Ctrl Windows key R scam, 2017, apparently still a common issue

If you want you can also report it here: http://support.microsoft.com/reportascam

And you might want to read:

• Beware of Phony Tech Support Scams
• Avoid scams that use the Microsoft name fraudulently
• Tech Support Scams – Help & Resource Page
• Tell Your Relatives: No, Microsoft Won’t Call You About Your Computer
• The “Tech Support” Scammers Called HTG (So We Had Fun with Them)

And watch:

Fake Tech Support Scams – video from the MS Digital Crimes Unit

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQpm2ldzUno

If you want you can also report it here: http://support.microsoft.com/reportascam

And you might want to read:

• Beware of Phony Tech Support Scams
• Avoid scams that use the Microsoft name fraudulently
• Tech Support Scams – Help & Resource Page
• Tell Your Relatives: No, Microsoft Won’t Call You About Your Computer
• The “Tech Support” Scammers Called HTG (So We Had Fun with Them)

And watch:

Fake Tech Support Scams – video from the MS Digital Crimes Unit

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQpm2ldzUno

Hi Jsssssssss, 

Wow thank you for the links.

Well I'll report this.

Thank you

You're welcome, Michael :)

Have a good day and stay safe!

Cheers,

Julia

Hi Julia,

Thank you, I have reported this to my Danish site. I was redirected to the Danish Microsoft.

Thank you and you too,

Kind regards Michael

Lol,

Me also, In Australia. 

Just got off the phone with "what's-his-name" from Microsoft Support who called me on the phone telling me that my Windows Firewall had expired and that my system was reporting errors to them.

Knowing that this was a scam, though I have never had the call before, I started asking him some questions.

First one I asked him was that if was from Microsoft Support then why the phone call and not a message into my Microsoft registered e-mail.  Because it is an urgent matter was the reply.  Your computer will cease to work within 2 days if I did not let him help me.

Said that I had turned off Windows Firewall and used a third party.  Did not matter,  insisted that I could not do that and that my Windows firewall was reporting errors

I asked him for a phone number and he gave me 1800 329 551, a national free call number.

I asked for proof of his Microsoft affiliation and he rattled off what he claimed was my Windows Product ID  888DCA60FC0A11CF8F0F00C04FD7D062 based within the 32 bit operating folders so he says.

I asked him for my IP address if he was getting these reports from my computer and he replied that the number that he had just given me was better than any IP address.

Said I was looking at google and the number finds there about it being a scam, he just got louder and nearly shouted over the top of me that he was really from  Microsoft.

He was VERY insistent that I comply with his request to press the windows and R keys together, very impatient. And became more aggressive that I had the audacity to ask him questions about his authenticity as a Microsoft employee.

In the end after I had kept him going for about 15 minutes, he was quite upset and getting very angry.  He told me that he was now banning my computer from ever being used again, and was going to have a technician come around to my house with a hammer and smash it up before my eyes.  I started laughing it was so comical, a scammer getting so upset with a potential victim

His last comment to me as he hung up was absolutely disgusting and not repeatable in this forum without getting banned. Awwwwww,  poor Ravi.  :)

