Further to my message above checked scam watch and sounds exactly like a march 2011 scam alert - see http://www.scamwatch.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/834379Just hang up and don't let them into your computer.

Also, I had a call from a guy by the name of Alain stating that he?s a Microsoft Engineer and I have a problem with my computer. I asked for his company name and he gave the phone number (02) 8014 7284 Ext 896. Nobody answered. I checked my computer for viruses ? none to be found. Obviously, this is a scam.

It's a SCAM, i played along for awhile and after the usual talk... your computer is sending error messages i told the lovely young Indian lady that i was not using windows i had a Mac she told me i was lying and i said how the F..k do you know i'm lying and she said F..k Off your lying and hung up. Scam scam scam Get a whistle and blow it into the phone!!!!!!!!!!!

Caller, Asian (not Indian) accent, telephoned my home number in Australia purporting to be calling from Long Island, New York, as "official service provider company" for Microsoft, saying an error message from my computer in Microsoft Outlook, which indicated that a virus had attacked and would soon infiltrate throughout my computer.  I asked for evidence that this was a genuine call.  Caller identified herself as "Stephanie" and said the company had a Sydney office.  She correctly quoted my name, phone number, e-mail address and residential address (none of which I asked her to do, but she did anyway).  I asked for the phone number of the company's Sydney office which she gave as above, together with an extension number.  She said a call to this number would immediately be re-directed to her.  I phoned the Sydney number.  There was an automated answer asking for the input of an extension number.  I did not do this, and hung up.  There had in fact been an incident that morning whilst I was working on my e-mail files, with an error message flashing up to the effect that there had been "an unusual error" and Outlook immediately shut down.  I have run scans on my computer and there is no evidence of any threat, although I have had to reset a few items which I think would have been result of the incident referred to.  I think this is a scam and wonder whether the company concerned may have somehow triggered off the incident that affected my computer in the first place.

Also, I had a call from a guy by the name of Alain stating that he’s a Microsoft Engineer and I have a problem with my computer. I asked for his company name and he gave the phone number (02) 8014 7284 Ext 896. Nobody answered. I checked my computer for viruses – none to be found. Obviously, this is a scam.

Mate I got a call from some guy with an Indian accent reporting the same problem from my computer yeserday 1st Nov 2010, he wanted me to access the event viewer & so on , but I didn't go any further, I asked for his office number & its the same number as what you have listed.  I told him no one has ever called me from Microsoft regarding error messages or malware etc before & thought the Windows updates would take care of any Microsoft related errors,   I'm 95% sure its a scam, I done a full system scan & windows updates & found nothing, the computer is working fine, also I didnt bother calling the number plus the ext 896.