work" calls to come you cell phone. You will have no more land line but your land line number will still work by ringing your cells phones. any ? just let me know

 

[Silver Hand]

It's 11:35 PM and I just hung up on one of those calls from the computer scammers in India or Pakistan or where ever they are. Got another one about half an hour before this one. And 4 more earlier in the day. Yesterday I got 6 calls over the day with the last one at about 11 PM. I normally get 4 or 5 calls a week from them and usually just hang up but the recent increased frequency of calls and the late night calls have gone beyond just an annoyance. I've repeatedly asked them to remove me from their call list but they just hang up and the calls continue to come in.

I've thought about changing our phone number but we've had it for many years and it would be very difficult to notify everyone who has our number. I'm ready to try almost anything to stop the calls.

Has anyone been successful in getting them to stop calling?

I contacted my server and had them block the 900 prefix from my phone.

When they did call me I talked to those Indians about having sex with cows.
Try it you will be surprised at the results.
Silver Hand

 

[etrain16]

I guess it's not a problem for me, we don't answer our phone unless we recognize the number. If they don't leave a message, they don't get called back. That stops 99% of this crap from even getting to me. There have been 2 incidents though where a scammer, using the same scam, left a message that we owed the IRS money and if we didn't get back to them in a few hours, the police would be sent to arrest us. It amazes me anyone falls for this kind of phony B.S., but it obviously works or they wouldn't do it.

If I had the time and patience, this would be fun:

 

[jsparks747]

It's 11:35 PM and I just hung up on one of those calls from the computer scammers in India or Pakistan or where ever they are. Got another one about half an hour before this one. And 4 more earlier in the day. Yesterday I got 6 calls over the day with the last one at about 11 PM. I normally get 4 or 5 calls a week from them and usually just hang up but the recent increased frequency of calls and the late night calls have gone beyond just an annoyance. I've repeatedly asked them to remove me from their call list but they just hang up and the calls continue to come in.

I've thought about changing our phone number but we've had it for many years and it would be very difficult to notify everyone who has our number. I'm ready to try almost anything to stop the calls.

Has anyone been successful in getting them to stop calling?

Got one while I was visiting my parents on their phone. I told them I didn't have a dell computer (I have an HP) to which he seemed rather surprised. I then proceed to order him to take me off his mailing list and basically cussed him out until he hung up. We still get them.

 

[Larrytpdx]

I always ask them to please verify the MAC Address so I can identify the computer in question. Then I tell them I run Tandy TRS-DOS, Atari TOS and Bell Labs UNIX.

 

[snarlingdog]

I just tell them my windows don't have computers how stupid are you?

 

[Diamondback]

Truecaller and the Do Not Call Registry both help with keeping telemarketers down, however scam-scum still have to be manually dealt with case by case.

And since Truecaller allows auto-blocking, if you get through once you won't again... bonus, once a certain number of people block you TC adds you to its internal blocklist so you don't bother ANY of its users from that number anymore.

"We got a Burn Notice on you--you're Blacklisted."