Scam Telephone Calls

[Shuggie]

Each day I receive at least three attempted scam telephone calls, which are fairly easy to spot because of the poor line quality and delay before someone at the other end speaks. Presumably many others are receiving these calls too. While I feel I'm alert enough to deal with these calls, I do wonder about elderly parents etc.

What can be done to stop scam calls? They appear on the screen with a plausible (mostly mobile) UK number, but it's clearly easy to fake call line identities. Surely this sort of thing ought to be readily identifiable by network providers? Maybe all the UK phone providers, both fixed line and mobile, need to put their heads together to create a shared scammer database in order to block most of these calls before they get anywhere near vulnerable people?

 

[mjw]

My latest are coming from the Leek area code, usually about cutting off my internet service.
I now never pick up until the answerphone kicks in and I recognise the callers voice - which is almost never because everyone uses my mobile number.

 

[Bob McC]

It appears they are powerless if the calls come from abroad.

 

[Cav]

I never answer the landline unless it rings with a "known number" ringtone. All others I let go to answerphone. Usually scammers ring off at that point. same with the mobile.

 

[Barrymagrec]

I never answer the landline unless it rings with a "known number" ringtone. All others I let go to answerphone. Usually scammers ring off at that point. same with the mobile.

I always ring off rather than leave a message - it`s a good job we don`t know each other.

 

[Shuggie]

It appears they are powerless if the calls come from abroad.

Maybe, but if the calls can be identified as coming from abroad, while hiding behind a fake but plausible UK number, then surely networks can do something? Probably not unless required to do so under law, and there's fat chance of our current lazy crop of politicians creating any such laws.

 

[Cav]

I always ring off rather than leave a message - it`s a good job we don`t know each other.

Why won't you leave a message if you have a good reason to speak to someone?

 

[garyi]

We found a simple answer and got our land line removed.

 

[stevec67]

We found a simple answer and got our land line removed.

What's a landline?

 

[Joe Hutch]

We have a call blocker that only allows calls through if the caller identifies his/herself; otherwise the phone doesn't even ring, but the phone records all numbers that have attempted to get through. Just recently we've had several such calls from a Birmingham number. (We don't know anyone from Birmingham).

 

[Vinny]

There is no reliable mobile signal at home here and I am sure not paying mobile charges.

Dodgy numbers can be blocked - one service from BT is 1572 (if memory is correct), which blocks the last number to call your number. Contact BT if the number continually calls and they will block it.

Scammers perpetually change numbers, so blocking them is an endless task.

 

[hifilover1979]

We found a simple answer and got our land line removed.

We still have one; but no phones connected to it...

We've both got our mobiles; family/friends and necessary folk contact us on them...

Plus with out mobiles being Android; they've got a very good call blocker installed and they're great for reporting spam calls too...

My folks (and the wifes folks) like to have a landline; they've got the BT Call Guardian phones in their house (neither are BT customers); but they still work briliantly:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0787GLHCZ/?tag=pinkfishmedia-21

 

[colasblue]

If only I could ditch the landline, but 4G just isn't up to par here and no sign of any 5G anytime soon.

I think we should all be given the option to completely block all incoming calls except from trusted numbers. About 90% of the calls I receive are unwanted and are mostly phishing scams. It's a real PITA in a work from home environment.

 

[Sue Pertwee-Tyr]

Maybe, but if the calls can be identified as coming from abroad, while hiding behind a fake but plausible UK number, then surely networks can do something? Probably not unless required to do so under law, and there's fat chance of our current lazy crop of politicians creating any such laws.

I’m not completely sure of my ground here, but I suspect there’s probably a law that makes interfering with the transmission of a call an offence. Subscribers can whitelist or blacklist numbers as above, for themselves, but service providers are probably on shaky ground on any sort of screening.

 

[Mike Reed]

I only have a landline and also receive these scam calls from a recognisable (02) number or mobile. The initially automated calls are easy to recognise but recently I've had a couple of calls from people whose accents are so thick I kept asking them to repeat/articulate, speak more slowly, only to be hung up on. No patience for the Mutt 'n' Jeff, these scammers !

 

[Sue Pertwee-Tyr]

We have a call blocker that only allows calls through if the caller identifies his/herself; otherwise the phone doesn't even ring, but the phone records all numbers that have attempted to get through. Just recently we've had several such calls from a Birmingham number. (We don't know anyone from Birmingham).

Perhaps you have a friend who is stranded in Birmingham...

 

[Suffolk Tony]

BT Call Guardian. It's a superb system & stops all unwanted calls.

 

[cliddell]

BT Call Guardian. It's a superb system & stops all unwanted calls.

Seconded. I have that on my landline, and a scam/spam call app on my mobile. They help a *lot*.

 

[Snufkin]

My latest ruse is to tell whoever calls that their service is fantastic and the best thing I have ever had and thank them for giving me the opportunity to tell them. They ring off in confusion.

 

[Barrymagrec]

Why won't you leave a message if you have a good reason to speak to someone?

Because I`d rather know I hadn`t spoken to someone than leave a message and not know if it had been received and acted on or ignored or simply never been received.