Yep it's back- the scam callers. Latest round in the project solar calls involves lots of calls from landlines from various parts of the UK. Possibly an attempt to get past TPS & ICO legislation. I've found a simple way to defeat this is a call blocker on SWIMBO's phone. But which one ? . I'm looking for one that uses a database that users can update with the latest numbers , not the sort of thing TPS puts out, which asks users to report but which fails to updatrer users.

Had a call a couple of days ago from foreign sounding female asking if I was me, or rather, she asked for someone who was an anagram of my name. When I said there was no-one of that name here & she must have the wrong number, she just carried on, claimed to be from the "Telephone Preferencing Management Service", & was I still getting nuisance spam phone calls, etc. Obviously a nuisance caller, but I let her go through her spiel for a minute or so, then told her I am registered with the TPS, so, Good Bye.

 

This seems to be a new tactic, instead of claiming to be a research call, now claiming to be from something that sounds similar to the TPS in the hope that people won't pick up on the difference in name.

 I don't answer my landline now, just let it go to the answer machine. If it's important they will leave a message. 

 

It's surprising the number of no number, no answer machine message calls I get. 

 

My mobile comes with software (Hiya) which has proven to be highly successful in identifying incoming call numbers. 

 

It is that good it classifies British Gas as a 'possible scam number', which is not that far from the truth. 

49 minutes ago, Fin69 said:

 I don't answer my landline now, just let it go to the answer machine. If it's important they will leave a message. 

 

I'm exactly the same.

 

My Wife continues to answer calls with the exception of unknown international numbers.  She'll even answer calls when she's right in the middle of something, and will then moan about the interruption.  Must be in her wiring that she can't seem to grasp that it's okay to not answer it in the first place.

 

Gaz

 

 

My Dad, who is in his 90's only turns on his old school mobile phone when he leaves the house so he only gives his landline number to people. A while ago he said that he was getting a lot of number withheld calls that left no message. I advised him to answer them as I knew that my medical centre withheld their number and it turned out that it was the local hospital wanting to arrange an appointment.  They would not leave a message as if somebody else in the house picked it up it would breach patient confidentiality. They withhold their number as they want to keep the line clear to phone people and talk to them direct

BT landline users have the free service of Call Protect. If you want to block calls you call 1572 and the last call can be blocked by pressing 1 option. I had a spam call yesterday saying that my router will stop working if I don't talk to one of their engineers. I used Call Protect to block that number. You have to talk to BT to activate the service

Edited 8 December, 20187 yr by edbostan

I’ve had one of these for a few years You can select what types of numbers you want to block and it’s easy to add any rogue numbers that get through by pushing the button on the box.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/CPR-Protect-Landline-Call-Blocker/dp/B00LL9H0FM/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1544279185&sr=8-6&keywords=cpr+call+blocker+v108

4 hours ago, Kenny R said:

I’ve had one of these for a few years You can select what types of numbers you want to block and it’s easy to add any rogue numbers that get through by pushing the button on the box.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/CPR-Protect-Landline-Call-Blocker/dp/B00LL9H0FM/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1544279185&sr=8-6&keywords=cpr+call+blocker+v108

 

Mine stopped working when I changed the landline to SKY from Talk Talk.

 

Turns out later SKY will add call blocking as a paid option on the account. 

 

But I already paid CPR you robbing dogs.

I get them all the time in France, its no exaggeration to say that one in 200 calls might be a genuine one for me, and that is after blocking all with-held numbers which dropped the volume by a good 90%.

 

Now they use a series of numbers usually from different countries but they have also worked out a way to present a number which is not the number they are calling from and now many show a number with the local dialling code.

 

If I dial *351* it will block the number and again without exaggerating I have thousands listed.

 

Only problem is that if I block a friends number by mistake then I can only empty the whole list, not just the one number.

 

When a number looks suspect (pretty much all of them) I pick up and say nothing for 3 seconds, 95% of the time the call drops after exactly 2 seconds and i then block the number, a genuine caller will say something, some of the scammers do as well but then I have some fun.

 

I have to pick up because it might be a customer.

Edited 8 December, 20187 yr by J.R.

I tended to find with cold calling calls there would be a bit of a gap from me picking up the phone and someone speaking, roughly 1.5 - 2 seconds.

 

My interpretation for this was the possibility of the caller using an automated multi auto dialler, and the short gap was the difference between the auto dialler indicating a connection/pick up and the operator accepting the call. 

 

As for medical related phonecalls, my GP's surgery and the local hospital appear to be happy to leave voice messages, they just give the number for the surgery or department and request I call them back. I then go through the  patient identification process when I call them back. 

On 08/12/2018 at 19:22, camelspyyder said:

 

Mine stopped working when I changed the landline to SKY from Talk Talk.

 

Turns out later SKY will add call blocking as a paid option on the account. 

 

But I already paid CPR you robbing dogs.

I believe Sky may have sold on my mobile number. When my wife signed up to Sky she used my mobile phone number and I get calls wanting to speak to Mrs

On 08/12/2018 at 12:25, Fin69 said:

 I don't answer my landline now, just let it go to the answer machine. If it's important they will leave a message. 

 

 

We have done this for years now - if we do not recognise number/caller - we totally ignore it ! No msg left on ansafone means no interest from us - easy 

6 minutes ago, YS53 said:

We have done this for years now - if we do not recognise number/caller - we totally ignore it ! No msg left on ansafone means no interest from us - easy 

I even changed our voice mail message to say if you're withholding your number and won't leave a message don't bother calling again.

On 08/12/2018 at 13:51, edbostan said:

BT landline users have the free service of Call Protect. If you want to block calls you call 1572 and the last call can be blocked by pressing 1 option. I had a spam call yesterday saying that my router will stop working if I don't talk to one of their engineers. I used Call Protect to block that number. You have to talk to BT to activate the service

 

My folks have this and really like the feature. They noticed an immediate drop in spammy calls with it.

 

I like others hardly use the landline, it's only there for broadband really. Mobile gets the usual accident scams. They've started being persistent again even when I say I'm dead.

8 hours ago, Aspman said:

even when I say I'm dead.

 

You could invite them to a seance, perhaps?

Landline- I use a BT phone with call Guardian. It has a memory like mobiles, so that any number in memory rings as normal, but any unknown is sent to "announce" mode. So far we've only had one call get past this- the pests give up,and I thn block the code.

For mobiles, use true caller. 

1 hour ago, gadgetman said:

For mobiles, use true caller. 

If you use an iPhone, read the reviews on the App Store first, then decide if you want to install True Caller - there are several reviews suggesting they have got many more spam calls since installing it and that it doesn't actually block them but just flags them so the iPhone still rings?

On 22/12/2018 at 17:27, PetrolDave said:

If you use an iPhone, read the reviews on the App Store first, then decide if you want to install True Caller - there are several reviews suggesting they have got many more spam calls since installing it and that it doesn't actually block them but just flags them so the iPhone still rings?

You either set to auto block, or display caller information and still ring - letting you decide whether to answer. 

 

The issue with auto block is it can block some legitimate businesses if users have incorrectly flagged as spam 

30 minutes ago, gadgetman said:

You either set to auto block, or display caller information and still ring - letting you decide whether to answer. 

 

The issue with auto block is it can block some legitimate businesses if users have incorrectly flagged as spam 

What about the suggestion that:

there are several reviews suggesting they have got many more spam calls since installing it

No one I know who uses it has claimed they have had an increase of spam calls 

Edited 24 December, 20187 yr by gadgetman