I have had a call from windowssupport.info relating to a virus on my computer. How do I verify the caller is legitamate as she wishes me to follow instuctions to rid me of it? I have very basic computing knowledge and would not know if I was helping somebody to access my pc maliciously.I have been given a number 020 32868123 to call back but this could be a number for anybody.1 person needs an answerI do too

This is FAKE for SURE. Microsoft will NEVER call you unless you ask them to call you.Have a look at:http://cyberdefend.wordpress.com/2010/05/14/hello-i-am-from-microsoft/

"timbotaylor" wrote in message news:Email removed for privacy...I have had a call from windowssupport.info relating to a virus on my computer. How do I verify the caller is legitamate as she wishes me to follow instuctions to rid me of it? I have very basic computing knowledge and would not know if I was helping somebody to access my pc maliciously.I have been given a number 020 32868123 to call back but this could be a number for anybody.Let me guess. Did the caller speak with an Indian accent?Microsoft Technical Support never make unsolicited phone calls. So upon the assumption that you have never approached Microsoft for assistance, that call was almost certainly malicious. Do not follow any instructions from the caller.Incidentally, 020 3286 8123 is probably a London telephone number. If so, it has been allocated to "City Transport" - and not to any computer advice line.

On Mon, 29 Nov 2010 10:08:54 +0000, timbotaylor wrote: > I have had a call from windowssupport.info relating to a virus on my computer. How do I verify the caller is legitamate as she wishes me to follow instuctions to rid me of it? I have very basic computing knowledge and would not know if I was helping somebody to access my pc maliciously.I have been given a number 020 32868123 to call back but this could be a number for anybody. It is *not* legitimate. It's a scammer. Do not call back and hang upon callers like this. Ken Blake (MS MVP)

"timbotaylor" wrote in message news:E-mail odebrn z dvodu ochrany osobnch daj...I have had a call from windowssupport.info relating to a virus on my computer. How do I verify the caller is legitamate as she wishes me to follow instuctions to rid me of it? I have very basic computing knowledge and would not know if I was helping somebody to access my pc maliciously.I have been given a number 020 32868123 to call back but this could be a number for anybody.Let me guess. Did the caller speak with an Indian accent?Microsoft Technical Support never make unsolicited phone calls. So upon the assumption that you have never approached Microsoft for assistance, that call was almost certainly malicious. Do not follow any instructions from the caller.Incidentally, 020 3286 8123 is probably a London telephone number. If so, it has been allocated to "City Transport" - and not to any computer advice line.

On 12/23/2010 at 12:28pm Pacific Time, I received a call on my mobile phone from “WindowsSupport”. After doing some discovery after the call, I decided to report them to Microsoft's Anti-Piracy Line, email and a number of other Anti-Piracy folks. They ARE NOT LEGIT. Tell your friends to Be Careful. I'm more technical than most, and here's what I experienced - The caller had a strong Indian accent and appeared to be very PC literate. Being a former Microsoft person I took the call as it was unsolicited and on my mobile (I keep this # private) so I suspected something was up. I spoke to them for 34 minutes. Their pitch was to create Fear – Uncertainty – Doubt in my mind that my computer was infected with undetected viruses – I have been running Computer Associates for years that is on “auto update” and my subscription is current/active. The WindowsSupport.info technician said “my PC has been sending WindowsSupport 1,000s of virus alerts recently via the internet and this promoted them to call me to fix my virus issue” I asked them how they got my phone and they told me that because of they have a tight support relationship with Microsoft they got it from my registration when I purchased my new laptop and because of their system and virus support relationship with Microsoft they get updates directly from Microsoft as a “trusted partner” to provide this type of service. So I said OK, how can you help me find this terrible virus that is sending you all these alerts. He walked me through starting and using the Microsoft Management Console which popped up a window called “Computer Management (Local)” asked me to double click on “Event Viewer”, then double click on “Windows Log” and click on “Application” and “System” and together we looked at all the “Error” messages (he asked me to filter on Errors) and showed me how to do it. He said these 1,800 (Application Errors) and 4,500 (System Errors) were viruses and that the virus disabled my ability to “Delete” them and showed me how to tell. (I am medium technical and know that a log file is just that a log of events – not viruses – so I humored him) He said I needed immediate help to clean this up and he offered to help me by offering me free technical support 24/7 for 3 years @ $149 (one time payment); 8 years @ $179 and my lifetime @ $249. I could call them for help ANY TIME. He tried closing me with “what are you waiting for” your PC is infected and may not last long with out WindowsSupport.info’s help, … I told him to back off and that if I needed help I’d call him back. He directed me to their website as I said this was a “cold call” to me – unsolicited. He said no it was not, My PC’s infected state told them to act now and call me to help. Their website is www.windowssupport.info. It has a “Microsoft Registered partner Logo” (to prove he was legit with Microsoft) and McAfee (that his site was secure) << After I hung up, I checkedhttp://pinpoint.microsoft.com/en-US/default.aspx - a place you can find legitimate sources of help that are really registered. I DID NOT find them.>> On their website they have a “Call Us” and “Toll Free at any time” so I call both of their numbers on their website 213-550-1062 (which is disconnected) and 800-206-1133 (reached some business – or person - that was not WindowsSupport.info). I told the WindowsSupport caller that I was formerly with Microsoft (which is true) and that I would call my friends to verify their offer was legit and call him back. He then asked me if I was with Microsoft and I confirmed that I was and the line went dead. I then checked who owned the windowssupport.info URL to see where it was registered athttp://who.godaddy.com/WhoIs.aspx?domain=windowssupport.info&prog_id=godaddy . The domain was created on “Created On:18-Nov-2010 08:46:56 UTC” This IS NOT a legit company andit appears somehow to be linked to Africa – which leads me to believe some organized crime is behind this and they are defrauding Microsoft for the unknowing person the value prop most likely converts.

I also recieved a call and they were Indian speaking. I refused the connection after I kept asking it was going to cost me. No let me show you then the pitch came I asked for a print out of their cost.She heistated but then let me. I then call my personal computer consultant and he had me check it on Google and found many more complaints. And had me turn off my remote acess connection. He said there would be no way microsoft would contact you first. Thus beware of calls and whatever

Just had this call aswell, starts with a indian man and moves on to his supervisor, a women with indian accent. they claim to be in london and said they were microsoft registered partners which in my mind is fraud. surely there is a way of getting these people prosicuted for attempting to fraudulantly optain funds? I would love to know where they got my phone number from aswell.

This is just one of many recent scams. See this post for what could be a good response(see MOOLY'S reply) to such a call, http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/msescan/thread/ff58fb98-7fa1-4385-b0c0-f90f8da7772aAlso see this Microsoft publication, http://www.microsoft.com/protect/fraud/phishing/Msname.aspx