"Hello this is John, your local energy advisor".

[didds]

Interestingly, watching an edition of the BBC 1 programme 'Spam Interceptors' the other day, they mentioned that the scammers know by calling numbers during the middle of the day that most people answering from home will not be of working age. i.e. Older, retired people.

So not always entirely random then?

errr... that's not a specific target obviously. Its just what you get when you call during the day and its answered?

aside from the unemployed, the shift workers, those on leave... and those that work from home now obviously.

[XFool]

Interestingly, watching an edition of the BBC 1 programme 'Spam Interceptors' the other day, they mentioned that the scammers know by calling numbers during the middle of the day that most people answering from home will not be of working age. i.e. Older, retired people.

So not always entirely random then?

errr... that's not a specific target obviously. Its just what you get when you call during the day and its answered?

aside from the unemployed, the shift workers, those on leave... and those that work from home now obviously.

The interesting (well, it interests me!) ongoing question here - relating to both scam/spam phone calls and emails - is: Why does there appear to be very large differences between what different people report on these matters?

OK. Some people will receive more, some people less. This will vary over time and from place to place. Numbers. Random. OK. But, it appears to me, going on what I see others reporting, that it is not so much a question of numbers as of scale and that involving orders of magnitude... Not "random"?

I know I am not lying when I say I don't receive spam calls, emails. Assuming people reporting seemingly MASSIVE numbers of spam are not lying also, then how to account for this scale of difference? It feels to me beyond "random". From one post above, showing rates of spam calls to a relative, it shows more such calls in a month than I have received over the last 25 years. Many times more.

It's not that I have not received spam landline phone calls and emails in the past, I have. I reacted to them the way that I did at the time. It has (seemingly) all died away and stopped. Why is this seemingly not the experience of others? It seems a mystery. Is it a real mystery or only an apparent mystery?

[UncleEbenezer]

I know I am not lying when I say I don't receive spam calls, emails.

Congratulations!!! You have beaten the spammers.

Click here to collect your prize!!!!

[Nikosven]

I’ve been having trouble with some annoying calls lately, and it’s driving me mad. It’s helped me avoid answering calls from numbers I don’t recognize. I recently stumbled upon a handy website called https://whocalled.co.uk , which has been pretty helpful in figuring out who’s on the other end of those mystery calls.
I’d love to hear if you have other tips or tricks for dealing with these calls. I'm all ears, whether it’s blocking strategies, apps, or some good old-fashioned advice. Thanks so much for offering to help with this—it’s always great to have a knowledgeable energy advisor like you.

[Alaric]

I’d love to hear if you have other tips or tricks for dealing with these calls..

The automated ones can be dealt with by terminating the call. When you've heard "this is Bank Security Department" a couple of times, you don't bother to listen to the rest.

I'm wondering whether when it's a human and you start wasting their time so they terminate the call, whether that puts your number on a "don't bother to call" list.

It's in part the refusal of telecom companies to screen calls coming into the domestic network from offshore VOIP with fake caller id.
If when you call back using the number given by 1471, you get the "number you have dialled cannot be recognised" message why cannot they do a bit of programming to check that the Caller Id number can be recognised before putting the call through?

[didds]

why cannot they do a bit of programming to check that the Caller Id number can be recognised before putting the call through?

i suppose that could be circumvented by the masqueraded phone number being set to one that actually exists. Though TBH why wouldn't they do that already?

Perhaps there is more to the checking when returning the call than just the number (someone who understands this stuff will be along soon!

[ReformedCharacter]

i suppose that could be circumvented by the masqueraded phone number being set to one that actually exists. Though TBH why wouldn't they do that already?

I've had my landline number used as the Caller ID by scammers, I kept getting calls from people saying 'I missed your call earlier...' Very annoying! I contacted BT who said they couldn't do anything but change my number.

RC

[bungeejumper]

I'm wondering whether when it's a human and you start wasting their time so they terminate the call, whether that puts your number on a "don't bother to call" list.

AFAIK, most of these scam callers have bought their lists from one of the major providers, so they've already been sold a non-starter as far as your number is concerned. One could fantasise about them flagging you up as not worth calling in future, but it probably won't be them calling you next time. This time next month, it'll be another outfit trying to scam you with the same tired old bought-in list.

Sometimes I string them along for a minute or so, but generally I find it easier to say "wow, that sounds exciting. Hold the line while I go and get my wife." And then leave the phone lying silently on the desk for an hour or so.

Usually they give up after 20-30 seconds, but I did do that once to a charming lady from the Everest double glazing department in Bangalore , and when I picked up the phone again 45 minutes later she was still there, and still waiting patiently for me and my wife to return to my desk. I didn't know whether to high-five myself for my success in wasting her time, or to feel vaguely guilty at having messed her about. I am slightly embarrassed to admit that the latter sentiment prevailed.

