Scam phone calls again

[SusanDoris]

I think it is really interesting that after dialling 1471 and getting the number  and putting it into google, up comes a link to a page where people have already been posting it as a scam. The one ten minutes or so ago was ffirstly from someone who had my name wrong, but  I had the time to listen and it took this person about eight tries to say something that had any meaning!! The word 'warranty' was what he simply couldn't pronounce
clearly.  'Bye, 'bye, said I!!

It was an 0800 number too.

[Walter]

I think it is really interesting that after dialling 1471 and getting the number  and putting it into google, up comes a link to a page where people have already been posting it as a scam. The one ten minutes or so ago was ffirstly from someone who had my name wrong, but  I had the time to listen and it took this person about eight tries to say something that had any meaning!! The word 'warranty' was what he simply couldn't pronounce
clearly.  'Bye, 'bye, said I!!

It was an 0800 number too.

my dear SD

I feel an infinity with you , my beloved sister shares a similar name ,Suzanna from Dortmund , and it pains me that anyone could try and take advantage of such a lovely person .
Therefore my advice is , remove your hearing aid and let the phone ring to its hearts content and be none the wiser . Job done .
I hope this helps

 

[Harrowby Hall]

I think that Walter's approach is right. My standard action now is not to answer the phone if I do not recognise the number calling. Alternatively, I pick up the phone but do not answer immediately. Frequently, when I pick up the phone and listen the caller will give up after three or four seconds.

So you've had an infinity with Susan.  Wow, the best I have ever managed is an affinity. 

[Walter]

I think that Walter's approach is right. My standard action now is not to answer the phone if I do not recognise the number calling. Alternatively, I pick up the phone but do not answer immediately. Frequently, when I pick up the phone and listen the caller will give up after three or four seconds.

So you've had an infinity with Susan.  Wow, the best I have ever managed is an affinity. 

HH

SD and me have seen the stars explode in our heads


get with it man 

[Robbie]

I have scam calls too. On the landline (which hardly anyone uses), it's every day. I also have some on my mobile - not my work mobile, s'pose because it isn't in my name.

Like Susan I've googled the numbers, they're usually selling or doing a survey, occasionally 'have you had PPI' or a charity asking for donations. I recognise some of the phone numbers now. I feel sorry for the poor buggers in the call centres who have to make these calls, how soul destroying it must be.

[Gordon]

We registered our landline with the Telephone Preference Service which has cut some scam calls, the PPI ones mostly, but there are still some.

The most recent ones, and there have been several of these, involve someone calling to discuss my recent 'car accident insurance issue': if I've nothing better to do I sometimes play along to see what actual information they have by saying I've two accidents so which one are they referring to - that usually shuts them up, but if they stumble on I try to be helpful by asking if it was the Ford or Citroen accident - at that point I just tell them to fuck off since I know they are lying; I've never been involved in a car crash.

Other times, once I'm sure it is a scam call, I just go straight to 'fuck off'.

   

[SusanDoris]

thank you for the to start the day! 

I do not feel in the least bit sorry for the callers - they surely must know they are trying to extract money under false pretences. I try to make their brief time on my phone as awkward as possible for them!

[Spud]

We registered our landline with the Telephone Preference Service which has cut some scam calls, the PPI ones mostly, but there are still some.

The most recent ones, and there have been several of these, involve someone calling to discuss my recent 'car accident insurance issue': if I've nothing better to do I sometimes play along to see what actual information they have by saying I've two accidents so which one are they referring to - that usually shuts them up, but if they stumble on I try to be helpful by asking if it was the Ford or Citroen accident - at that point I just tell them to fuck off since I know they are lying; I've never been involved in a car crash.

Other times, once I'm sure it is a scam call, I just go straight to 'fuck off'.

 

Sounds a bit strong. How about,  "and when did you first start to experience this obsession with people's car accidents?" Or, "is it worse at any particular time of day?"

[Enki]

We registered our landline with the Telephone Preference Service which has cut some scam calls, the PPI ones mostly, but there are still some.

The most recent ones, and there have been several of these, involve someone calling to discuss my recent 'car accident insurance issue': if I've nothing better to do I sometimes play along to see what actual information they have by saying I've two accidents so which one are they referring to - that usually shuts them up, but if they stumble on I try to be helpful by asking if it was the Ford or Citroen accident - at that point I just tell them to fuck off since I know they are lying; I've never been involved in a car crash.

Other times, once I'm sure it is a scam call, I just go straight to 'fuck off'.

 

Know exactly what you mean.

You might be interested in this story, although it's not quite in the realm of a telephone scam.

Some years ago, as I was leaving a well known supermarket, I was accosted by a representative of AA(not Alcoholics Anonymous) who tried to tell me the advantages of Car insurance with the AA, compared with other companies. I told him that I wasn't interested. At that he gave me a sort of accusing look and said what if, as I left the supermarket, I found that my parked car had been hit by a careless motorist. Only the AA, he suggested, would give me the cover that would take care of this situation. I took great delight, with a smile on my face, in telling him that such a situation would be rather hard to imagine as I had come by bicycle, and that perhaps he should not make assumptions. As he seemed to have run out of things to say, at that moment, I made by goodbyes and left.

[SusanDoris]

Good one, enki. Quite satisfying, I expect!

