Beating back the telephone virus scammers

[speedwell68]

I have never had one of these. I really, really want to get one, just so I can play with them a bit.

[Paddy Landau]

Interesting. the Guardian pins it on Indian Call centers (but no good scam sticks with any nationality)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010...a-call-centres

Thanks for posting that article. I am amazed that they managed to figure out who is doing this! But I suppose it won't be long before it catches on and we get more scammers.

As an interesting aside, I wonder if you have seen 419 Eater, a scam-baiting site. These people bait the 419 scammers, who can be literally fatal.

[nothingspecial]

Ah The PC Doctor.......

I've had a call from him.

The best thing to do is pretend you are doing what he asks, then he'll think he's doing something wrong.

[Grenage]

My personal record was 42 minutes on hold, with a cold caller; I almost started to feel guilty when I came back from lunch and the light was still on the phone.

I know of someone who'd had enough, made out that the intended recipient of the call had been murdered, and that the caller had to stay on the line for the purposes of the investigation. That's probably taking it a bit far.

[Paddy Landau]

Is Windows 95 available free yet? I could put that into a Virtual Box and let them play with that. Each time they reboot, I'll revert to a snapshot, making them very, very confused.

[Paddy Landau]

My personal record was 42 minutes on hold, with a cold caller; I almost started to feel guilty when I came back from lunch and the light was still on the phone.

Brilliant! How did you persuade him to hang on for so long?

I know of someone who'd had enough, made out that the intended recipient of the call had been murdered, and that the caller had to stay on the line for the purposes of the investigation. That's probably taking it a bit far.

Considering that these scammers don't care if they wipe out people's life savings, and that a few of them (particularly the 419-ers) are kidnappers and murderers, I hardly think it's going too far.

[Grenage]

Is Windows 95 available free yet? I could put that into a Virtual Box and let them play with that. Each time they reboot, I'll revert to a snapshot, making them very, very confused.

Load XP in a VM, make the desktop image a copy of 'tubgirl', then let them remote in; they'll never be the same again.

Brilliant! How did you persuade him to hang on for so long?

Sadly, I just said "I'll be right back".

[stealth.]

Why don't you guys "reverse h4x0r" the guys. I'm not much of a h4x0r (I know a few things, but not much). I'm %100 sure there is a way.

They are not going to stop, its up to the people to stop them.

[Paddy Landau]

make the desktop image a copy of 'tubgirl'...

I've just Googled tubgirl. OMG, I'll never be the same again . This would be a perfect antidote to their nonsense.

Why don't you guys "reverse h4x0r" the guys.

There may be a way, but I'm not anywhere near technical enough to do it. Wonderful if we could, though; post it on the 'net and ask people to phone claiming to sell insurance against being caught by the police.

[Grenage]

I've just Googled tubgirl. OMG, I'll never be the same again . This would be a perfect antidote to their nonsense.

I'm so sorry; you've now joined the ranks of the visually violated.