I just got a call on my land-line phone. The caller ID said “UNKNOWN.” The conversation went something like this:
Me: “Hello...”
Them (in a thick, barely-comprehensible Indian/Pakistani accent): “Hello. This is so-and-so from such-and-such company. I want to talk to you about your computer. It is sending us error messages, that it is downloading viruses and malware. I can help you clear those off your computer. I just need to to turn on your computer...”
Me: “How stupid do you think I am?”
Them: “Uh… I’m sorry?”
Me: “I’m not stupid enough to fall for that bullshit.”
Them: “OK, you’re not stupid…” Click.
I heard something on the radio a few days ago about probably this very thing… scammers who call you up, tell you horror stories about your computer, and get you to go online and somehow turn control of your computer over to them, whereupon they do all manner of nasty things. Even if I *hadn’t* heard that little newsblurb, it still would have been abundantly obvious that it was some sort of chicanery.
In short: someone calls you up out of the blue and tells you to go online so they can fix your computer… they’re not your friend.