Bad enough trying to understand audio; reading it in phonetics just gave me a headache.

Sure they had fun, though.

So you get their email too, eh Monk?

Glad I'm not the only victim. 

I actually suggest to my customers(note the majority of my customers are seniors) that if they get such calls,

(first make sure that their computers are NOT switched on),

then that they should play 'dumb' and not know WHAT a computer is ,

and get the caller to describe what it should look like,

and when the caller gets to the type of description of a 'screen' that the customer sits in front of and looks at,

I suggest that the customer says, 'but I call that a TV. Would you like me to turn on the TV?',

assuming the caller says yes(thinking that it is a computer that will be turned on) I suggest the customer turns on an ACTUAL television receiver,

then ask the caller what channel did they want the customer to switch to,

then change the tv channel to the one suggested,

and with a bit of luck the caller will realise that this is a total waste of their time at this point.

harpo

What's a 'computer'?

Hilarious.

The only part which isn't funny is that people fall for this rubbish.  Not my mum though.  She cuts them off saying she already has a computer expert to help her out.  Well hey, it's true.  Yesterday I even crawled into my boiler cupboard with a torch to help her get her new boiler working again (it's the same model, so that's the best way).  That's real technical support right there!

Holy crap Microsoft and Avast did that exact same thing to me they called me telling me they where receiving error codes and telling me I had an infection on my machine.I went along they did a remote went straight to my event log then reliability monitor then performance monitor . Well to make a long story short they tried to extort 189.99 from Avast tech and Microsoft tried to get 249.99 to fix my P.C needless to say I ripped them a new asshole to say the least Tech support does not exist none of them do anything to help at all. every time I have called they screw things up even worse then it started. I fix all problems myself they did not know that I am a Technician retired.

I can guarantee you they did not, but rather someone calling themselves those names instead.

^ Correct. Those were attempts to scam, and the elderly are targeted especially for this as they are rarely tech savvy.

It's unfortunate that these security companies and the AARP don't provide some form of online learning for them so they can avoid these scams.

Does it have to be AARP?

Oh believe me when I tell you I knew it was a scam.I just wanted to see how how annoying they would be wanted to have some fun with them I knew it was not Avast or Microsoft my best friend was here at the time and he got a hoot out of it. I ripped in to them big time. And the word is YES the elderly are targeted at every corner the AARP should be involved greatly !

How the hell do they get these numbers and is their a way to possibly stop it some way?

Execution without trial.

Daiwa

reply 11

Does it have to be AARP?

Well, in your case...