Getting nuisance callers cross!

You did the right thing. I just tell them I haven't got a computer.

My dh had a similar call last week. He strung them along for a bit and then then the caller put the phone down on dh because he said dh was wasting HIS time! Oh the irony!

I have also had them ask me how dare I be so rude when all I have done is say I am not interested thank you. That is the moment I hang up.

Clearly somebody just amusing themselves at your expense, can't think why Microsoft would bother to ring anyone when they are all about computers, internet etc. Obviously the caller is mad -barking in fact!

I had a call yesterday from someone claiming to be from BT saying there was activity on my wi-fi from outside my property and was I aware of it. Said I didn't believe they were from BT and hung up. I went onto BT site to try to find a contact where I could report this and couldn't find anything. Most banks, service suppliers etc. have a "fraud report line" but not it appears BT.

I use the term "Microsoft man" synonymous because that is how these scam calls start, ostensibly offering to "solve" your computer security problems, inviting you to fire up your computer then follow their instructions. . Not " amusing himself at my expense" but aiming to access computer details very much at my expense.
These people are serious.
Have you NEVER had these?

Pressed send before I had finished . I was going to add that some time ago I had someone claiming to be from microsoft ring to say my computer was dowloading illegal files. I told them if there was something wrong with my computer I would give it to someone I trusted to sort out for me, said goodbye and hung up. She immediately rang me back and shouted and berated me for hanging up on her. I'm afraid I used some anglo saxon language telling her what she should do to herself, but as I live alone I did find her attitude upsetting and worrying.

Actually it's an illegal living they are making DaphneBroon, so don't worry about being rude to them I'm always extremely rude, using words me dear old mum would be horrified at . And there certainly won't be any recording for training purposes.
The Microsoft man is my favourite.... I string him along for ages like a doddery old woman and then release a barrage of rude words usually regarding his parentage and the size of his... brain(?)

I always say, as politely as I can 'Thank you so much for telling me. I have a friend who does computers. I'll get on to him straight away.' They often hang up at that point.

Of course they are willsmadnan!!
But our plumber was working on the downstairs loo at the time, having a good chuckle and I used to teach his children. I didn't really want him reporting back "Guess what Mrs Broon said to a scam caller today!"

We are clearly in agreement Daphne and I should imagine these scammers are indeed amused as well as pleased when gullible people do just what they want so that they can cream off all they can from them. The rudeness is one of their ploys to get your attention and make you think that they are genuine, these people are wicked in the true meaning of the word.
As I pointed out, they are certainly not bona fide. We never buy at the door, over the phone or in any way without doing the relevant research and, yes, we do get these phone calls occasionally and I do let them rabbit on until I am bored as they won't be bothering anyone else if they are ringing me. When I am bored I usually tell them that they should be truly ashamed of themselves for attempting to steal from people and that if they need money they should be out honestly working for it no matter how hard that is.
DH says he doesn't know why I bother but clearly they need someone to tell them what for and I am not doing much else so why not?!
You were more upset than was immediately apparent to me Daphne and I am indeed sorry about that as it is awful to be made to feel like that within your own home. Have a and a with me and rest assured that you have helped highlight this problem to others who may not be so savvy.

I was told I was a bitch when I said, very politely, that I did not have a PC (I don't - I'm a Mac girl). I was so shocked I asked her to repeat it and she did!!!!

I've used all these with "microsoft person" depending on the mood I'm in.
The one that's really frustrating me at the moment is the silent call that as soon as you answer the line goes dead because they've dial 20 odd numbers at once and randomly pick who to speak to. I had 7 in two days last week

The other I was called by someone telling me there was something wrong with my computer. I told him there was something wrong with his computer.

These scammers usually introduce themselves with a very British sounding name - Brian Thomson, Derek Jones, Catherine Harris, etc but have strangely un-British accents.

In some ways I feel sorry for them, but they are criminals and no-one should be exploited, defrauded or frightened.

I now string these scammers along , long enough to get some information out of them like a contact number, company name, something ! Then I put on my Sherlock Holmes hat and track them down online because , believe it or not , even scammers have an online presence.

Then I report them to the information commissioner and leave it to him to track them down and fine them.

However, many are in India or overseas and therefore not subject to our laws sadly.

The latest one I get is BT Openreach about my line. Usually they are asking to speak to my husband.
Last week I told the man that he had died 4 and a half years ago.
He said, "Died! What did he do that for?" So I started explaining about brain tumours and grade 4 gliomas. I think he got cut off by his boss, as he was in the middle of saying something else and the line went dead.
Why are they always so aggressive?

I have a friend who received one of those calls telling her that there was something wrong with her computer. The silly fool spent the next 45 minutes following instructions. Luckily she is so computer illiterate if that is the correct word that she had around 2 names for sending emails and would not know how to do on line shopping in a million years. They would not have got what they wanted. I was furious with her when she told me, I did not realise that she was so gullible. I have no idea why she has a state of the art laptop which sits on a table, unused. Ithink she is frightened of it.

The last one I could be bothered to speak to opened with. "Am I speaking to Mrs John Smith"
my reply "No, there's no Mrs. John Smith living here.
Which is true, I am not my husbands property

If they can't pronounce our name properly (and it is difficult) they are told that they have the wrong number. If it is about a computer, I simply say I don't have one!

I always give a ' new' cold caller a chance. I tell them that next time I will use my rape alarm whistle. They do, so I use the whistle. I'm gradually getting rid of them.

I also have a whistle beside my phone. I take great delight in letting rip with it if required.

I go along with it for my amusement let them know I m by my computer and yes it's switched on and yes I can see the keys with the icons and can I see a key with c-t-r-l yes I can see that key and yes I can see the one next to it . Do you mean the one with letters on it? I ask yes they say what letters can you see shall I spell it for you yes please tell me the letters S....C....A....M phone goes down

I regularly say that the person they`re asking for doesn`t live here, they keep asking for Mrs. Smelly, as if I wouldn`t change it if that was really my name!
For the last few weeks, all through the lovely warm, sunny weather, I`ve been getting called by a recording which begins "Now the winter is here.....", haven`t they looked outside recently?

I've never had one of these calls before but I am going to tell them, "It's alright, I'll get them to look at it work tomorrow...Hampshire Police are very good at fixing their property!"