Mildly Fearful of Indian Call Center Phone Phishing Scam

Long story short, the Indian Call Center Scam is a “phone phishing” scam where cruel idiots claiming to be from a Microsoft partner attempt to trick folks into letting them access their computers, then cajole them into sending money due to fake or planted viruses (or, failing that, threats of deleting important files, which they can now do if you’ve given them access).

I doubt most people that are at all computer savvy would fall for it, but nonetheless, watch out for this scam. If nothing else, they’re persistent.

Here’s my experience.

I got one of these scam calls the other day. The scammer called on our land line, which we don’t use at all (was required for the cable/Internet package we use). The only calls I get on this line are telemarketers and sometimes the local rescue mission (indeed, the only reason I ever pick it up). When it rang, caller ID had some kind of “number unavailable” message. I picked it up, and a man with a heavy Indian accent engaged me in a less-than-polite conversation that went something like this:

“Hello, sir, I’m from [garble garble], and we’re getting reports on the Internet of malware infecting your machine. Tell me, is your computer currently on?”

Me [after laughing for about 15 seconds]: “Dude, you’re full of crap. Bye.”

I hung up. Phone rang again. Same thing on the caller ID.

Me [can't help still laughing]: “Hello? How can I help you?”

Him: “Fuck your mother. Fuck your daughter. Fuck your wife.”

I was in hysterics.

Me: “Excuse me?”

Him: “Fuck your mother. Fuck your daughter. Fuck your wife.”

I had to hear it again.

Me: “Come again?”

Him: “Fuck your mother. Fuck your daughter. Fuck your wife.”

Me: “Where’d you say you were calling from again?”

Him: “Fuck your mother. Fuck your daughter. Fuck your wife.”

So that was funny. And that was it for that day. But the calls kept coming in subsequent days; I’d come home to find that same readout on the caller ID, and we’d been called five or six times. Also I’d answer the phone to find the scammer(s) hanging up as soon as I cheerfully (cartoonishly so) said “hello.”

When I finally made contact with another one of these vultures who inevitably profit from kids and the elderly, I had the pleasure of speaking with a woman who was less profane than her scummy coworker, but still a dumb scavenging scumbag herself. She had a better connection and a lighter accent; I understood her much better than the prior guy. She ID’d the company as “Technical maintenance services.”

I asked “Technical maintenance services for whom?” She just repeated that phrase.

I asked, “That’s the name of your company?”

She moved downward in the script and told me all the horrible things my computer was doing in terms of transmitting, infecting, and otherwise disseminating malware and viruses.

I said, “you must be mistaken, I don’t have a computer. You must have the wrong number.”

The calls largely stopped after that, or at least nobody ever bothered speaking to me after answering the phone as if I were Porky Pig or Troy McClure.

Nonetheless, I confess — I live in constant mild fear. Not that I would ever fall for it. No, because I work and sleep weird hours and I’m leery because they might call and wake me up. The power to reach into somebody’s household and create a loud noise . . . it’s a privilege that shouldn’t be allowed to be abused. But how the hell to you stop an India-based call center making VOIP calls? You got me.

Tags: indian call center, phone phishing, scam