Central Plateau, North Island

Central Plateau, North Island
View from a friend's farm

Wednesday 30 April 2014

A conversation

apple and knife #1

Yesterday afternoon I had a phone call. let’s call the gentleman Mr X

  • Mr X” I am calling from Computer Technical Support, and you have a problem with your Microsoft System.”
  • Jean “ Oh Dear ( HUGE SIGH), what can you do to fix it?”
  • Mr X,  “ Turn your computer on”
  • Jean,” Which one, the laptop, the desktop or the iPad , they are   Apple or  iMac, so I think someone has given you the wrong information”
  • Mr X “ Do you not have an Android”
  • Jean “ No.  and I do not want you to  phone me again about this, you are wasting my time and yours”
  • Mr X “ Do you have a knife, and do you have an apple?”
  • Jean. “ Yes”
  • Mr X.” Get the knife, peel the apple, cut it into slices and eat it, you will be a very healthy lady”
  • Jean “ Do you really get paid to do this?”
  • Mr X “ You are a very bold lady”
  • End of conversation.

This is totally true, slightly abridged,  apart from some of Mr X’s words that I asked him to repeat, a foreign man, maybe from India, or a country near there,  with an accent that made him hard to understand. He had to spell the word “ Knife” so I knew what he said!! Hugh was listening and waiting to see what I would say this time.

I had a phone call similar to this some nights ago at 11 p.m., but this was late afternoon, and I already had in mind what I would say, apart from blowing a whistle into the phone. How many people, and some of us elderly and so unsuspecting, would turn our computers on,

( Pity about the iMac and iPad ,  both on my wish list!!!)

and then give  out the password or more. How do they do this, surely a  shred of morality would be in  their minds.

We have a  grey morning, no frost, coffee by the fire, a good book to read, bliss in anyone’s world.

Quotation of the day, author unknown

“ Don’t  stare at the closed door too long, you will miss the window opening”

Greetings from Jean

17 comments:

Karen said...

I get these calls all the time. "I am calling from Microsoft, and we have noticed a problem with your computer". They are all a little startled when I say, "You have reached the Microsoft office, just exactly where are YOU calling from?"

TexWisGirl said...

that is terrible! a scam AND calling late at night, too. the knife and apple part is supposed to add humor? yeah.

Susan Heather said...

Afraid I just say "but I don't have a computer" They hang up promptly.

Carol Mattingly said...

I had a call similar last week. I hung upon him. He called back and I didn't answer.

Nicky said...

What a strange way to end the conversation! These people ring often and I do worry that there are people who may fall for it....
I have at times used some fairly ripe language to them and they hang up quickly!

Linda said...

I had to laugh about peeling the apple, Jean. :) I get calls similar to this but I abruptly cut them off before they have a chance to do their 'thing.' I also get automated calls to the effect of, "Congratulations, this is your lucky day.' I just hang up.

Barb said...

REALLY! I've never heard of this particular scam. I usually screen my calls, so they wouldn't even bother leaving a message. Good for you, Jean!

camp and cottage living said...

Jean
It is so shocking and hard for honest people to understand how low these people will stoop!
You can never be too careful Because now they even have web sites that say they are Microsoft when they are not.
I'm glad you didn't get taken!

Julie Fukuda said...

I get phone calls often from people trying to sell things and I can say I don't speak Japanese. I guess it is a good thing those people don't speak Japanese or our calls would double. The bigger problem is calls to trick the elderly into giving up money.

Tanya said...

That is scary. I'm like Julie, I just say I don't speak Japanese, but I've never felt like someone was trying to trick me... My mother had a terrible time with scams and SHE KEPT FALLING FOR IT until we changed her telephone number... (and didn't inform her!)

eileeninmd said...

I have heard of this scam.. I am glad you are careful.. Wishing you a happy day!

Lindsjö taxar said...

We have that in Sweden too. Great talk on the news about it how they cheat people

Janet said...

I have a friend who when he gets these types of calls proceeds to speak veeerrrryyy slllooowwlllyyy telling the person that they have reached the slow speakers society phone line or some such nonsense. They usually get off the phone pretty quickly. :)

Nancy J said...

Update!!! I had another call late this afternoon, the lady was in India, then her supervisor was actually in NZ, I asked for his phone number, it was given, but from now on I too, think I will talk very slowly, tell them I need to go to the garage to turn on the generator, and it takes 15 minutes to walk there, or better still, I use someone else's laptop, and it is a stolen one!!!And the police are after me. Anything to stop the scams. Cheers, Jean.

KB said...

So glad you saw through the scam! My friend's father fell for it, and he gave away all his passwords. It was a nightmare... I need to warn my father about it.

When we get calls like that one, my husband always says "Hold on, I need to go turn off the stove", and then he places the phone on the counter and leaves it there for a very long time. I don't know how long the caller keeps waiting!

Lori Skoog said...

This happens all over the world. Ask them for their phone number and say "can I call you right back." It will end the conversation very quickly.

Lyn said...

They are persistent that's for sure..I just hang up now after being told to shut up and listen by one of the scammers late last year.