Confirmed here as well March 22, 2017 FL United States from phone number 750-009-0999. There was another identical scam call from a different number 2 days ago which was March 20, 2017 that I answered. The above number called my house 4x today, I Googled the number and found it is the classic "This is (name) from Microsoft, your computer is sending us errors" scam. I am a computer nerd through and through, so I was going to play with them. On the 3rd call I picked up, I heard a momentary noise, and then the call disconnected. On the 4th call I answered and was greeted by a man with a Indian or Pakistani accent, claiming to be from Microsoft, and my computer has been sending them errors for a couple of days. He asked if I was in front of the computer, I replied I was, but I wasn't. He asked if it was on I replied it was. He asked me what key is on the very very bottom left of my keyboard, I replied "Ctrl" he asked what was the key next to it, I replied "FN" he then asked if the Windows key was right next to it I replied it did. This keyboard inquiry happened on both calls, I am thinking it may be about finding which keyboard locale you have. He then asked me to press Windows + R, I replied OK. He then asked what do I see on the screen, I replied "command prompt" I know it's not, and he seemed puzzled. He said press the Windows key and asked what happens, I replied that the Start menu comes up. He then replied; No, No press Windows + R. He then asked me if I was the owner of this computer, I replied yes. He then said to me: "I don't think you are." I replied: "Uh, yes it's my computer." I then said to him: "How does the rest of this scam go?" He denied it was a scam, and said: No, your not the owner, because you obviously don't know how to use a computer, you don't know anything about computers." I replied very calmly: "I know how to use a computer sir" He said: "You don't know anything about computers, you've never even looked at a computer." He continued with this rant for several minutes, must have said 10 or more times about how I know nothing about computers, and I need to go to a local school to learn about computers, going as far as saying: "What are your kids going to say to you when they ask you about computers?" I don't have kids, and I was not rattled at all by his insults. I said to him: "Sir, I am a software engineer, I know about computers." He said to me: "Your not an engineer, you don't even know how to spell engineer." I said to him multiple times that I know he doesn't work for Microsoft, and he is a scammer. This back and forth nonsense continued for several minutes. The insults kept coming from him, saying that I have no intelligence even called me a "bloody idiot." The conversation went in all different directions including political, rules vs laws, how he hates The United States people and stupid people like me. I guess the point of this long reply is: this scam is well known, and has been going on for years now. It's been published on the T.V news, and multiple websites including Microsoft. I called this guy out by saying to him: "Windows does NOT send error reports to Microsoft, NO commercial operating system does." As far as I know, the only information that Microsoft receives from your Windows computer is the product activation key, certain parts of the computer's hardware information, and checks on that data periodically in order to verify the validity of the product. I would advise to hang up, and If they continue to call, block them. Report it to Microsoft, I don't know if reporting it to agencies such as FCC, FTC, FBI or local law enforcement can really do a whole lot to actually catch them. 

Just a quick update to the above - I was called several times today and yesterday by a man with an indian accent claiming to be from bt (uk phone provider). The last time he called I played him along and he told me there were problems with my internet and he could prove it if I pressed windows r keys - you know the rest.

When these fellers call me, I waste their time with mindless babble and asking bone- headed computer questions; while pretending to do their requests on my machine........

Its become a game of sorts; to see who will hang up first; I've got plenty of time to waste and plenty of mindless questions to ask them when they call......

Some of them do become quite annoyed after awhile; but what the hay its part of the fun.......

779-225-5079 just called me and told me the same thing. It's 4/18/2017, they called 3x today. Saying they are Microsoft and that my computer is downloading files and taking up space on my hard drive and it's not true, also that it will corrupt and destroy all my files and my social media. So they had me go yo my computer as I'm informing them I know they are a scam and are asking me to read off error messeges they probably tried to infect me with and or are common issues and tricking me to apparently renew my Microsoft certificate and that my computer will never work again.....what idiots thinking they can still pull this 2005 scam. I got out of them they want 150$ to apparently renew my cert. And if Microsoft called me it would be odd they know I have issues and that would meen they were spying on me. I hung up on him. It was loud and heard people making jokes of my unemployment in the background so again not Microsoft or how they conduct buisness,

Yeah, the really sad thing about these scams is that people fall for them too easily, because they have gotten a lot more creative in there slimy tactics, and end up getting duped into paying them. I wish I could shout from a rooftop that these people are scammers.This issue needs more public exposure, T.V. news, fliers, websites, and of course the popular video sites. I have been watching the videos of the scams, and what the "scamee" does is play with them until it's time to pay, then they call them out as scammers.

I don't want to get banned or in any trouble for using the video site's actual name.