The "your Windows License Will Expire Soon" Phone Scam

My Mom got one of the "expiring license" scam phone calls. Does anyone know where to report this? Should I notify Microsoft and give them the phone number/let them handle it? Just ignore it? She did not get the Windows license expiring soon error message, just the phone call. Any advice would be appreciated!!

 

https://consumercomplaints.fcc.gov/hc/en-us/articles/115002234203-Unwanted-Calls-Phone-

 

I had the same phone call recently saying that my windows licence is expiring soon and would need to purchase a new one. I told them it's not expiring cos I have purchased my windows from another retailer and not microsoft and she hung up the phone.

 

I had several of these calls a month or so ago and knew it was a scam as I always purchase full licences and not subscription so I took the approach of "I can't understand what you are saying........Please speak English.........I can only answer if you speak proper English........Stop pretending to be Pakistani and speak English (Indians hate being called Pakistanis )........." after he tried to tell me he was speaking English and we argued for several minutes and me me not believing he was speaking English, he ended the call and said someone else from Microsoft would call me back later to fix this problem.
Several hours later they called back and my response was "Thanks so much for calling me back and thanks for speaking English....Oh and BTW can you please keep talking because after I told the police about your previous call they said they would be putting a trace on all my calls and were expecting to relay your location to Interpol..........." the response was .........CLICK..........Hmmmm.........I must have upset them coz they don't call me any more

 

Thank you to everyone who replied! I am going to keep my eyes open for the phone number that called and try a couple of these tactics. Should be fun!! Very special thanks to joffa for giving me the best laugh I've had in weeks!! I laughed so hard, I literally had tears running down my face!!

 

I don't answer most phone calls from numbers I don't know. I just google it and see who's calling...

 

Scammers on getting lazy, yesterday I had a robo-call and the computer voice was so terrible you could not make it out.. but it was wanting me to call "Microsoft about a rebate for a problem they could not fix" it rambled off the numbers and info so fast, it was laughable. Problem is they call using numbers similar to my work phone so I answer because I don't know everyone's numbers.

 

You know what i like to do with these scammers.Buy a air horn and blow it in the phone every time they call and they might not call back.

 

I would have fun with it. When they call and you find out that it's a 'live" person, (and not just automation) you don't need to be rude or anything. Just say something like "Would you hold please?" And lay the phone down and do whatever you were doing before the call. Most of the time they have to wait a certain number of minutes before they hang up. And not only are you now being a pain in their butt, but you are keeping them from harassing someone else for a few minutes! And besides that... it's fun. Have fun with it!

 

Most South Africans can speak 2 of the country's 11 official languages.
Replying not in English does the trick.

 

I would play annoying music until they hung up.I would say Please hold for the next idiot thank you.

 

Here's my favorite. Can't remember where I read it but, if I have about 10 minutes to waste the next time one of these a--holes calls, I'm doing this:

"Hello?

Oh, really. Can you tell me where you are now?

The address you are at now. I need to send an officer over to interview you right away.

Why? This is Detective Kenda with the Houston Police Department. The owner of the PC is covered with a sheet, dead on the floor. Since you had access to his computer and noticed something, you're a material witness in a murder investigation. We must talk to you in person immediately.

No? Our CSIs are tracing this call as we speak. You can either play nice and give us your address or get thrown in jail for obstructing justice and accessory after the fact.

India? No problem, just give us your address and stay put. INTERPOL will be there within an hour."

Assuming they haven't sh*t their pants and hung up by now, string them along with questions on how they knew the "victim", other people who have accessed the PC recently, etc.

I guarantee that specific scammer will never call your number again.

 

The big red phone icon to hang-up on a live call works well for me!

 

It is so cruel