I just had one of these! Some guy with an Indian accent phones me up, "I am calling from Microsoft Tech..." etc etc, I know about scams, I don't need to be told this is one. But I decide to have a bit of fun!
The conversation went something like this;
Him: "Do you see the Windows button on your Windows PC?".
Me: "Yes."
Him: "Click on it and the R button at the same time. What do you see?"
Me: "The run box."
Him: "Very good, sir. Now enter EVENTVWR and click OK."
I told him I did, but didn't bother - I know what the event viewer is.
Him "What do you see?"
Me: "Error messages."
Him: "How many?"
Me: "Ten thousand."
Him: "That is because of the virus in your system. Now I'm going to tell you how to download our software so I can help you clean your computer so it will work 10 times faster! Go Microsoft Internet Explorer."
Me: "Ok."
Him: "You have opened Microsoft Internet Explorer?"
Me: "Yes."
Him: "Very good sir. Now go to www.*********.com. What do you see?"
I was curious so went to the website - as I suspected, one of those remoted desktop viewers that allow genuine tech support people to use your computer remotely over the internet. I describe the website, tell him I clicked to download and opened the software.
Him: "Now what do you see?"
Me: "An IP address."
Him: "Very good sir," - I could hear him getting excited at this point, presumably not many people get this far before hanging up "Now tell me your IP address so I can connect to your Windows computer to fix it for you."
I make up an IP address.
Him: "...No sir, this is not correct, give it to me again?"
I give him the same IP but change one number.
Him: "...No sir, this is not the correct IP adress..."
All of this has taken about 20 minutes. After several more minutes of me arguing with him that it must be the right address, I ask him to go back and go through the whole thing from the beginning.
Him: - I can hear him getting pissed off now - "Click on the Windows button on your keyboard...!"
Me: "What Windows button?"
Him: "The Windows button!" - getting really mad now!
Me: "I don't see a Windows button."
Him: "You don't see a Windows button?!"
Me: "No, I own a Mac."
After several seconds of silence, he says; "Your computer is a Mac...?"
I say: "Yep!"
He says: "But you told me you saw a Microsoft Windows button on your keyboard..."
Me: - smugly - "Yeah, I did didn't I..."
He said "You've just been wasting my time..."
I told him that HE had been wasting MY time trying to con money out of me like all the others he phones up, called him a thieving b*****d, then he hung up!