Contributed by: evilscientist
So I'm sitting at home today watching my toddler run around when the phone rings. I answer the phone and someone with a heavy Indian accent introduces himself as someone from technical support and calling me about my computer. Given that I haven't called tech support about any of my computers in decades I'm fairly certain this is the "we found a problem with your computer" scam. So I decide to play along. So while going about my business, which at this time is now helping my toddler use the potty I start "following" this guy's directions.
First off he asks me to look for the "c-t-r-l" key at the lower left of my keyboard. I tell him I've found it and he tells me to look next to it for a key with the Windows logo on it. I tell him I can't find it there. He asks what key is next to my control key, and I tell him my shift key. He briefly page-faults and asks me repeatedly about what key is next to my control key, no doubt trying to come up with something to ask. When he finally comes up with something he asks what key is next to the shift key I respond with "system request". The scammer is now totally lost and so decides to go on a different tack.
He now asks me to open a web browser and load up Google. So I let him bibble on for a few moments until I tell him, ok it's open (at this point I'm actually helping my toddler put on new pull-ups). He asks if I can see www.google.ca and I say yes. He then asks me to type in a URL to a site with a .me top level domain. After a few moments I tell him it's been flagged as a phishing site. Undeterred he tells me to ignore the warning an push on. I tell him "OK" and then tell him I'm back at Google.
At this point I think he's getting flustered since my "system" isn't acting in any way that if I were even remotely following his directions would be. At this point he asks "Does your machine use Windows?" I tell him no. He asks what OS I do use and I reply with "UNIX". There's some mumbling at the other end of the line and he asks if I have any other computers in the house. I tell him no. At this point he gives up, tells me he's not authorized to "perform service on my machine" and hangs up.
Perhaps I should have told him I use VMS....
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Evilness
http://www.evilscientist.ca/article.php?story=20120623130754868