As some know, I’ve been harassed the last couple of months by some sort of “windows support”. Each time I tell them not to call, but I still get called. Finally, I started messing with them. Throw them off script and they hang up, fun but tiring. They are very vague about who they are, only saying “windows support”. They will say they work with Dell, where they probably got my name because my wife called Dell support one time and that’s when it started.

It is very obvious it is an Indian call center. Everyone has an accent, some speak and understand English more than others and they all have American names. These people are parasites preying on the naive and ignorant hard selling Software Maintenance Contracts. The smallest being for a year and the longest for a lifetime. They always start out saying that my computer is sending them messages telling them it’s infected.

Their tactic is to show you something harmless and tell you your computer is filled with viruses. Once they guided me to my \windows\inf directory and told those were all viruses. Another time the “tech” guided me to Windows Event Viewer Log and said all those were viruses. After I told him I cleared the log and the screen was now empty, I was told, I made the problem worse by moving the viruses to my motherboard and only their trained technicians could help. If I signed up for their service I would no longer need any sort of virus program. I’m sure they would sell me one or for that price it may have been included.

Today I’m on the phone for an hour with the first sales rep, supervisor and the “department head”, plus a “technician” in a chat in a remote logmein rescue session.  When I’m hesitating about buying, I’m given a link to Logmein Rescue, which is used by legit IT support to remotely access your computer. The supervisor / tech (whoever) guides me to the Windows product information number and the last six digits of the Product ID is the access code. It’s invalid because there’s a problem with my computer and they can give me an access code so a tech can fix all of my problems.

I start up a VM machine (for those that don’t know: You are running another version of windows within your computer. I use it mainly for testing or when I’m looking for viruses to troubleshoot. It’s a “sandbox” where you can do things without harming your real computer and operating system). A remote session starts up and the tech on the other end opens my browser to their website mywindowssupport.com and leads me to the part where you pay. It’s not a secure page and it doesn’t ask for credit card information, only a code of some sort. Looks like you’re supposed to give your information over the phone and not the website.

During the Logmein Remote session, it says it’s the Trial Version of Logmein Remote. When told them how can they be real if they can’t even use the full version of logmein. I was told it only said trial on my side because I didn’t have the right code (which I doubt) because the previous time they used something called ammyy.com

I’m telling the supervisor how they are scum and the longer I can keep them on the phone with me, the fewer people they can contact. After awhile I’m moved to the “Department Manager” that tells me how legit they are. I tell them they are all liars. While this is going on I start chatting / texting the tech on the remote session. I ask stuff like which Microsoft certification he has, because they are all “Microsoft certified technicians” with no response by the way. The supervisor tells me they are certified in “software support”. The manager finally tells me they won’t call anymore after I tell them they are going to go through the same BS every time they call me. I will make the time even if I’m at work to mess with them.

After that and everyone is about to hang up, I’m telling the tech in the remote session what an idiot he is. He then starts deleting stuff from the VM machine (which he doesn’t know he’s in), files in the windows\inf directory (which you shouldn’t do), he deleted all the shortcuts on the desktop, emptied the recycle bin, all the while I’m laughing at him and telling him he’s in a VM machine and he probably doesn’t know what that is. This went on until he disconnected.

Hopefully they won’t call any more, but I feel sorry for others that fall for this. They have UK, US and Australia flags on their websites so they are targeting more than just the US. I know it started with the Dell support call and Dell should be ashamed of themselves. I’ve only found a few other stories on the internet about these people but there needs to be more and pressure put on Dell and anyone else that sells our information to these vermin.

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