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Various missed calls from mobile numbers

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heart-of-wessex

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Hello all,

I'm never usually contacted on my phone alot, and had it on silent all day as I forgot to turn the sound on, but I had a surprising amount of 5 missed calls today, no one in my contacts lists, just the numbers in a mobile format.

I've had one or two missed ones last week, just assumed it was a wrong number or something as there was no voicemail or text. One starts with 07750 and Google suggests it's an 02 number, and checked on who called me but there is no reports.

I chanced on calling it back but it comes up as the 02 standard caller not available please leave a voicemail message.

One other I tried starts with 07314 and is number not recognised. Other numbers start with 07751, 07855 and 07891.

Usually scam calls are 0800, 0700 or something, or some sort of international number, but a stash of 02 mobile numbers is odd, are there cold callers and scammers using mobile numbers now?
 
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GusB

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Bear in mind that since number portability was introduced, a mobile number prefix does not tell you which carrier the person calling is with. It only advises of the original carrier that issued the number. My number begins with 07989, which is an Orange originating number, but I've ported my number on a couple of occasions.

I'd work on the assumption that if the call is genuine and important, they'll call back or leave a message. I wouldn't be tempted to call back for fear of incurring charges. 07314 is one that I certainly don't recognise as a regular mobile number. 07 numbers were also used by paging services and "find me anywhere" services. If in doubt, contact your provider who should have a list of prefixes and will be able to advise on charging information.
 

LAX54

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Also do not forget there is software available that can 'create' a number when they call, of course this is to disguise who they really are! Quite a few calls on our landline, which go unanswered as I do not recognise the amswer, come up blank on 'Who called me' and when you ring it, there is no such number, get the B.T message 'this number is not known / recognised' or similar
 

PeterC

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I have long since given up answering any unknown number that isn't local. If it is kosher they will leave a message and I will add them to my address book before calling back.
 

AM9

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Also do not forget there is software available that can 'create' a number when they call, of course this is to disguise who they really are! Quite a few calls on our landline, which go unanswered as I do not recognise the amswer, come up blank on 'Who called me' and when you ring it, there is no such number, get the B.T message 'this number is not known / recognised' or similar
That's the presentation number. The facility was originally to allow PABX operators to allow direct dialling out whilst only offering direct callers access to switchboard operators, (unless they knew the extension number). It has been so much abused that it isn't really worth much now. Ofcom has a lot to answer for.
 

bearhugger

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I've had a splurge of these type of calls over the last couple of weeks too. Most of the ones that I've answered disconnect straight away. Most of the unrecognised numbers (ie not in my contacts) tend to diconnect immediately on answering or are "We understand you have been in a road traffic accident" type, even though the last accident i was invovled in was in 2013! I do try and have a bit of fun with these by saying something like "Oh I'm glad you've called. I was decapitated and my arms are getting tired carrying my head around. Can you help?". They always end up hanging up within 30 seconds once they realise I'm extracting the mick out of them.
 

John Webb

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Yes, last couple of weeks the attempted scam calls have sharply risen - my land-line telephone has BT 'Call Guardian' installed so I'm not normally troubled directly by them. But I make a note of the numbers and check on the 'Who called me' website when I've several in hand. The 'mobile' numbers rarely seem to be reported, but the land-line ones often are.

In March there were 8 unwanted calls, April just 2 (!!), May and June 7 in each month, but we're only halfway through July and I've had 6 already. Most of the numbers on checking with 'Who called me' appear to be connected with some form of Insurance scam.
 

Bobdogs

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If I get a call from any number I do not recognize, I ignore it then block it. Looking back there are hundreds of blocked numbers in my list.
 

scotrail158713

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Most of the unrecognised numbers (ie not in my contacts) tend to diconnect immediately on answering or are "We understand you have been in a road traffic accident" type, even though the last accident i was invovled in was in 2013! I do try and have a bit of fun with these by saying something like "Oh I'm glad you've called. I was decapitated and my arms are getting tired carrying my head around. Can you help?". They always end up hanging up within 30 seconds once they realise I'm extracting the mick out of them.
I like to have a bit of fun with them as well. It’s especially fun as I don’t drive. :)
My favourite was when my sister was around 1 and a half and my Dad once handed the phone over to her.
 

route101

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Ive had a few missed calls from a number starting from 351. This is the dialling code for Macedonia. Wonder who is is?
 

RichT54

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I like to have a bit of fun with them as well. It’s especially fun as I don’t drive. :)
My favourite was when my sister was around 1 and a half and my Dad once handed the phone over to her.

My favourite is to say to the caller: "I'm not the person you want, I'll just go and fetch them" and then just leave the phone on the desk so they run up a large bill.

