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Main Section => Welcome to our virtual Pub Meeting ... => Topic started by: Alan Drover on June 11, 2021, 04:51:43 PM
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Today I received a call from a mobile number which . When I answered the call went dead. As I have recently been discharged from hospital after a hip replacement I thought it was something to do with it so I called the number. A voice message told me the number was unrecognisable.
Now, how can an unrecognisable number call mine. Can anyone explain in words that an idiot like me can understand please?
I'd had previously a couple of similar numbers so I've blocked the lot.
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Scammers, I once had a call from my own number.
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There's lots of scam calls at the moment, from accidents you didn't have, to imminent arrest for fraud, and a lot of them are using what look like mobile numbers. Just ignore any number you don't know, because if you answer they'll know its an active number, and you'll get even more scam calls.
Simon.
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Thanks, I've just had another which I've blocked.
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Scammers e.g. lowlife, can make you believe you're answering a local-call when in reality there're calling from Bulgaria. In essence don't trust numbers you don't recognise.
I occasionally get calls from numbers not in my phone book and I just ignore them on the basis that if genuine they can always send a text. And when they don't I just block them.
Often my service provider will add a note to the screen while its ringing "Suspected Scam" while also giving me the option to block sender.
There's simply too many B&*%"!$ out there trying to do us harm.
:grinder
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Today I received a call from a mobile number which . When I answered the call went dead. As I have recently been discharged from hospital after a hip replacement I thought it was something to do with it so I called the number. A voice message told me the number was unrecognisable.
Now, how can an unrecognisable number call mine. Can anyone explain in words that an idiot like me can understand please?
I'd had previously a couple of similar numbers so I've blocked the lot.
The 'simple' answer is it can't! But the way modern telephony works has the ability to fill the calling number field with any old number you want. This is what these scammers (I can think of a better term but the profanity filter will not allow it!) do. So just because it looks like a UK number, or a mobile number it has actually probably originated in some far flung land.
Anyway best policy is to ignore anything you do not recognise but allow messages to be left and if it is is genuine then most likely they will leave a message. Of course that too might be a scam but less likely.
The other thing you can do is put the pretend calling number into Google and up will pop some search databases - very likely this number will be already on there as others have looked it up and possibly made a comment about what the scam was.
HTH
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A hospital/NHS in my experience do not use mobile numbers. They use landlines, though they may withhold their number if they are ringing on an internal extension. In which case they would show the switchboard number.
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My local GP's number is withheld . They only allow incoming on the reception number.
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I googled one of the numbers but it wanted me to write. Pointless since the number doesn't exist.
However, out of curiosity I googled my own number and it came up with no information.
Any unknown numbers will get blocked if no message left.
My GP surgery do call out on the surgery phone which shows on caller ID.
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Ive had three of these numbers in the last two days. I just blocked them. If you get texts to that you don't recognise you can block those too.I ignore any number that isnt in my phonebook. If it's genuine they can leave a voicemail to which i will reply in my own time. Sometimes this leads to me ignoring work related calls because managers ring off there own number.
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A hospital/NHS in my experience do not use mobile numbers.
Not so I am afraid, times change! Having recently been through major surgery three months ago, in the depths of the panicdemic, I got lots of calls from the hospital with a 'Private Number' showing, and from the likes of the specialist nurses, from their mobiles! The normal way to communicate with the specialist nurses is by mobile no. Unfortunately, this meant I had to answer calls, unless they actually said 'International', to find out who was calling!
Sunny Jim
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I've had hospital calls from mobiles too and that's why, against my rules, I have to answer them but if missed a message is usually left.
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My local GP's number is withheld . They only allow incoming on the reception number.
Hi,
My Health Centre do not even have an external letter slot.
602
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I'm completely ruthless over nuisance calls or worse. When I pick the phone up if there is silence for a second I put the phone down. If it starts a recorded message I put the phone down. If the caller has an American or Indian accent or says "Message from ... " I put the phone down.
If any phone call is really important they will call again.
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I had a lovely call from a nice American lady yesterday, telling me that I had a warrant out for my arrest due to tax evasion, and I needed to press 1 to speak to an advisor.
Oh how I laughed, and I am still waiting to be arrested...😁
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It is possible to call with an others telephone number, like the one of your bank.
Be aware of this :-\
https://www.techjunkie.com/fake-number-call-someone-spoof/
And do not call back strange numbers it can cost you lots..
