Clacton: Phone scam target warns others

3:00pm Sunday 25th November 2012 in News

A MAN targeted by two different phone scammers in a week has warned others to be wary.

Terry Davis, of Freshwater Lane in Great Clacton, was contacted by a caller claiming to be from computer company Microsoft last week.

He said: “They phoned asking about my computer, which had been slowing up at the time.

“They convinced me to allow them remote access to the computer, but eventually I smelled a rat and cut them off.

“I took my computer to a shop and they cleaned it up for me. One of the men there said there have been other instances of this happening recently.”

Mr Davis was contacted by another company a few days later, and was asked to hand over his details.

He refused and asked for their telephone number so he could phone them back and prove they were genuine – at which point the scammers disconnected.

He added: “With two in quick succession like that it seems to me these people are targeting people in this area."

Comments(15)

peachey says...
4:14pm Sun 25 Nov 12

I used to get these lot phone me all the time. Probably because I was in the phone book at the time - always from an Indian call centre and always saying they work on behalf of Microsoft trying to tell you the reason for slow internet is because of local viruses (of course there's no such a thing). At first I used to say not interested but due to the persistence of the calls, if having a bad day and I fancied cheering myself up I used to take great relish in winding them up. They ask you to go to their website (cant remember the name now), then download some software which obviously gives them remote connection to your pc. NOT AT ANY TIME DID I DO THIS, but used to pretend to. You could hear the excitement in the guy's voice thinking he had hooked me - but I used to pretend to press the wrong button and we would have to start again. Think the record so far for keeping them on the phone was 35 minutes, although the last time I got a call from these scammers they caught me on a bad day and I just told them they were crooks and the guy on the other end took offence and swore at me and hung up. Never laughed so much, MY WORK THERE WAS DONE! Have since moved and now ex directory - did have fun though lol. Seriously though, please watch out. It's easy for some to say how do people fall for it but some people do and they need to be warned

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xxxdave says...
4:58pm Sun 25 Nov 12

I had several of these calls and reported to essex police service and asked for an email to be sent out to subscribing members and nothing has been done. What a terrible service we recieve from essex police. I never fell foul of the calls either.

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mbr1955 says...
5:43pm Sun 25 Nov 12

It doesn't matter whether you are in the phone book or not. I am not and never have been but still get calls, that is until my husband told them exactly what he thought of them in words I couldnot type here, plus he added that he was a computer engineer and they have never phoned back. Also my mother-in-law in Norfolk has never had a computer and has never been in the phone book but even she has regular calls. Needless to say her language is not ladylike as she is fed up of the numerous calls. Something should be done.

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Mr Disgusted says...
6:26pm Sun 25 Nov 12

IS IT NOT COMMON SENSE THAT WHO WOULD PHONE YOU ASKING FOR YOUR COMPUTER'S DETAILS SURELY JUST COMMON SENSE IS NEEDED..............

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TonyLR2 says...
7:50pm Sun 25 Nov 12

Mr Davis probably received two calls in quick succession as these fraudsters passed/sold his name on to fellow fraudsters as a "successful hit", not because they are targeting people in this area - its just a phone number to the fraudsters, if they're phoning from abroad (and virtually all do), they don't know where the area is. If you feel confident, and fancy a bit of fun, like some of our other commentators here, play along and waste their time, but DON'T EVER CLICK ON, OR DOWNLOAD ANYTHING, OR GIVE ANY PERSONAL / FINANCIAL DETAILS, otherwise put the phone down on them straight away. I usually keep them on the line for 30 minutes or so before innocently asking if their Microsoft solution isn't working on my computer because it's an Apple Mac.

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carnuts says...
1:43am Mon 26 Nov 12

All they get from my number are angry chimps on the answerphone,
They seem to understand what the chimps are saying because they hang up.

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jaywick grinch says...
8:37am Mon 26 Nov 12

far to many of this type of scam,This is the thangks we get when you help ethnic minoritys, they harbour tarabann leaders and rip us off bring back the BNP and NF and kick the barlambs out.All of them.

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jaywick grinch says...
8:40am Mon 26 Nov 12

vote UKIP

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jaywick grinch says...
8:44am Mon 26 Nov 12

O yer forgot to say ive got a gaget called a screemer for sales calls it deafans the barlambs hold it to the speaker press the button screeeeeeeeeeeeeeech and there gone.

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alfie2007 says...
8:52am Mon 26 Nov 12

I get these phone calls, go through the same process but tell them my computer says Commodore 64 which takes them some time to understand, or I will ask them if they have a credit or debit card and insist on asking for the long number on the card plus security code, when they ask why I tell them they are wasting my time and need to charge them! They hang up! How rude!

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jaywick grinch says...
8:56am Mon 26 Nov 12

what about this for an idea to get rid of all main blood suckers send qweeny and her tribe are in india nuke the place LOL !!!!!!!!!!!

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jaywick grinch says...
8:57am Mon 26 Nov 12

to india

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pameb89 says...
11:46am Wed 28 Nov 12

a couple of things here , i too have had these annoyances , i tell them to speak to my hubby who is a computer engineer with mickysoft-- they really manage a quick disconnect then - or that they must be mistaken as i do not have a computer -that puzzles them!
as for the person that has the buzzer - just a heads up - a person was quite severely fined for doing just that - apparently it damaged the hearing of the cold caller - they sued and won quite substantial damages -- a more logical and satisfying answer is to leave the phone off - occasionally checking for the dial tone, i have made myself some quite pleasent snacks in my time doing this !

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theikmarket says...
10:29am Sun 2 Dec 12

Probably the same scammer. Like what the reports posted at http://callercenter.
com say, these scammers are now using several phone lines to call their victims. Apparently, this makes the victim think that such calls are probably common after all and may agree to the offer in the second call.

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roxykent says...
1:32pm Tue 4 Dec 12

we had one this morning claming they were from bt technical department, they did did not call me by my name or ask me to confirm any information such as date of birth or account number. they asked me if my computer was running ok as i may notice it slowing downbecuase everytime i log on to the internet my corrupt files are slowing down the server. I instantly knew what this was and asked them to tell me what my bt account number was and i would be happy to discuss it further, at that point they said they would send details in a letter.
i immediately phoned by technical team to confirm if they had called and the told me it was a hoax.
this cal was made to my elderly mother who may infact of participated with the call luckily i was there to help

be vidulant!

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