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[Exile]

I don't have any protective technology on my landline.

For a few years I have just assumed that every incoming call is a scam, and never answer it. I just use it for local outgoing calls.

Anyone genuine will respond to the answerphone message or ring back.

No-one ever has.

As yet, the scammers have not been able to find a way around me not answering the landline phone......


Slightly different tack:

I have started to object strongly to everybody and his dog wanting to know my Date of Birth as a "security" question.

It is not secure anyway, as lots of people know my DOB.

It is surprisingly difficult to get them to replace it with another security question, but we should all insist upon it.

Why should my DOB be on everyone's computer?

I have no idea if this personal info being so widely distributed makes it even easier for the scammers to use it to target the older population, but I don't give it out to all the third parties who ask for it now.


 

[Alan Drover]

Wittsend I already mentioned my landline has a very effective call blocker and so does my mobile in my watching the number calling.  If I don't recognize it now I won't answer and if no message is left it's no importance.

[Old Hywel]

Start by doing away with your land-line. Almost every call we had was a scam of some sort. So far, at least, the scammers are less active on mobile numbers. We did not bother setting up a land-line when we moved 4 years ago, not missing it one bit.

This assumes you can receive a mobile signal. Not everyone is in that position, even in relatively civilised areas.

[Alan Drover]

Our landline is ex directory as well as having a call blocker and TPS. Close friends, the hospital and doctor's surgery have the number, anywhere else where I 'm asked for it I give my mobile.
Some sites have age bands and at the end is 'Prefer not to say." That's my age.
I can only assume that asking for date of birth is for marketing or statistics.

[agg221]

Slightly different tack:

I have started to object strongly to everybody and his dog wanting to know my Date of Birth as a "security" question.
It is not secure anyway, as lots of people know my DOB.
It is surprisingly difficult to get them to replace it with another security question, but we should all insist upon it.
Why should my DOB be on everyone's computer?
I have no idea if this personal info being so widely distributed makes it even easier for the scammers to use it to target the older population, but I don't give it out to all the third parties who ask for it now.

This reminds me of something which happened around a year ago.

I received a call to my landline from BT - Indian voice from a call centre, telling me there was a problem with one of the devices connected to our broadband. My usual starting tactic is 'who am I?' as the scam callers do not know your name or address. She did - she had my name, address, alternative phone number (wife's mobile) and the answer to the security question.

I knew the call wasn't genuine for two reasons, both by luck more than judgement. Firstly, I was aware that BT had moved its call centres back to the UK in 2019 so it wasn't definitive but it was likely that an Indian accent was no longer  BT call centre and secondly, I happen to have had fibre to the house installed less than a month previously so the only thing plugged into the BT line is a phone.

I suspect that when the call centres were closing down, some employees unhappy at losing their jobs may have appropriated some of the data, because it was definitely BT data they were using.

Alec

[Genem]

This assumes you can receive a mobile signal. Not everyone is in that position, even in relatively civilised areas.

True enough. When we were up at the farm the only way to get a mobile signal was to walk 50 yards down the track... Shortly after we moved here ( 300 yards...) the signal went down for a couple of days then re-appeared as a strong 4G signal, for O2 at least. Some other providers still have very poor coverage here.   I'll amend my advice to " Bin the landline, if you can".

  

[Clifford Pope]

I have started to object strongly to everybody and his dog wanting to know my Date of Birth as a "security" question.

It surely doesn't have to be your real date of birth? No one checks, and there's no register of security questions. Like "mother's maiden name" - it's whatever you chose to invent.

[Exile]

Yes, I suppose you are right.

It's just that I hate lying - and I wouldn't remember the false date I gave anyway!

Adrian Flux always ask a load of "security" questions before they will speak to me.

A year ago I insisted that they replace the DOB with another question, which I chose.

They took a lot of persuading to agree, but eventually they did..

But every time I ring now, the oppo on the phone still asks for my DOB.

It can take me many minutes to persuade them to look on my file - and then ask me the new security question.

Should life be this difficult.....?

[Old Hywel]

I’ve known the bank to ring (after an unusually large cheque, perhaps) and ask me security questions before they will even tell me the point of their call. My response is ‘you know my phone number, but as far as I know you’re just some random cold caller.’ Standoff ensues.