Mcr Warrior
Veteran Member
- Joined
- 8 Jan 2009
- Messages
- 11,871
Know someone who had to change their residential (Blackpool area) home telephone number because it was being used as a "presentation number" by scammers.
My friend is a tracer. Although I don't know the number, I know if you were to call the number back it would say something along the lines of "you have been contacted by NHS track and trace" and just give some generic information. I think they try quite a few times if they can't get through to you.I wonder what the number for the contact tracing people is?
It is likely that nobody is giving out your number. The callers just try random numbers until they get through to someone.My friend is a tracer. Although I don't know the number, I know if you were to call the number back it would say something along the lines of "you have been contacted by NHS track and trace" and just give some generic information. I think they try quite a few times if they can't get through to you.
I tend to answer all calls in case its something important. I've had a few of those road traffic accident calls in the last couple of weeks - I just say either "no, don't call this number again" and hang up, or if I'm bored, I'll just say "oh right, what information do you have about the crash?" Suddenly they seem to know very little. It's frustrating as I only used to get spam calls on my landline but now they're coming through to the mobile number too. Would love to know which companies are giving out my number. I especially dislike when they greet me with Hi and my first name, as if we're friends.
I got a scam call yesterday.
It seems this sort of nuisance is on the increase.
One I have had a few times recently is from BT Broadband saying they are either going to cut me off or I’ve downloaded something iffy.
It comes up a like mobile phone number.
One I have had a few times recently is from BT Broadband saying they are either going to cut me off or I’ve downloaded something iffy.
It comes up a like mobile phone number.
Yes I knew that, I just didn’t word my post well!It probably isn't from BT Broadband but rather a scam of some kind.
What’s Action Fraud?Definitely a scam call, I had this one a few days ago.
Played him along for a while and made the guy totally lose it when I couldn't see the things he was telling me to look for.
I told him I was running Linux, not Windows, to which he relied 'Freddie, Uncle, Charlie, Kate' and rang off.
I had made a note of his number, reported it to Action Fraud and the guy there laughed his socks off at the Linux bit.
Is this another C5 repeat / revised repeat?On Channel 5 at 8pm tonight:
How To Stop Your Nuisance Calls
Is the ending this? Get rid of your landline!On Channel 5 at 8pm tonight:
How To Stop Your Nuisance Calls
True. Action Fraud is run by the City of London Police. Sometimes (I am sure unkindly) referred to as 'Inaction Fraud' by those frustrated by the lack of progress of their cases. They are solely a reporting bureau - they pass cases on to other agencies so the system is not particularly fleet of foot!It's where you can report not only scam telephone calls but any type of fraud. Just google it.
You can do it by phone or fill in a form.
Anyone watch it?On Channel 5 at 8pm tonight:
How To Stop Your Nuisance Calls
Anyone watch it?
Yes, it was mostly the same material as a broadcast a few months ago, but made up with some new Covid scam stuff.Anyone watch it?
That's Stephanie Hawking. You are lucky, she tells me my fee is £79.99, which does not seem to correspond with any actual Amazon fee - I looked it up as I won't have anything to do with Amozon anywayall have the same robotic american woman telling me something about Amazon Prime and a £39.99 fee
No kidding.It probably isn't from BT Broadband but rather a scam of some kind.
On Channel 5 at 8pm tonight:
How To Stop Your Nuisance Calls
Is this another C5 repeat / revised repeat?
Not the first time this year that C5 have been broadcasting revised repeats which consist mostly of the original programme(s) with a few minutes of "new" material spliced in.Yes, it was mostly the same material as a broadcast a few months ago, but made up with some new Covid scam stuff.
It might be. Because of the 'efficiency' of Open Reach, I was without an operational landline for some time. Service was restored over 6 months ago and only 1 nuisance call since. No Microsoft Technical Department, no calls from 'your telecom provider', no Amazon Prime (@Lucan - Stephanie Hawking, very good), no accidents that weren't my fault. They'll be back, but I'm enjoying the peace.Is the ending this? Get rid of your landline!
It might be. Because of the 'efficiency' of Open Reach, I was without an operational landline for some time. Service was restored over 6 months ago and only 1 nuisance call since. No Microsoft Technical Department, no calls from 'your telecom provider', no Amazon Prime (@Lucan - Stephanie Hawking, very good), no accidents that weren't my fault. They'll be back, but I'm enjoying the peace.
Thank you but from reports on the media, the scammers are still very active, the 'compromised bank accounts' and variations on this are still proving fruitful, and they have been able to add COVID and 'Test and Trace' scams to their arsenal.Hope you don't have many more. To be fair, 4 and a half months of the last 6 have been COVID times so nuisance calls should have been very few and far between anyway.
Exactly. You should be in government (not meant to be an insult); we need someone to drive through action. We as a country must be losing millions a year in these scams. If the government won't act and its MPs too busy asking fawning questions, the opposition needs to hit them at PMQs; Business, Energy + questions; Culture, Media+ questions; demand a debate - maybe the media will take it up, try and shame HMG into action.The Government needs to start making some very public examples of the perpetrators of these scams. If they're based abroad and their governments won't do anything about them, we need to find a way of blocking/screening calls from those countries.
Excellent idea - that would drive genuine businesses into getting their government to act.Make legitimate callers go through an operator.
Those are a type of scam called the Refund Scam. Also in this catagory are scams telling you that £xx will or has been taken as your Amazon Prime subs, or similar, where £xx is more than you expect or you don't subscribe anyway.I've been told .. I'm due several tax and NI refunds..... I suspect calls where they're trying to entice you to say 'yes' in order for it to be recorded and subsequently used :/