Scammers are busy today!

[Greeves246]

I have found that if I see a call number that is unknown and don't say anything when I pick it up it just clicks off after about four seconds. I assume saying hello or your number triggers the recording and if silent indicates a fax or answerphone.

 

[ajlelectronics]

What a great many fail to realise is that they have your number. F-ing and Jeff-ing down the phone only serves to tick them off so they send your number over the road and down the street to their mates for them to give you a call as well. Pretending to be deaf or a foreigner yourself just has them move on.
Well wouldn't you plan a bit of retribution if someone just swore at you down the phone?

Not always they don't, it's a call centre. Numbers are generally dialled by the system and patched through to a scam artist. I am perfectly happy to take calls from their mates too, they would get the same treatment.

 

[northwest]

Not always they don't, it's a call centre.

No, you are right, numbers are often autogenerated and dialled. What I will say though is I have a friend whose partner goes to Foreign Lands and shuts down call centres for a living. Some of the tales are horrendous. She is a bit of a psycho herself though and wouldn't trust her with a kitchen knife.

 

[cheb]

I rarely get any calls like this, but then my landlines are ex directory, one always has been, and the other for over 20 years. Caller display helps on the landlines and the mobile, if I don't recognise the number I don't answer, if it's important they'll leave a message. My bank do phone me fairly frequently but I know all the staff by name and recognise their voices. They also have names that I doubt a scammer would use.

The odd times they do get past that I'll just put the phone down, being abusive doesn't serve any useful purpose.

 

[ajlelectronics]

I rarely get any calls like this, but then my landlines are ex directory, one always has been, and the other for over 20 years.

The autodialers do not discriminate. Nor do they take any notice of TPS lists. The numbers are dialled at random, not to particular numbers although they often random dial call groups by dialling codes.

The odd times they do get past that I'll just put the phone down, being abusive doesn't serve any useful purpose.

On the contrary, it serves a very real purpose. The scammers help in a way, because it gives a channel to vent to. It might also make them think twice about keeping up their criminal activities if it becomes too unpleasant for them. On top of which, whilst I have them on the line, they aren't able to try it on with someone vulnerable.

They WANT you to just put the 'phone down, that's why they use the autodiallers. Press one and give them hell I say.

 

[cheb]

I know autodiallers are used but having ex directory numbers and being careful about who you give to helps, IMO&E, to cut down on scam calls. There's more that one type of scam out there.

I disagree with you about abuse, but meh, you do your thing and I'll do mine. I was a debt collector back in the late 1980s, I quickly learned to ignore shouted abuse.

 

[ajlelectronics]

I disagree with you about abuse, but meh, you do your thing and I'll do mine. I was a debt collector back in the late 1980s, I quickly learned to ignore shouted abuse.

But your business, although unpopular was legitimate and honest. These lowlife creatures are out to cause misery and hardship to everyone and that is what sickens me.

 

[earthman]

The wife and I don't really suffer from this at home, we set the answer phone to kick in after a couple of rings, the few friends & family we have know to start speaking and we will pick up if we are in. None of the scammers seem to leave a message, a quick Google of their number after hitting 1471 gives us a good idea who they are.

 

[cheb]

They might be lowlifes, but my point is I suspect they quickly become immune to being shouted at.

Another thing I do with callers I'm not sure about is not speak after picking up the phone. One of my phones is used for on call work so has to be answered, I'll know from the time of day whether it's likely to be legit or not.

 

[Morrisman]

One call yesterday with a local number telling me my internet line was about to be cut off and two today saying I had missed a call from my internet provider, 01922 and 0114 numbers. Why BT cannot stop this is beyond me unless they are making money from the calls I have no doubt that lots of people press 1 to hear the message etc. No idea how much they cost if you do.

I had two early one morning, rushed to answer as my dad is the only person who ever uses the land line....but when I realised it was a scammer I just left the phone on the table until they had got bored and cleared off. No point blocking the number as they are never real.

 

[Morrisman]

I had a weird one - a call supposedly from the bank, but before they would tell me what it was about they wanted to confirm a few details. I pointed out their website says I shouldn't provide details to people who phone me saying they are from the bank as scammers could use those details to pretend to be me. Seemed a nice chap so I said I'd give the bank a call using the number on the bank website when I got home.

