I just received a call from this number. This person had a very strong language dialect (probably an Indian dialect) and told me that they were calling from Microsoft to tell me that they had detected infections on my computer when I go online. They asked me to open my "event viewer" and let them know approximately how many "errors" and "warnings" I saw listed. I told them and then they got me to another person who they said could help me with these advanced technical problems. So, he gets on the line and starts telling me several things and bottom line was he wanted access to my computer so he could "fix" (remove) the infections and "activate master protection" so that these "infections" wouldn't happen again. He told me if I do not do this, my system will eventually come "crashing down." He blamed the infections on hackers who for the past 4-5 months have been able to get past firewalls and virus protection programs. All of this sounded more than slightly suspicious to me so I asked if I could call him back. He gave me the number 201-844-6490 and told me his name was "Justin Sykes." He wanted to know when I would call him back and I said today and he told me he worked until 7:00 pm my time. Weird. My caller ID brought up the number 456-0661 from Seattle, Washington, yet he said he was actually calling from New Jersey. I could hear several voices in the background (sounded like a call center).
I called my local "computer guy" that I use all the time. He immediately told me it was a SCAM! He has had dealings many times with it before with customers.
I called the number back, and it rang and rang and rang (at least 30 times) with no answer. Hmmmm, guess Mr. "Justin Sykes" knew that he was most likely going to be exposed by my computer guy and gave me the usual bogus number.
This is a horrible thing to go thru...it should be illegal, and I wish it could be reported to authorities so that they could be shut down. I have an above-average computer intellect but not all folks do....once they get access to ones computer, who knows the damage that they are capable of performing.
I also got a call "from" this number. I am living in the Netherlands. It was like at others a guy named Kenneth with an Indian accent. I asked him his phonenumber so I could call him back. Before calling him back I checked the number on the Internet and found out it was a Scam.
I just got off the phone with the guy. He told me he was getting malicious emails from me and he was from Microsoft Phone Center and he was going to help me fix it. As he was handing me his line of crap, I looked on line for the phone number he gave me 201-844-6490 and found this blog. What nerve.