Call from Wicrosoft

[Christopher Browne]

On Wed, Sep 7, 2011 at 2:11 PM,  <phiscock-g851W1bGYuGnS0EtXVNi6w at public.gmane.org> wrote:
> I just had a call ostensibly from Microsoft in California. The gentleman
> (Chris Brown) says there is something wrong with my computer which is
> confusing their servers.
>
> He gave his phone number as 424-256-2700.
>
> Since I'm runing Suse Linux it does seem unlikely I'd be screwing over a
> Microsoft Server.
>
> Any suggestions what I should do with this apparent scam?

I asked them what my IP address was, and what they thought my Windows
ID key was, and they seemed reluctant to provide such information,
despite my telling them that, according to my security policies, I am
not permitted to tell them anything further until they provide that
information.  (Yes, of course, there won't be any Windows ID key :-)!)

When I escalated it to the manager, and informed them that they were a
pack of fraudulent liars, as per the threat indications I have from
the APWG (Anti Phishing Working Group; went to one of their
conferences a few years ago, and am still on the mailing list), and
that they were calling illegally, according to bill C-37, he took a
notably profane turn, hurling nasty, nasty abuse at me, at which point
I hung up.

I'm surprised that you were called by someone from North America, as
legal attacks would be reasonably plausible to be able to hit someone
in the US.
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question, "How would the Lone Ranger handle this?"
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