I don't know why, but the scam calls from "Microsoft Windows" seem to come in waves. I won't get any for weeks or months then several come along in quick succession. I don't know how this "business" operates, for all I know the scammers are exploiting the people who actually make the calls, but the young man who just called now definitely needs to improve his "sales" technique if he's going to get anywhere as a scam artist.

First, without any preamble, he told me to go and switch on my computer. When I asked him why, I didn't get the usual spiel, just a curt statement that there was a problem with it. The conversation then went like this:

(scammer) "I have a red light flashing here that shows me that there is a problem. Let me show you all the viruses."

(me) "My computer is fine. I don't have any problems with it."

(scammer) "I will show you that hackers have been installing viruses on your computer."

(me) "What, hackers like you?"

(scammer) "F&*^ your computer!"

(me, laughing) "What did you just say?"

(scammer) "F&*^ your computer! And f&*^ you!

And then he hung up before I could tell him that that was no way to persuade people to hand over cash.

Sometimes I like to play them along and If I'd wanted to keep him on the line to waste more of his time, I shouldn't have revealed my hand so early in the conversation, but I wasn't in the mood for scammer baiting as I have too much to do today. But I think this particular scam has just about run its course. What will they come up with next, I wonder?

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