Cablecom have instructions on their website which detail how to block these numbers for free.

If you go to the support section and look at telephones you will find instructions on how to block 09xx numbers

http://support-en.upc-cablecom.ch/ap...Law%3D%3D/p/81

That's for out-going calls. It won't stop you receiving the calls. It will stop you making calls to premium lines.

What you actually want, is to be able to block the numbers dialling.

They called us again twice in the last couple of days. Our computers must be really sick!

Got one over the weekend. As soon as it's clear it's a scam, I just hang up. No arguing, no discussion. Just "click".

Same with the muppets who keep phoning me to have a free consultation for lower health insurance premiums.

Gotten a few of these calls in the last two weeks. I usually just tell them I don't have any computers and they hang up.

But today I was feeling frisky.

Riing.
PC Service: Sir, we've received reports for two weeks that your hard drive is about to malfunction. (??!)

Mud: Really?! What do I do?

PCS: Go to your computer sir, and tell me what version you have.

Mud: Hold on- hold on, I have to turn it on (Turn on loud grinding machine)

PCS: Sir, now, please tell me what version you have.

Mud: What? Sorry, the hard drive is very loud- let me get it quiet (jam old drill bit into grinder as I turn it off).
What version? What version of what?

PCS: Sir?

Mud: What version of what?

PCS: Sir, click on the Start icon at the bottom left of your screen.

Mud: What? The Mac symbol? I can't I just desoldered a bunch of wires around the hard drive.

PCS: Sir, SIR- you did what?!

Mud: Just desoldered a bunch of wires around the hard drive. I can't turn it on- now tell me what to do, you said you would help me fix it.

PCS: Sir, you have a Mac (I don't ), I'm sorry but our company policy doesn't allow me to help you.

Mud: But what do I do now? I don't know how this goes back together! You said you would help me!

PCS: Sir, I'm very sorry sir, I'm very sorry. I retire from my job now. () Good day sir.

Mud: Oh, Ok then, alright, good day.

They called us twice more recently.

The first time, my wife answered and said she had a Mac and they put the phone down.

The second time I asked straight away what part of India the caller was calling from and she put the phone down on me.

I was hoping to waste more of her time but didn't get the chance.

I got a couple of calls from these herberts, I just told them that I have a Mac. Click.

Makes a change from the health insurance folks or the boiler rooms trying to sell me special expat finance advice.

I had this call too in mid Dec 2011. I was using my company laptop over a secure VPN at the time on the company network. When I pointed this out, they were off the phone quicker than you can say "pull the other one". The number is a New Dehli 'pay-as-you-go' mobil number according to a google search.

No further calls so far.

Just a quick heads-up that these guys are still at it.

They phoned me up at the weekend. Unfortunately I had to run for a train, so I didn't get my opportunity to wind them up and waste their time for an hour - gutted.

OK, so I looked up the number and found this:

http://whocallsme.com/Phone-Number.aspx/004259981533

Seems that they're particularly active in Switzerland at the moment. Going off the ratio of native English to Swiss national language of the reports, I'm guessing they're particularly targeting people in the phone book with names that suggest they might speak English.

Anyway - if you've had a call off these guys and followed their instructions, it's time to switch off the internet and get your computer cleaned up - and perhaps stop any credit cards/internet banking that you've used on that machine

Got one today, 001 914 271 9628.

Told her I didn't have a computer, though on second thought I should have asked which one (I have at least ten between work and home, several of which run Ubuntu).

Tom

The second time he rang up I told him that he's speaking " bullshit ". He replied in the best English " it's not bullshit" and quickly hung up.

We've been getting cold calls like this for the last few months. Always when I'm at work and wifey calls me all paranoid. Finally got a call tonight while I'm at home. Total scam.

So, for a few details I don't see listed here already.
1. It's 2 different people I spoke to. One is 1st line that just tries to get you to confirm you have a computer. Then he hands off to the guy who actually knows what to do.
2. Yup, Indian. Terrible English too. Forget asking them to speak German.
3. Various calling numbers. We've seen US, German, and "Unavailable".
4. The nerdy parts. Here's what they asked me to do:

a. In windows hit WIN+R (Windows Key + R), which opens the "Run" prompt
b. Enter "cmd" which starts the command prompt. New window opens.
c. Enter "assoc" command. Here's where they attempt to get you. "assoc" is just the command which displays with which applications your files are associated to, EG DOC files are associated with Word, XLS are associated with Excel, etc.
d. This command also has a Class ID ("CLSID") which seems unique. They tell you there's a unique entry which proves to you they know about your system. Oh, but it's not.

So, this Indian dude says: "Hey your CLSID is 888DCA60-FC0A-11CF-8F0F-00C04FD7D062. And it's totally unique. See, we know"(paraphrased). That's the real number too. It's used by all Vista-based machines. Win7 too, AFAIK.

Anyway, dinner was served at that point and I got tired of toying with this guy. I asked to repeat that long CLSID like 5x or something. So we agreed we were wasting each others' time. I really kind of hope he calls back. That stupid a**hole.

Interesting, "assoc" doesn't work on my Vista computer!

Tom

Got one of these calls a few days ago, from a "number with-held" but it was a chinese sounding lady. She spoke straight away in English (which was the first suspicious thing). Then she told me the computer was sending out error messages and needed fixing. I told her the computer wasn't even on (even though it was) and she asked me to switch it on. I played the "I really have no idea about computers so phone back later" card. She never did so I guess it wasn't that serious a problem!!

It might be an idea just to say 'Hold on, I need to get my glasses' and just leave the reciever sitting on the table, I wonder how long they will stay on the line.

Weird. It works on my Win7 and XP machines. I'll try on Vista when I get home tonight. But I'd think it'd work since Vista is in the middle of XP and Win7.

I would love to receive one of these calls ones, but I guess that even if I am home and able to accept the call that I would not as I simply never answer unknown numbers. I tend to let the answering machine kick in (which is configured to speak out the standard Gigaset message in French) and if it is important enough people will actually state their business. Generally folks hang up though as clearly they are just cold calling and the answering machine then did waste their time. But these kind of shops tend to use autodiallers and thus I tend to put repeat offenders into my beloved little Fritz!Box and just block it away.


Maybe a good tip for the people with Windows at home with people who might follow the instructions from random people they never met or have no business relationship with, a good idea is to make sure they either have no administrative privileges.

Another good step is to install something like Secunia PSI (http://secunia.com/products/consumer/psi/) as this will check software that gets installed if it is malicious, or even has malicious properties. But outside of that, it has an even better property: it will tell you what software is out of date and needs an update (security wise) and in most cases provide an easy one-click download/update button for those programs.

Another scam of annoying telephone calls trying to get something out of you. "I'm calling from Microsoft Windows about an urgent notification for you." I don't think so.

Say, forcefully if necessary (I couldn't get the guy to shut up), that you're not interested, goodbye, and hang up the phone. Unfortunately, you'll probably get several more calls before this all ends. I've had around 6/7 this week and since the first all I've heard on the line when I pick up is silence and then a robotic voice saying "good bye". So even though they know you're not interested you still have the annoying call to answer.

I just wish I could

Speak to the guy in fake Outer Mongolian.

One evil thought: if you have one of these calls, string them along for a minute or two and then say "sorry, I didn't identify myself, for the tracking tape I am Sargeant X of the computer crime task force" not only will they hang up but, if the gods are smiling, it's brown trouser time at the other end of the line

TD
Alas, not a completely original thought, others have done similar (and much better than I)