Need Help!

[Nehkara]

I have a buddy who just phoned me.

He apparently had Windows Live Support team phone him and tell him his computer was sending them error messages, that he needed a software update that would cost $199. They had him set up a Paypal account for the transaction. He said they appeared legit, that they had his Windows Product ID without him telling them. He also said the phone number and the software seemed legit.

I think this is scam. Do you agree? If so, what is his recourse (i.e. can he contact Paypal to stop the payment?)?

[silentsim]

Definitely a scam. If he paid through his credit card tell him to call his bank now and get them to stop the payment. Contact paypal and get them to as well from their end.

[Hockeyguy15]

Yep scam for sure. As far as I am aware Microsoft will never call you and tell you that you need to pay them anything. Ever.

[Lithium]

http://darranboyd.wordpress.com/2011...-support-scam/

[Sliver]

Man it GMG people still fall for these ######ed scams. If more people had a modicum of common sense these shysters would be out of business and we wouldn't get annoying spam (phone and email) anymore.

[Diverce]

Yeah it's a scam.

Like the guy who wrote the blog I played along with him. He kept telling me that my computer was infected and sending error messages. I asked him how he got my number, and he told me that windows sent it to him, which is odd to me since I never registered my number with microsoft, or any other software company. I then started to get annoyed with him and started calling him on his ####... Dood proceeded to tell me to #### off, I was a little hurt by that.

[Hack&Lube]

Originally Posted by Nehkara

I have a buddy who just phoned me.

He apparently had Windows Live Support team phone him and tell him his computer was sending them error messages, that he needed a software update that would cost $199. They had him set up a Paypal account for the transaction. He said they appeared legit, that they had his Windows Product ID without him telling them. He also said the phone number and the software seemed legit.

I think this is scam. Do you agree? If so, what is his recourse (i.e. can he contact Paypal to stop the payment?)?

We have a big thread on this already
http://forum.calgarypuck.com/showthread.php?t=103772

Microsoft will never contact you for anything. Microsoft will never charge anything for a software update. Microsoft is really really poor so of course they don't have their own credit card system and use paypal instead.

[GoinAllTheWay]

Dood should also nuke and pave his machine, if they have his windows key, he most certainly has a virus on his computer.

Mind you, if he fell for that scam, he may not be able to re-install windows.