Latest scam attempt?

[Bouleversee]

I have received 2 calls in the past few day (one male, one female, both with strong foreign accents), coming from a call centre judging by the background noise, saying they were ringing to find out whether I was eligible for something I couldn't catch. When I asked the man who he was calling from he said something unintelligible and I put the phone down. The woman said she was ringing on behalf of Better Homes. I said I didn't give information to phone callers and put the phone down. I'm pretty sure they were organised scam calls. I see there is a Better Homes in Dubai. Anyone else had similar calls?

[didds]

usual stuff really. Because there is a Better homes in Dubai doesn't mean she was really form them...

but Im teaching grandmothers here!

[Redmires]

It's getting to the point where we should treat every unknown caller as a scam. Even better, don't answer unknown numbers. If it's important, they will leave a message, if they don't they are very probably a scammer.

[mc2fool]

It's getting to the point where we should treat every unknown caller as a scam. Even better, don't answer unknown numbers. If it's important, they will leave a message, if they don't they are very probably a scammer.

The answering machine is a good filter. I get very few scam calls but nevertheless if I don't recognise the number and I'm not expecting a call I always just let it go to the answering machine, which I have set to be on speaker.

If they start leaving a message (most cold callers don't) and it's someone I want to talk to I then pick up the phone and apologise for only just getting to it....

[kempiejon]

If they start leaving a message (most cold callers don't) and it's someone I want to talk to I then pick up the phone and apologise for only just getting to it....

That's how I think my landline works these days. There's a display for stored numbers so I can see if uncle bob is calling, I was caught out recently missing a call from the DWP I wanted to talk to, an unknow number came up and I'd not expected them to be that prompt getting back to me.

[stevensfo]

It's getting to the point where we should treat every unknown caller as a scam. Even better, don't answer unknown numbers. If it's important, they will leave a message, if they don't they are very probably a scammer.

That's why I started to appreciate our mobile phones a bit more.

I almost never reply to an unknown number, unless I'm expecting a call re. a delivery to our house, in which case I add it to the phone directory. The great thing is they can send an SMS text. If they don't then you know they're not important.

What I find very rude is the recent habit of cold calls being just a recorded message. Don't they realise that we put the phone down in 2 seconds and mentally boycott that company?

The message seems to be getting through. Whenever I visited my mum, she seemed to have a lot of cold calls. These days, she has hardly any.

As for our landline, it's only there as part of the internet package. Only two people ever call us on it.

According to our landline, we have loads of messages. I can't be bothered to read the manual, so they'll just remain there.


Steve

[didds]

It's getting to the point where we should treat every unknown caller as a scam. Even better, don't answer unknown numbers. If it's important, they will leave a message, if they don't they are very probably a scammer.

My doctors surgery doesn't leave VMs.
Nor my dentist.


I presume its because they cannot know if somebody other than me (or my wife etc) may hear that there has been contact from doctor/dentist, which - in some relationships - may prove problematical.

And they both show as "Withheld number". For the same reason I guess.

didds

[ReformedCharacter]

My doctors surgery doesn't leave VMs.
Nor my dentist.


I presume its because they cannot know if somebody other than me (or my wife etc) may hear that there has been contact from doctor/dentist, which - in some relationships - may prove problematical.

And they both show as "Withheld number". For the same reason I guess.

didds

That's exactly what my GP's surgery said when I complained about their Withheld numbers, it would be helpful if it was possible to 'opt-in' but that's probably too difficult for the average GP's comms provider, and more work...

RC

[bungeejumper]

My doctors surgery doesn't leave VMs.
Nor my dentist.

I presume its because they cannot know if somebody other than me (or my wife etc) may hear that there has been contact from doctor/dentist, which - in some relationships - may prove problematical.

And they both show as "Withheld number". For the same reason I guess.

Sounds pretty similar to mine. They won't leave landline or mobile messages, and they do use number withheld. Although they both do send text messages to my mobile. Which I may or may not be able to read, depending on whether I've got a phone signal or not. It got a bit difficult, though, when I was sent a short-notice hospital appointment on my mobile, given that I was four hundred miles away and in a 400 square mile not-spot in rural France!

I can think of a fair few other medical specialists who wouldn't want their landline messages to you to be heard by your flatmates. For obvous reasons.

BJ

[csearle]

I suddenly started getting cold calls. Often idiots laughing. Very annoying. Maybe 10 times a day.

Most of my new custom (I'm an electrician) comes from random new callers (mostly referred). So these cold calls are/were detrimental to my business.

