Fun with Patel

[KeithS_NW_Ohio]

I got a call from "windows support" today telling me I had a problem
with my machine. Normally I just tell them to perform an unnatural act
with their mother but today I decided I would play along as long as
they would let me. This "english as a second language" guy gave me the
"grave danger pitch and then started telling me to type in a web
address and I said it keeps saying "bad file or command name". He
asked what was on my PC screen and I said "C:>"
They had me reboot a couple times and I made that take a long time,
"wait, I need to set the clock" etc. They got second level involved
and he asked how I get to the internet and I said I just use E-mail.
He asked how I do that and I said AOL.
He kept telling me there must be an internet address bar there and I
said I don't see one and I have never used it.
He asked what version of AOL I was using and I said I don't see a
version, it just says "AOL for DOS".
He asked what kind of machine I had and I said "IBM Personal Computer
XT".
I acted confused when they asked me about the OS. I said it was the
one that was on it when I bought the machine in 1985. After a minute
or two of violent keyboard clicking I said "DOS 2.1"
After another guy got on the phone, they finally asked me if I had
windows and I told them "no, that was the tool of [censored]". They hung
up.

I tied up 2 or 3 guys for 15 minutes.
Maybe they will take me off their list now.

 

[Tegger]

Bravo! You deserve an award for that performance.

 

[FirstNissan]

haha thats awesome! I have read about that scam multiple times.

 

[Rand]

my elderly grandma got one of these calls..
she hadn't touched a computer in her life until 7years or so ago

she even thought it was a scam.

She mentioned it to me when I was over for dinner and I confirmed it.

 

[Rick in PA]

One of those calls woke me from a nap. I played along for a while. "They've been getting messages my computer is infected", yada, yada. I ask him which computer. Ah, he just wants to get me in front of a computer, any computer (they're all networked or some such nonsense). I kept the conversation going for a little while, I figure it's a public service to keep him tied up. After a bit I entered some technical jargon into the conversation. He asked if I was a computer technician. I told him no, I was just an educated American. The phone line went dead.

Rand, good for your grandma.

 

[MONKEYMAN]

When they tell me my Windows computer is infected I tell them Windows had problems with infections so installed Linux. They seem confused at first and they repeat the line my Windows computer is infected. I tell them I only using Linux now. The conversation ends soon after that.