I told my Dad about it and he started doing the same. After one call when he finally hung up, it rang back instantly, with a very irate person shouting "I suppose you think that's bl**dy funny!" to which he replied "Yes, I do! Now you know how we feel".

Another tactic I tried recently was just to answer "yes" or "no" to every question, but each time making the pronunciation of the word longer and longer until it was "yeeeeeeeeeeeessssssss!" or "nooooooooooooooooo!" by which time I was having real trouble not bursting out laughing and the caller just hung up without trying any more of their scam.
 

skyhigh

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I don't answer any calls from numbers I don't recognise, unless I'm expecting a call. My phone is quite good at telling me which company is calling though, even if they're not saved in my contacts.

I've recently been scammed though - I got a text from a shortcode number with a 'get fit tip' - my gym had been sending similar emails over lockdown so didn't really think much of it. They came through weekly, and when I got my next phone bill I found out that I'd been charged £4.50 per text! I definitely hadn't signed up for anything, and the company that was responsible was registered in Cyprus and ignored all efforts for me to contact them. Thankfully my phone company agreed to refund the charges and block the number, and said there'd been a recent spate of this kind of thing. I guess they were just sending texts to random numbers.
 

Romsey

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If the caller is a real person and not a recording, I've taken to saying "I'm only the gardener/builder/plumber can I take a message?" Then make a mess of repeating it back.... so far they have rung off very quickly.

A few years ago there were a lots of scams concerning Windows operating systems. "Which version of Windows" I would ask, which often wrong footed them. My elder daughter played one of these people along for about 15 minutes answering queries and allegedly doing thing that were suggested on her laptop. Her laptop was switched off as was the internet hub it was interesting how they could"see" what was being done..... Eventually she told them it was a waste of time as no computers were switched on in the house and had they considered a career in politics as they were good at lying. We didn't have a phone call about Windows software for some months. ( Just double glazing sales instead!)
 

Jamesrob637

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I had none of this crap during the lockdown. One of the good things which arose (unfortunately I'd rather see many other events in the world not happen for the sake of a couple of stupid phone calls)

Is it Beneficial who keep calling perchance? The 2020 version of PPI?
 

philjo

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Our landline had a similar number to the local taxi office so used to get a lot of wrong numbers late at night! So We sometimes gave the callers the number of a different firm which we preferred!
 

PeterC

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I wonder if "Amazon" will stop ringing me to tell me that my Prime account is about to expire if I actually take one out?

I used to edit the magazine for a community organisation. I would anwser all unrecognised numbers with the magazine name as I did get a handful of legit calls from strangers. Most spam callers rang off straight away. If one asked for me I would ask which department they wanted. They would ask for me by name again and we could keep this up for several minutes sometimes.
 

Bald Rick

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I had one trying to persuade me he was from BT Openreach and needed access to my computer to sort the internet problems I’d been having. I kept him going for 10 minutes before telling him I didn’t have a computer...
 

High Dyke

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Our landline had a similar number to the local taxi office so used to get a lot of wrong numbers late at night! So We sometimes gave the callers the number of a different firm which we preferred!
I used to get phone calls for a local skip hire firm, similar number. After a while I got fed up with it. One day a chap rings and enquires about a skip. I discussed the size he wanted, what day he required it and whether it would be on the street or not - in order to obtain a permit. I never found out the reaction when his 'booked skip' failed to arrive.
 

Mcr Warrior

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My parent's house telephone number was one digit away from that for the local minicab firm. Usual response, when the inevitable late night call came in, was "Yes sir, we'll be with you in five minutes!" ;)
 

bearhugger

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So many great ideas! :D
When the Windows scam was going around I waited weeks for them to ring me. I had them them on for about 15 minutes anwering their questions pretending to be an idiot before they finally hung up after I asked "Would your scam work more effectively if i switched my dual boot from Linux to Windows?".
Maybe the next one will get the Fawlty Towers treatment of "My name is Manuel, I from Barcelona, I know nothing!".
 

richw

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With many people still working from home I’ve noticed calls I’ve expected from businesses have come up as mobile numbers over last few months.

Alternatively has someone written your number on this inside of a public loo cubicle who dislikes you!
 

MotCO

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I used to get phone calls for a local skip hire firm, similar number. After a while I got fed up with it. One day a chap rings and enquires about a skip. I discussed the size he wanted, what day he required it and whether it would be on the street or not - in order to obtain a permit. I never found out the reaction when his 'booked skip' failed to arrive.

But how much did you charge for the skip, and did you take the credit card details?
 

GusB

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That's the presentation number. The facility was originally to allow PABX operators to allow direct dialling out whilst only offering direct callers access to switchboard operators, (unless they knew the extension number). It has been so much abused that it isn't really worth much now. Ofcom has a lot to answer for.
I've worked for a couple of telecoms companies, but I've never been aware of what the "presentation number" was - would you mind explaining?
 
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