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I went into great detail over the injuries sustained in my ‘recent accident’. The young Indian lady was most sympathetic as I explained how I had lost one leg. ‘How do you walk?’ she asked, and when I replied ‘in circles’, we called it a day.
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I had a lovely call from a nice American lady yesterday, telling me that I had a warrant out for my arrest due to tax evasion, and I needed to press 1 to speak to an advisor.
Oh how I laughed, and I am still waiting to be arrested...😁
My wife, who used to work for the Inland Revenue, had a similar call recently. No armed police have arrived.
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If any phone call is really important they will call again.
Quite true ... or they will write a letter.
Our "dodgy" phone calls have dropped down to zero by unplugging the phone from the BT landline :first
BT could stop this, but they make money from the calls >:D
:mobile
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get a call minder type phone, i never have any unwanted calls now :tiphat
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A hospital/NHS in my experience do not use mobile numbers. They use landlines, though they may withhold their number if they are ringing on an internal extension. In which case they would show the switchboard number.
Wrong, I have had dealings with the NHS due to poor health over the last few years many of the calls have come from mobiles esp the ones from my consultants.
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I usually ask them for the first and third digit of their password, which causes them some confusion.
Alternatively ask them "How do you keep a £$%^& in suspense?" ( If they say "I dont know" , just tell them to ring back tomorrow and you will tell them)
Unfortunately recently most of these calls are automated, so no chance of winding them up.
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Our landline and my mobile are on the TPS. However this doesn't stop sequential dialling. Many unwanted calls are voice activated so saying nothing deactivates the machine.
Our landline has call minder and anyone not on the phone's list or an allowed number has to navigate the system. Hospital calls are put on the allowed list.
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I've just received another unknown call which I didn't answer and have blocked. All numbers so far start with 0771
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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.
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I've just received another unknown call which I didn't answer and have blocked. All numbers so far start with 0771
Tell us - do you have a land line ???
We have a landline just to plug the internet box into.
We now just use our mobiles.
Much easier to block if we/you ever have to.
Select the number and press the (bye-bye forever) button.
We had one of those "blocker" devices - made no difference :thud
(anyone want a cheap useless device ? £5 plus post)
We were/are on the TPS list, but couldn't see that that made any difference.
Whilst it may be illegal to cold call from the UK - the problem is the call come from the rest of the world :shakeinghead
And nearly all of these are front-ended by AI machine callers.
It's not much use starting a "conversation" with a machine, as posted it just proves your number is live.
One tell-tale as posted is silence after you pick the phone up.
Say nothing as it starts the tape loop.
If there's a real person trying to contact you they will say something.
:telephone_box
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My "medical" people are great.
They will phone me for an appointment, once agreed they text me within seconds confirming the details. 24 hrs before the appointment I get a reminder text.
Worked brilliantly for the jabs :first
At our practice you can email for an appointment.
Phoning to speak to someone puts you on hold forever :shakeinghead
:nursey
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I'm completely ruthless over nuisance calls or worse. When I pick the phone up if there is silence for a second I put the phone down. If it starts a recorded message I put the phone down. If the caller has an American or Indian accent or says "Message from ... " I put the phone down.
If any phone call is really important they will call again.
I believe there maybe a hole in your approach. The simple act of accepting the call will register your number, with the caller, that its a live number.
I use my BT landline for incoming calls only, mainly because I don't want everyone to have my mobile number. The vast majority of my calls with family, friends & others are on my mobile. I will not accept any call who's number is not in my phone book because I know if it is genuine they can always send me a text.
Incidentally, BT have a great phone which has some smart technology called "Call Guardian". Only numbers in my Phone Book are allowed to go directly to me. All others have to give their details, which are then relayed to me to choose if I want to take the call. That alone make most hang up. I then have the option to either accept the call, send it to answer machine, always send it to answer machine, block/always block the call. I set it to block all international calls. I can not speak too highly of this "Which? Best Buy" phone, its been a transformation because I now get extremely few calls on the LL.
:grinder
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yep... the call guardian is the one i have , great does what it needs to :tiphat
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My only car is my 1960 109. I get calls telling me that my car warranty is almost up and I need to renew, press 1 to talk to a representative......
Thankfully most of my scam calls are on my land line and not my cell phone. Caller ID is wonderful!
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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...... :whistle
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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".
:tiphat
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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.
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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.....? :shakeinghead
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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.