Does HP call customers about updates?

[MichaelAltoona]

Does HP make unsolicited calls to it's customers?  I got a call from someone claiming to be from HP telling me that my computer was not accepting updates.  I was quite skeptical as I have received these "fake" support calls before.  However, the agent knew the label that I had given my computer.  Thanks for any and all info.

[WAWood · Accepted solution]

@MichaelAltoona

Hello;

Allow me to welcome you to the HP forums!

The short answer is NO -- HP does not call folks, or for that matter, e-mail folks, about problems with their PCs.

This is a scam designed to cripple your PC so that you will have to then pay money to restore it to working condition.

These folks seemed to have captured information on HP customers, although it is not know how they have done that.

You were smart to check here before giving in to their pressures.

[mdklassen]

> ... the agent knew the label that I had given my computer.  Thanks for any and all info.

Since you asked for "all" info ...

For a computer directly-connected to the Internet (directly to a cable-modem or DSL-modem),

where that "modem" box is NOT a "combination" box consisting of both a wireless router and modem,

where "file-sharing" is enabled within Windows, then the 'NBTSTAT' command in Windows might show information like:

           NetBIOS Remote Machine Name Table

       Name               Type         Status
    ---------------------------------------------
    DONALDJTRUMP   <00>  UNIQUE      Registered
    WORKGROUP      <00>  GROUP       Registered
    DONALDJTRUMP   <00>  UNIQUE      Registered
    WORKGROUP      <1E>  GROUP       Registered

    MAC Address = D0-D0-D0-D0-D0-DD

where 'DONALDJTRUMP' is the label assigned to your computer.

That 'MAC' address can be traced-back to a specific manufacturer (HP or LENOVO or DELL or ... )

because each manufacturer is assigned a consecutive range of MAC-addresses.

Note that 'MAC' is an abbreviation, not an indication that a computer was made by Apple Computer.

Or, it's possible that the "agent" was simply guessing the manufacturer.