Virus detection / cleaning

[Captain Spod]

I am registered with TPS. Three times in the past two days I have received calls advising that my PC has various viruses and associated problems and that the caller (Indian accent, all three) can resolve them all. I have Norton 360. I assume A) they will want to remotely access my PC, and B) this is a scam. The threat of reporting them to TPS has no effect as they insist they are acting legally.
Am I right?
Can I stop these calls?

Thanks all.

[HowardKennitby]

Apparently not if they start outside the UK.

[TheNovice]

ask them to hold while you do something and leave them there....tends to help them get the message!!

[Old_Geezer]

Yes it is a scam.

I believe you can get a bar on international calls. Talk it over with your service provider. However I suspect they wouldn't be interested in barring specific numbers, but it wouldn't hurt to enquire. You could always decline to answer calling numbers you do not recognise. Or lift & drop the receiver.

[dzug2]

You are right that it's a scam

As they (presumably) are in India and the 'company' they claim to represent doesn't exist, the TPS has no jurisdiction.

[TWR]

Captain,
A clue to these calls, it normaly takes above 3>>5 seconds for them to talk to you, it takes you a second to put the phone down. Simple, that's what I do.

[SlackAlice]

Yes its a scam, I have a referee's whistle next to my 'phone, works quite well. ☺

[The-HouseHusband]

Just play dumb and keep asking them lots of pointless questions, think the longest I have kept one going was close to an hour with all sorts of questions about how they knew it was my computer. Line went dead when i said i didn't own a computer!!

[pdq1]

A dogs whistle would be more appropriate for slum dogs.

[Gizmonster]

I'm with TWR on this ... when you answer the phone, if there's a long pause before you can hear anything - it's an international call coming through .... I just hang up every time. They never call back - I assume they just move onto the next potential victim on their list.

[Captain Spod]

Thanks everyone, I am pleased that I correctly assessed the situation and I'll take on board the advice. The whole 'bang down the phone after a couple of seconds' thing must be a problem for those with a stutter/stammer so I won't be doing that!

[TWR]

Captain, this site is full of advise to all that use it, there are many people asking the Question you have just asked, a lot are vulnerable to these scammers & by the time the member realises what he / she has done BANG, there is money going out of the members account, I will say it again if I can on here.

"IF YOU ARE UNSURE ASK"

THAT'S WHAT THIS SITE IS KNOWN FOR!

HELP & ADVISE

[douglas9401]

Advice too, don't forget advice. :P

[TWR]

Whatever.

[TWR]

Captain, your mate from Virus board has just rang. lol