[Anchorman]

 I recall two -  relatively recently.
The first asked for my mother by name?
(Why? She died in 2009!)
I said she wasn't available right now, but I can give a forwarding address.
I gave the Asian sounding caller, whose name was, er, Kevin, the address of the local cemetery.
The second was a character who did not stop for breath whilst he expounded the virtues of car insurance. He asked me if I knew much about the subject - well, I said, truthfully, that I did not.
He then rattled on for ten minutes, his tongue going at warp factor five, before I asked if he would answer a question?
"of course, sir!"  he said.
"Does it matter that I'm blind?"
He swore and rather abruptly ended the conversation.
I was rather chuffed......

[SusanDoris]

Good one, anchorman!!!

[Spud]

Talktalk has a thing called Last call barring, where you can bar and report scam callers. We had 3 such calls this morning.

[jeremyp]

I recall two -  relatively recently.
The first asked for my mother by name?
(Why? She died in 2009!)

When you create new user accounts on the Internet, they often ask you for questions to be used in the event you forget your password. Mother's maiden name is common as is favourite pet or sports team.

I said she wasn't available right now, but I can give a forwarding address.
I gave the Asian sounding caller, whose name was, er, Kevin, the address of the local cemetery.
The second was a character who did not stop for breath whilst he expounded the virtues of car insurance. He asked me if I knew much about the subject - well, I said, truthfully, that I did not.
He then rattled on for ten minutes, his tongue going at warp factor five, before I asked if he would answer a question?
"of course, sir!"  he said.
"Does it matter that I'm blind?"
He swore and rather abruptly ended the conversation.
I was rather chuffed......

That is rather brilliant.

[Anchorman]

When you create new user accounts on the Internet, they often ask you for questions to be used in the event you forget your password. Mother's maiden name is common as is favourite pet or sports team. That is rather brilliant.

   



Yep, I've beenasked those questions.
Believe me, I've never used personal names asanswers....well, not modern ones, anyway!

[Roses]

I have had quite a number of calls purporting to be from BT telling me my broadband service is about to be disconnected, which of course doesn't happen. Other BT customers of my acquaintance are also getting this tiresome message! I put the phone down immediately.

[Udayana]

Why answer unrecognised numbers - if it's anything important they can leave a message on the answering machine?

[jeremyp]

Why answer unrecognised numbers - if it's anything important they can leave a message on the answering machine?

That's my rule. I never pick up the phone for a number I don't recognise or one that is withheld. If everybody did that, the scam callers would go away.

[Roses]

Why answer unrecognised numbers - if it's anything important they can leave a message on the answering machine?

Without my reading specs on it is difficult to see the number.

[ippy]

Without my reading specs on it is difficult to see the number.

We no longer answer the phone immediately we let it go to answer phone and then if it's anyone we know they blow us a raspberry and tell us to come on answer the b, phone, (b-blinking).

Apparently these telephone promotions companies have automatic dialling machines and if you answer they then have you on as a live number then they'll keep on trying to give you another ring a random times, it take a bit of time for them to go away if you continue to let answer phone deal with them but they do go away in the end, unfortunately there'll always be another one starting up.

Using this system works quite well for us and doesn't cost anything.

Regards Floo, ippy

[Roses]

We no longer answer the phone immediately we let it go to answer phone and then if it's anyone we know they blow us a raspberry and tell us to come on answer the b, phone, (b-blinking).

Apparently these telephone promotions companies have automatic dialling machines and if you answer they then have you on as a live number then they'll keep on trying to give you another ring a random times, it take a bit of time for them to go away if you continue to let answer phone deal with them but they do go away in the end, unfortunately there'll always be another one starting up.

Using this system works quite well for us and doesn't cost anything.

Regards Floo, ippy

I need to answer the phone when it rings it is usually one of our girls checking up on their old parents, they worry if they know we are in and it goes unanswered.

[ippy]

I need to answer the phone when it rings it is usually one of our girls checking up on their old parents, they worry if they know we are in and it goes unanswered.

Sorry I still think of you as our Floo, any chance of going back to Floo?

Keep your phone on answer phone it does six rings, then after the message you get the tone sound and your family can say come on Floo get up out of your nap in the chair and start talking, if it's not them don't answer, it's as easy as that.

Regards ippy

 

[Roses]

Sorry I still think of you as our Floo, any chance of going back to Floo?

Keep your phone on answer phone it does six rings, then after the message you get the tone sound and your family can say come on Floo get up out of your nap in the chair and start talking, if it's not them don't answer, it's as easy as that.

Regards ippy

I regret ever using Floo as a username, I much prefer Littleroses.

I never have a nap during the day, I will always answer the phone when it rings.

[jeremyp]

I need to answer the phone when it rings it is usually one of our girls checking up on their old parents, they worry if they know we are in and it goes unanswered.

But surely you know their phone numbers.

Here's what you do:

<phone rings>

- put on reading glasses

- read number

- if you recognise it, pick up the phone

- if the phone stops ringing before you answer it, use 1471 to identify the number and call back if you recognise it

Also, tell your children about your new policy so they know not to worry if they ring and you don't immediately pick up the phone.

[Roses]

But surely you know their phone numbers.

Here's what you do:



- put on reading glasses

- read number

- if you recognise it, pick up the phone

- if the phone stops ringing before you answer it, use 1471 to identify the number and call back if you recognise it

Also, tell your children about your new policy so they know not to worry if they ring and you don't immediately pick up the phone.

I never recognise their mobile phone numbers, only their landline ones. I will continue to pick up the phone as I always do.