I'm from Microsoft, there's something wrong with your computer

[stek]

Just buy her a Chromebook. Further assistance not required. Game over for Bobbits.

Or an iPad or other inferior tablet. Then they don't keep going off the edge of the table when they use the mouse......

[mudskipper]

don't want to teach anyone to suck eggs, but with my old girl's pc a very simple search on files that had been modified that day was very revealing

Yep, that's where I started, and browser history.
All scans clear, so going to risk it for now and see how she goes.

[EternalOptimist]

Yep, that's where I started, and browser history.
All scans clear, so going to risk it for now and see how she goes.

yep. I just remoted in. everything looks ok

I stashed a few piccies in MS\download\granny\bumburster

but don't bother looking, leave it with me

[Sysman]

Personally I'd get her BT number changed or at least get BT to block all unknown callers. These scum are ruthless and will repeatedly target vulnerable people.

WHS. The mate who sussed them out half way through an attempt got pestered to death with phone calls for months afterwards.

[Sysman]

I've told her to cancel her cards. I'm going round shortly and will see what (if anything) I can find.

Best think about where it leaves you too.

Get her to change her maiden name.

[mudskipper]

A damsel in distress and so many helpful replies

Restores faith in human nature and CUK.

Cheers all for the replies - hopefully we've mitigated the potential consequences - will keep an eye on things for a few weeks.

[xoggoth]

Personally I'd get her BT number changed or at least get BT to block all unknown callers

Get one with call blocking. If you block international and unknown the cold calls drop considerably.

[NotAllThere]

...
Full reformat and reinstall is the only way to be sure...

Rubbish is it.

[tomtomagain]

Funnily enough I just had "Alan" from the Microsoft Windows department on the phone wanting to talk to me about my computer.

I just kept quite while he said "Can you hear me? Are you there?" for about 3 minutes before hanging up.

What really makes me angry is that BT should be doing far, far more in blocking these scam calls. When I spoke to BT last time they really weren't very interested.

Landline-telephony is broken. I don't want anyone to be able to call me ( or my family ) at home from anywhere in the world.

I really wonder why I have a landline. I never use it. The kids never use it. The missus never uses it. The only calls we get on it are cold-calls.

It's almost as pointless as daily postal deliveries ... there's nothing in them except junk mail that goes straight to the bin. One delivery a week would be better.

[DimPrawn]

Funnily enough I just had "Alan" from the Microsoft Windows department on the phone wanting to talk to me about my computer.

I just kept quite while he said "Can you hear me? Are you there?" for about 3 minutes before hanging up.

What really makes me angry is that BT should be doing far, far more in blocking these scam calls. When I spoke to BT last time they really weren't very interested.

Landline-telephony is broken. I don't want anyone to be able to call me ( or my family ) at home from anywhere in the world.

I really wonder why I have a landline. I never use it. The kids never use it. The missus never uses it. The only calls we get on it are cold-calls.

It's almost as pointless as daily postal deliveries ... there's nothing in them except junk mail that goes straight to the bin. One delivery a week would be better.

As I've said - If you can get fibre optic Internet, get it and ditch the landline. If not, unplug the phone, you don't need a phone plugged in.

These days everyone calls everybody on a mobile or via VOIP. The only calls on landlines are fraud and scams and timewasters.