Chickafish
Well-Known Member
Yesterday afternoon, I picked up a call (yes... picked up. They rang me. I didn't ring them) from a "broadband technician" who was going to help me with my recent connectivity issue. She had a very heavy Asian accent. She said her name was Karen Roberts. She spoke very fast, making it almost impossible to understand what she was saying, so I had to make her repeat herself quite a bit. But the gist of her rambling was she was to help me with my "slow computer speed" due to my "poor internet connectivity".
One thing was missing. She never told me who she was working for. So I asked. She said Virigin Media. "But I'm not with Virgin media. I haven't been for like a year now?" She rambled on some more but I didn't really catch what she was saying. But she wanted me to turn on my computer and connect to the internet. By then, I'd lost patience because a) I just couldn't understand what she was saying due to the fast talking and her heavy accent, and b) I'm not an idiot, and I smelled something funny. So I said, "Yea listen. I can't understand a word you're saying. I'm gonna hang up now."
End of the story? No. Later in the evening (close to 9pm), she called again! She was trying to hide her accent more, and this time she said her name was Judy Smith and that she's calling from Taptalk Virgin BT Sky broadband. :lol: (Wow! More random words than a Japanese game show!) She gave the same line about there being a report that my computer has slowed down due to my poor internet connection, and she's calling to help me speed up my computer. I ended up saying something like "wow... you sound hot. So what are you wearing? Got a personal number so I can call you after work?" She hung up.
So my point is this- had I been someone who was not as computer/internet savvy, this person would've been able to access my personal PC remotely- and I would've been the idiot who gave her access. Who knows what damage one can do with that sort of access. The thing was, I HAD made a report with my internet provider about my connection, but it was already resolved months ago- and by another provider, not Virgin Media. Also, it wouldn't have been my entire computer that was slow- just my internet browser (obviously because of the broadband connection). Just thought I'd share my story in case this is a new thing happening, and they should happen to call you guys and gals. Stay safe, geeks!
One thing was missing. She never told me who she was working for. So I asked. She said Virigin Media. "But I'm not with Virgin media. I haven't been for like a year now?" She rambled on some more but I didn't really catch what she was saying. But she wanted me to turn on my computer and connect to the internet. By then, I'd lost patience because a) I just couldn't understand what she was saying due to the fast talking and her heavy accent, and b) I'm not an idiot, and I smelled something funny. So I said, "Yea listen. I can't understand a word you're saying. I'm gonna hang up now."
End of the story? No. Later in the evening (close to 9pm), she called again! She was trying to hide her accent more, and this time she said her name was Judy Smith and that she's calling from Taptalk Virgin BT Sky broadband. :lol: (Wow! More random words than a Japanese game show!) She gave the same line about there being a report that my computer has slowed down due to my poor internet connection, and she's calling to help me speed up my computer. I ended up saying something like "wow... you sound hot. So what are you wearing? Got a personal number so I can call you after work?" She hung up.
So my point is this- had I been someone who was not as computer/internet savvy, this person would've been able to access my personal PC remotely- and I would've been the idiot who gave her access. Who knows what damage one can do with that sort of access. The thing was, I HAD made a report with my internet provider about my connection, but it was already resolved months ago- and by another provider, not Virgin Media. Also, it wouldn't have been my entire computer that was slow- just my internet browser (obviously because of the broadband connection). Just thought I'd share my story in case this is a new thing happening, and they should happen to call you guys and gals. Stay safe, geeks!