Calls from BT about 'slag on my internet' - scam?

[kurosaki88]

Hi everyone,

I have gotten a couple of phone calls from 'BT' saying I have got something on my computer that is slowing the internet down. Normally from BT I would get an 0800 number show up on 1471 but this time it was private. They ran no security checks or anything, which they have always done before. Since most people are on BT around my area, I assume they guessed I was with them.
I wasn't near my computer for the first phone call. First they wanted me to go on 'Event Viewer' which I have never needed to go on before. Then they wanted me to go on www.amy.com, which had all sorts of random things from insurance to Amy Winehouse! I found this phone call very fishy. The second person even called the slowing of my internet '***' and not 'lag'!
Please can anyone else tell me whether they have had similar calls? I know there have been ones from 'Microsoft'. Look forward to hearing from you all.
Bryan

[Mattk]

Bogus.

[askyourgran]

Ignore it kurosak sounds like a scam of some sort, worry about how they got your phone number. And don't open any programmes from them.

[Jennykenny]

Definitely bogus. Hang up quickly without any discussion.

[sir.prize]

Tell then you have an Apple Macintosh - then hang up.

[Hopkirk]

A scam.

Was there a bit of a delay on the line, and a strong Asian accent?

[VHG]

NEVER visit a web site that any phone call asks your to visit.

This can often be used to download a virus or worse a program that will allow them to remotely log on to your computer.

[Gizmonster]

When I'm in the mood, I LOVE these phone calls.
The last one that I had, told me that they were phoning on behalf of my broadband provider. When I asked them who, they replied that they were a separate company that represented, BT, Virgin Media ....etc.
Anyway I pretended that I was following his instructions - after a while I stopped him in his tracks and said something was up. I told him that a picture of a big yellow banana boat had just appeared on my screen and underneath was some writing. The writing said, "do you think I just came in on the last banana boat"? I asked him if he knew what it meant. He said he didn't know what it meant and he even told me that he was googling it - I nearly wet myself lol.
I kept him on the line for approx half an hour, until his supervisor came on and was quite upset that I'd been wasting their time. She reckoned that their "company" was legit and that when you ring your broadband helpline, you get put through to them as they handle all the technical help for all the broadband providers - yea ...... whatever.
Anyway, back on topic, it's a scam :)

[KJN]

Had the same call last Friday, told them thanks but no, well something on them lines.

[vodkancoke]

It's a scam. My Dad works for BT and I told them that when they called me with the same call. They hung up very quickly after that lol

[rojash]

"UK 52,731,209 Internet users in Dec.31, 2011"

Be pretty amazing if any company could monitor nearly 53,000,000 Internet connections just to determine who might be having problems.

Stats from http://www.internetwo...ats.com/europa.htm#uk

[vivandorron]

Scam, Scam, Scam, Scam,Scam.!!!

How can anyone say that there is a fault on your computer?

Ignore all telephone calls on the subject and also E/mails; which should be binned without opening any attachment.

Having said that, I do like the way that folk such as Gizmonster handle such telephone calls.

Ron

[chas2008]

i have had a few of these, i tell them im an IT expert and its my job at which point they hang up, my wife tells them we dont have a pc !!,I just wonder how many people actually fall for thses scams...

[vivandorron]

Good on yer chas and your dear wife.

There must be a lot of people who fall for the scam, otherwise there wouldn't be such phonecalls.

Hopefully, most ABers are wise to matters and give the callers a rightly deserved 'run-around'.

Ron.