Shopsmith Forums

Got 5 phone calls in less than 2 hours today from the same phisher claiming to be from Microsoft. These times my phone caller display showed my name and my correct home phone number. Don't know how someone can dial my phone number and have my phone number and my name pop up in the caller ID display.
Some folks are very clever.
Bill V

I get many. many calls claiming to be from Microsoft. Most report that my license is about to expire while others claim to have detected an issue with my software or hardware...call for assistance.

Today I received a new one. No identity provided but a report that I have been charged for "protection software" by a company that has gone out of business and I am eligible for a refund.

Unfortunately the computer generated calls these SCAMMERS use can put anything for the phone number and caller ID. I get a lot of calls from the same area code and prefix of both my land line and call phone. I have received the "Microsoft" and "refund" calls plus many many other SCAM calls. My guess is the "refund" needs to "verify" my credit card number to credit it back to me. I have only listened to my answering machine and what their recording said. My policy is if I do not know the caller I let it go to voice mail. If it is important they will leave a message. Many of those messages that are left are prerecorded from the calls and are SCAMS.

I'm still waiting for the "local cops" to come and arrest me and the "IRS" to seize my property.

While we are on the subject use caution on donating to charities. Don't get caught by a SCAM or fake charity. Anytime you can donate directly to a charity gets them the most money. Donations through a "third" party usually leaves some of your donation with the "third" party. This is not always the case though, for example, Firefighters doing Fill the Boot for MDA is volunteered time and MDA gets all the money. Many people donate to charities every year through United Way as an easy means of donating to charities but United Way is not a charity itself but a collection and distributing organization for charities. Not to say using it is bad but know they keep a small amount of the money for operating costs.

Bottom line: Know where your hard earned money is going and who has or is getting access to it.