While I was at my mother’s house the phone rang so I picked it up.
"Hello?"
"Hello Sir," said a female voice on the other end of the line, with a slight accent, "We are calling you from an independent computer security company. We want to let you know that we have received numerous reports that your computer has downloaded viruses and malware, and we would like to help you fix your computer." In the background, I could hear the unmistakable background noise of a busy call centre.
"You know that’s impossible, right?" I responded.
"What’s impossible?" she responded.
"You can’t possibly, especialy as an independent computer company, know the phone number associated with a specific computer, even if you were somehow able to scan my mother’s computer remotely without her permission. You are trying to scam her. It won’t work this time. I teach people how to use their computers. I’ve taught my mother about you. You cannot scam my mother. I will record the phone call the next time you call, and forward it to Interpol. Leave my mother alone!" I said firmly. (I doubt Interpol would be able to do much about this scam, but hey, empty threats sometimes work.)
Click.
Warn your parents, your relatives, and anyone you care about who may be taken in by this scam. My mother got caught the first time, but with some help from me, we recovered her money, and I have hopefully helped immunize her from the scammers.