Turns out it really had been the bank that called. Can't believe they try to get people to provide details on an incoming phone call. Credit card company is much better - they just send a text every time they cancel my card.

HSBC have done that before, and received a rollicking off me for it. Asking account number, confirm address etc....

It goes against everything they tell us about bank security.

 

[colnerov]

Hi, My neighbour is a senior manager with BT and I asked about a few points raised in this thread.

Call initiator is the only one that can end the connection. - This ended a short while ago because the system monitors the connection and if it detects no activity for a set period it closes it.

False ID fronts. - There is legislation supposed to be going through to make this illegal but because of recent political and government disruption it has been delayed until circa 2025.

He also said going forward to about 2030 there will be no landline calls, it will all be IP based so every one will have to have broadband.

Make of all that what you will.

Colin

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

Not just on the phone, or the door and on the street.
On a certain metal based forum they were allowed to join. They claimed to be in financing and would boast how they could:
Get free stuff from their customers and pass it on.
Beat the tax rules.
Plus other claims.

The sad thing was the sites mods allowed it. But the members soon saw what it was and forced the expert to leave.

Let's hope it doesn't happen here.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

I have a friend whose partner goes to Foreign Lands and shuts down call centres for a living.

Tell her she's not working fast or hard enough. I can say that because I reckon I'm out of knife range.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

Let's hope it doesn't happen here.

Not with the Pinkerton Detective Agency keep us safe.

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

Not with the Pinkerton Detective Agency keep us safe.

But vhat about the chipenize minky?

 

[Pigeon_Droppings2]

In my home office I have one of those phones where you can screen/filter out unwanted calls...if the number isn't recognised they have to go through the hassle of declaring their names etc....most just give up. Does prevent legit Skype calls but thats not much hassle as I only have one mate who uses Skype!

Unfortunately for me the number was a recycled number....the previous owner of the number had a load of bad debts I think. I had a bloke call me repeatedly who just wouldn't accept that I wasn't the guy he was trying to get hold of....thought I was making up the whole change of number thing. He said "you're just making that up aren't you" ....I said no but if I was him I'd probably stick to the original story....at that point he realised I was telling the truth!

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

This was today, works tablet. I only use it for E mails, work jobs, logging on to customers system. In fact I never use it as a phone.

So if it rings, 99% of the time it is a scammer. So I had fun. All be it a re-hash of a old set of responses.

Technician: "Good afternoon, sir. Am I am speaking to Mr. Bard Ark? (new on to me)

Me: "Yes, you are. What’s speaking?"

Technician: "Hello, I am calling to speak to you about a virus on your Windows."

Me: "A virus on my windows? But I had my windows cleaned yesterday."

Technician: "No, sir, I don’t think you understand; I am a Windows technician."

Me: "Oh, so you’re trying to sell me double-glazing, replacements windows, new doors, new patio doors?"

Technician: "No, sir, Windows on your computer."

Me: "My computer doesn’t have any windows, or any doors."

Technician: "No, your computer has a virus that could stop it working and let people steal your details."

Me: "You mean a bit like you are trying to steal my details and money by claiming a be a Windows technician?"

Technician: "I am a Windows technician; I can see everything on your computer now and can fix it for you."

Dad: "No, thank you; I’m not interested."

Technician: "Do you want to lose all of your files and have your details stolen?"

Me: "Very well, if you are a Windows technician, can you tell me which operating system I use?"

Technician: "You are using Windows

Me: "Actually no, I don’t own a computer"

Technician: "So, you are just wasting my time?"

Me: "You started it!"

Technician: *hangs up*

 

[Pigeon_Droppings2]

^^^ Been there so many times...apparently my computer was emitting viruses to the whole world...which I might have believed if I wasn't under the car with a wire wheel in my hand and the computer was off.

 

[RichardM]

Technician: "I am a Windows technician; I can see everything on your computer now and can fix it for you."

Dad: "No, thank you; I’m not interested."

Hold on - when did your Dad suddenly appear