I ended up using MacroDroid to text automatically all callers not in my contacts list a text asking them to contact me first by text because of scammers. This scheme has worked. New customers explain something of their needs, I add them to my contacts list, and from thereon in the connexion is uninterrupted.

Chris

[Bouleversee]

Thanks for all replies. Your precautions mean that you won't have experienced this scam or any others. Not having a smartphone and only using my simple mobile to receive security codes from my banks and having landline receivers which only say "incoming call" unless on my contact list, I do tend to pick up on every call. However, had it shown the number I would have picked it up as I when I dialled 1471 out of curiosity it gave the exchange code of my previous address but when I dialled that there was only a rather strange recorded message and I think it was probably a fake number. I still think it was from an overseas call centre used by scammers.

I don't get routine messages from my GP about booking jabs etc. as they won't use email for some unknown reason. I don't understand why mobile phones should be preferred to landlines or email when the signal is so unreliable. I rarely leave my house but when I do so it is for a purpose and I don't want to be bothered by phone calls or texts so I don't give the number to anyone. However, now that we are expected to conduct our lives through apps, QR codes and social media, I shall, I suppose, be obliged to get a smart phone in addition to my laptop and tablet; something else to mislay and waste time and money on In the meantime, I shall rely on my commonsense and instincts.

[Redmires]

However, had it shown the number I would have picked it up as I when I dialled 1471 out of curiosity it gave the exchange code of my previous address but when I dialled that there was only a rather strange recorded message and I think it was probably a fake number. I still think it was from an overseas call centre used by scammers.

Scammers spoof UK exchange numbers to make it look like the call was from a UK town. Enter the number the next time you suspect a scam call into this webpage

https://who-called.co.uk/

and you'll probably see comments from dozens of users who have recently had the same call

[Alaric]

Scammers spoof UK exchange numbers to make it look like the call was from a UK town.

A recent trick is to make the displayed number look local, in other words using the 5 digit local excahnge code.

I had the idea that the government was trying to get the phone companies to stop these fake calls from overseas call centres getting into the domestic system with false ids. After all when you call back the number you usually get "the number you have dialled has not been recognised".

[Bouleversee]

Apparently, Who Called Me has had 27 searches for the number that came up but nobody has yet left a comment, probably because they hadn't spoken to anyone on account of the recorded message. I might leave a message on the Who Called Me site tomorrow but need to get to bed now.

Bouleversee

[tjh290633]

However, had it shown the number I would have picked it up as I when I dialled 1471 out of curiosity it gave the exchange code of my previous address but when I dialled that there was only a rather strange recorded message and I think it was probably a fake number. I still think it was from an overseas call centre used by scammers.

Scammers spoof UK exchange numbers to make it look like the call was from a UK town. Enter the number the next time you suspect a scam call into this webpage

https://who-called.co.uk/

and you'll probably see comments from dozens of users who have recently had the same call

This amuses me when the call claims to come from our local exchange. We are a relatively large village but have no businesses of any size. It's usually a recorded message anyway, so that means hang up. "Bank Security" is one of their favourite claims. I did have one genuine call from Barclay's but sadly I was on a cruise ship and my credit only covered a few seconds. Fortunately they came back with an email.

TJH

[Dicky99]

Apparently, Who Called Me has had 27 searches for the number that came up but nobody has yet left a comment, probably because they hadn't spoken to anyone on account of the recorded message. I might leave a message on the Who Called Me site tomorrow but need to get to bed now.

Bouleversee

I make a principle of reporting every cold call to Ofcom.
To do so text the word Call to 7726. You'll immediately get a reply asking you for the cold call telephone number. Reply providing the spammers number.
Probably like sticking fingers in the dike but I feel I'm doing my bit.

[stevensfo]

However, had it shown the number I would have picked it up as I when I dialled 1471 out of curiosity it gave the exchange code of my previous address but when I dialled that there was only a rather strange recorded message and I think it was probably a fake number. I still think it was from an overseas call centre used by scammers.

Scammers spoof UK exchange numbers to make it look like the call was from a UK town. Enter the number the next time you suspect a scam call into this webpage

https://who-called.co.uk/

and you'll probably see comments from dozens of users who have recently had the same call

Lots of people who travel a lot or live abroad, use services to creat VOIP numbers with local UK dialling codes.
It's quite easy to do.

e.g.
https://numberpeople.co.uk/voip-sip/

Get a number for any UK area
Choose from around 1 million FREE virtual phone numbers for any UK town or city.
Get a national 0843 or local rate 033 or freephone 0800 number!

Steve