Unsolicited telephone calls

[terrypin]

I've had a couple of calls to my mobile that show the callers number as '0000' how they do this, I don't know.

When I get a silent call I go onto 'who calls me' or 'Who called me' and look up the number, there's usually a company name associated with most numbers listed on the sites.

 

[JBR]

Is 080 678 3393 one of them? We had loads of these until we decided to block them. Also had a few enquiring about a non existing accident I was supposed to have. Gave up on TPS a long time ago.

That number doesn't ring a bell (if you'll pardon the pun).

Often they are not trying to sell you anything they just want you to supply personal details.

They won't get any personal details from me. They may receive personal insults.

 

[misterhelpful]

Just to advise you. Our local Dr's surgery withhold their number on my mobile phone, not sure if others do tho.

I was just about to make post along the same lines.

I missed countless calls from the hospital a few years back because I thought they were sales callers...may have got my ops sooner if I'd answered them!
No idea why the hospital didn't leave any messages though...it's almost as if they wanted to delay things!!

 

[JBR]

I love these calls, if I am at home I will Google the number and read back to them all the bad feed back. They always end up hanging up, just when I'm having fun.
Or if they call on my mobile offering an advert deal which is unbelievable then I will ask them them every question regarding terms and conditions and ask them to repeat the offer to me again, they always hang up as well.

Andy

I have, in the past, done something similar. In fact, I recall once keeping a caller talking for the best part of fifteen minutes.
The trouble is with this course of action is that, despite its entertainment value, it also wastes as much of my time as theirs.

 

[JBR]

I have pretty well solved it now. I looked up how to set the standard ringing tone on my phone, and how to set personal ringing tones for people in the phone's address book. It's Siemens cordless so copies the address book to all handsets.

All the people I ever want to speak to are now in the phone, and go "ring, ring"

Any other number, and "number withheld" or "overseas" goes " , " and is picked up by the answering machine without disturbing me. I don't even hear it. They mostly ring off when they get the answerphone message, otherwise I hear them say "Hello, this is Premium Bonds Winners department, for Mr......." and pick up the phone if I want.

It means I don't have to maintain a "barred" list, and new scammers won't get through just because I haven't barred them.

My view is that any business which still chooses to use "number withheld" should have learned by now that its calls will be treated as scam.

I believe mine is also a Siemens and it may well have such an option. I'll have to consult the book of lies.

 

[JohnD]

so does mine, but I think they've only phoned once in the last ten years, when a new one joined and wanted a prescription review. She left a message.

 

[handyjack]

Got a call last year because I won a lottery I never entered. Gave them my bank details but am still waiting for the money.

Am divorcing my wife as I reckon she has been systematically emptying my bank account. Would never have married her if she had told me she was certified as the fastest woman in the world.

Goes from 0 to bitch in 0.05 seconds.

 

[PBC_1966]

For anyone who doesn't already realize this, keep in mind that with the way the U.K. system works there is a difference between "withheld" and "unavailable."

"Withheld" (which some phones will show as "Private number" etc.) means that the person originating the call specifically requested that his number not be divulged, either by dialing 141 first or by having that set as the default for all calls on his line. In reality, the number is still sent right through the system to the distant exchange, but a flag is set indicating the privacy request which tells the equipment there not to send the number to the called line (which is why with the appropriate BT service it's possible to block future calls from a withheld number even if you, personally, don't know what the calling number is).

"Unavailable" means that at some point along the chain the number simply was not passed on. In the case of one of the less reputable companies that could be deliberate, but it can also just mean that there was an equipment failure, or the call passed through a system which doesn't support CLI, etc.

 

[JohnD]

For me, "unavailable" always means "from overseas" (usually scammers with poor English).

I sometimes see phone no's from friends in Australia and Canada, though

 

[JBR]

I do see 'unavailable' quite often. One that springs to mind is my GP surgery which makes little sense because, as a diabetic, I already know their number quite well.

 

[terrypin]

Unavailable, no caller id, if I'm not mistaken, is a call from somewhere that uses different extensions through one or two numbers and requires the user to dial 9(eg)to gain an outside line.

 

[KenGMac]

There was a good radio 4 programme where the scammers can purchase a telephone number and use it from anywhere in the world, such web sites apparently exist, the scammer can purchase any number such as those beginning with 01 / 020 / 0140 / 01563 Etc.
The scammer then uses this number that appears to be a UK based number so there is more chance of it being picked up.

The other really worrying thing that is going on with the UK telephone system is that you get a scam call, you inadvertently answer it, then you hang up, but the scammer does not hang up he stays on the line? upshot is that the scammer can eaves drop on your next outgoing call, or it you are calling your bank, the scammer or one of his accomplices answer so because you have called the number for your bank, but you are now talking to the scammers who have this particular scam down tight, your details will over time be obtained and your account drained.

There is a very good radio 4 [again, sorry about that] programme where a family installed a remote recording device that recorded the entire scam being perpetrated on a vulnerable older lady using the system generally as above.

Another scam was reported on [yet again Radio 4 last week] sorry about that, where a scammer called a victim and demanded money to keep the telephone line open stating that the bill had not been paid for the line, the scammer threatened to cut the connection at which point the victim hung up, when the victim tried to call out the phone line was dead, the victim thought that the line had been cut. A short while later the scammer re-called the victim was provided with full bank details and guess what, the account was cleared totally.

How was it done, seriously dead simple, when the phone was put down by the victim the scammer pressed the "Mute" on the handset which had the effect of apparently indicating to the victim that the scammer could and did cut the phone line when the victim used the phone again, what happens then is that the scammer calls back, obtains the bank details and hew presto an empty bank account.

Serious problem then occurs the victim goes to his / her bank to report a scam, BUT, the victim gave his / her details to the scammer, some banks would walk away and refuse a refund, because the victim gave away all the details on a voluntary basis? ? ?

Ken

 

[terrypin]

It appears only Radio 4 listeners are being targeted.

 

[nauseous]

Just to advise you. Our local Dr's surgery withhold their number on my mobile phone, not sure if others do tho.

I was just about to make post along the same lines.

I missed countless calls from the hospital a few years back because I thought they were sales callers...may have got my ops sooner if I'd answered them!
No idea why the hospital didn't leave any messages though...it's almost as if they wanted to delay things!!

I wouldn't put it past them tbh lol. Why they do it is a complete mystery aswell as irresponsible. Ive disabled voicemail
so if anyone really wants me they'll keep ringing plus I've noticed the surgery rarely try to ring again. They are almost totally inept sad to say.

 

[JohnD]

probably a trick to put the blame for long appointment delays on the patient "px was contacted but did not respond"