Call #3096 · 2026-11-14

The Cold-Call "Virus"

phone call · TechGuard Solutions · invented, like everything else here.

In real life: hang up. Nobody in this call can be followed as instructions. If a stranger rings and wants access to your computer, put the phone down and read the Help page, which is the part that is true.

Minutes wasted

Red flags found

Lines spoken

Scammer success

Call report

The Cold-Call "Virus"

No real company will ask you to install software to fix problems you didn't know you had.

“I'll send it in the post instead. Save us both the trouble. Goodbye.”

Unsolicited contactFake authority or brand impersonationUrgency or fearFake scan or planted problems

caller left with no action, no software sent · scammer success: none

The call

Oldest line at the top. The note beside each caller line is the Fraud Desk.

                Caller
                Hello, is this Bernard? We've been receiving some unusual activity from your device, and we'd like to check it for you.
              
                  Unsolicited contact
                
Creates a sense of concern to get the target to engage
Real company: Contact the user through verified channels and never cold-call about device issues

                Bernard
                Hello there — yes, that's me. I'm just trying to get the lid off this biscuit tin, but it's stuck. Oh — well — now, what sort of unusual activity?
              
                Caller
                This is TechGuard Solutions. We've detected potential threats on your system — we need to have a look at it immediately to prevent any damage.
              
                  Fake authority or brand impersonation
                
Impersonating a tech company creates false urgency and trust
Real company: A real tech company would send a written notice, not a cold call

                Bernard
                Oh — I do apologise — I was just thinking about that tin again. Immediately? Well, I do hate to keep you waiting. What sort of threats are we talking about?
              
                Caller
                Sorry, the line's gone peculiar — just to confirm, are you still there?
              
                  Urgency or fear
                
Creates a sense of urgency to pressure the victim into responding quickly
Real company: Would not use unusual or alarming language to prompt a response

                Bernard
                Oh — yes, I'm here. I was just looking out of the window — it's such a lovely day, isn't it? I do hope you're not too busy.
              
                Caller
                We've found something unusual — a hidden process that might be causing your device to slow down. Let me check it now before it gets worse.
              
                  Fake scan or planted problems
                
Creating a false sense of urgency to trick the victim into allowing remote access
Real company: A real company would not claim to find hidden processes without the user's consent

                Bernard
                Oh — that does sound worrying. I was just thinking about the garden — it's looking a bit wild. Let me get my reading glasses. Do you need me to do anything?
              
                Caller
                If you just let me have a look at it, I can sort it out straight away. No need for you to do anything.
              
                  Fake scan or planted problems
                
                Bernard
                Oh — that would be kind of you. I was just trying to get the lid off that tin again. Do you think it would be all right in a bungalow?
              
                Caller
                I'll send it in the post instead. Save us both the trouble. Goodbye.

What the pattern is

Nobody can see warnings coming from a home computer. The caller has no monitoring centre, no record of the household and no way to know what is on the machine. The "evidence" is whatever the householder is persuaded to look at (an event log full of ordinary notices, a setting that has always been that way), and it is read out as if it were damage. The whole call exists to reach one moment: the householder opening a remote-control tool and handing over the keyboard.

What to do instead

A real security company does not ring out of the blue about your computer, and a real support desk will not ask for remote access to a machine it does not manage. Hang up. If you are worried about the computer, contact the maker or your own IT person using a number you looked up yourself, and run the security tool that is already installed.

The full scenario page →

Every call · Where to report a real one · ← previous · next →