BJ

[UncleEbenezer]

Had a call this morning which Android flagged as "suspected spam" (a lot of red on the screen is the most immediate cue).

So I let it ring a few seconds, and it stopped. This seems to be a pretty-reliable rule: if it's a call centre, it won't be more than four rings. A human caller will persist for longer, so if that happens I'll answer.

Also if I think it's junk, I'll answer quietly, and the call centre's software will hang up.

[BullDog]

Reflecting on recent experience and the comments here. I now don't use my landline phone for anything. If I have to ever start paying extra for the landline, I will do without it all together. Presently, it's just part of my ISP FTTP deal. The only time the landline rings, it's my friend John the local energy advisor again. If I pick it up when it rings I have found that if I pick up and say nothing, often the incoming call just terminates. On the occasion I pick up and the other end speaks it's quite clearly a bot that's talking. Very rare now that I get a human calling me. Either way, once the call ends I just add the number to my blocked list. I wouldn't miss it if and when I don't have a landline phone.

I use my mobile for all calls now. I get much less in the way of SPAM calls on the mobile. Presumably because the networks are smarter and usually an incoming number is flagged as SPAM before I answer the call. I just block the number without answering when that happens.

[didds]

we recently changed ISPs and it wasn't until after the switch i realised we'd lost the landline - no issue as nobody ever called us on it anyway and we all use our mobiles!

Like others I don't get much spam on my mobile but I have it set to block unknown numbers. I THINK it goes straight to voicemail if its "unknown" - and if its important I'll pick up the Vm and respond appropriately.

the only times that may be an issue is if the GP or dentist call - but they are always number withheld for sensible reasons, but I figure they'll follow up with a text or a letter if its important enough.

[Redmires]

Older people may still want a landline, like my mum. We got her a BT call blocker handset a couple of years ago and the rogue calls are 100% blocked. I can see that the calls are still made by viewing 'manage calling numbers' on the online account but the phone blocks them all and never ring the phone. A worthy piece of tech.

[MikeGreenwood]

Hello -I just had my first -Hello I am John energy advisor call on my landline. I immediatly suspected it was the same pesky company which had been calling me for about the last eighteen months. But usually it is Jo. Not John. So many calls and I recognised the voice which I thought was a South East England accent. The call likely starts of as a recording but a woman does answer after about 30 seconds if I ask them something. But when asked questions such as do not not remember calling me before-she does not answer. Sometimes it's about twice a week and other times about once. In conversation we have reached numerouse times the point at which I tell them I am not the property owner and then the line cuts off with out another word. oday it was John or supposedly John. As soon as I asked my first question which was are you related to Jo who usually calls, the call was cut off with out a word. They have never gone beyond being told I am not the property owner.

[chas49]

Moderator Message:
As this thread now has 53 posts, and is really more of a series of complaints rather than a DAK with answers, I've moved it from DAK to Bitter Lemons (chas49)

[Stompa]

I got yet another "Hello this is Chris, your local energy advisor" call today. A new feature though was that this was preceded by an announcement stating that "This call is being recorded for training purposes".

[Mike4]

I get a similar call on a regular basis, I even recognise her voice now.

When we get to the local bit, I point out I have several properties, so which "local".....the line gets cut off at that precise moment.

I can never remember her name, but I am going to make a note next time, so I can pipe up at the very start of the call "Oh hello ....."

I also get those occasional calls about my windows device being compromised. I like those ones, it's nice to have some company for 30 minutes when you work alone...and that moment I tell them none of that's working, because I am running OpenBSD.

Honestly answering your phone is SOOOO 20th century. Who on earth does that these days?

[XFool]

"John" hasn't phoned me yet.

[Watis]

I get a similar call on a regular basis, I even recognise her voice now.

When we get to the local bit, I point out I have several properties, so which "local".....the line gets cut off at that precise moment.

I can never remember her name, but I am going to make a note next time, so I can pipe up at the very start of the call "Oh hello ....."

I also get those occasional calls about my windows device being compromised. I like those ones, it's nice to have some company for 30 minutes when you work alone...and that moment I tell them none of that's working, because I am running OpenBSD.

Honestly answering your phone is SOOOO 20th century. Who on earth does that these days?

I don't answer my landline phone any more - because it never rings!

Last month I replaced my old phone with a BT phone with truecall blocking technology. If the caller's number isn't in the phone, the caller has to say who they are, then the phone will ring me to tell me who is calling, so I can decide whether to take the call. Of course, auto dialled spammy callers don't get that far.

Previously, I was getting one or two spam calls a day.

Watis