Telephone Scam ..... When Will They Give Up?

[Wonderwall]

They are a stain on modern life .

 

Ive been told a set of ear plugs and a whistle next to the phone are handy.

Insert plugs in ears , take a deep breath , give it a blast. 

[grendel]

I have a landline, I regularly check for missed calls and messages several times a year.

[johnb]

I spoketh too soon. This morning my wife had a call from a given number. "I understand you recently had an accident that was not your fault" My wife hasn't, told them they are completely wrong and hung up. The point is that I did have an accident (details in another thread) nearly two weeks ago. I spent a few days in a Norfolk Hospital and following an operation returned home to Essex. The fact they rang my wife's phone indicates their information came from the times when she was giving her number as a contact point. I will be contacting the telephone preference service to see if this call is in breach of their regulations. I have both their name and telephone number, and will put that number into my phone as a scam should they ring again. I have not added this info in this thread owing to what has left me a little confused in recent comments about what should and should not be added. (The accident must have done me good, because before it happened, I was usually a lot confused!) Maybe when the stitches are removed, I may be able to play the piano with my toes-I will keep you posted!)

[MauriceMynah]

Even though both types of calls are irritating , they are very different issues. The "Your computer is slow, is a scam, a criminal attempting to rob you.

The "We understand you've had an accident" is a cold call trying to acquire "No win no fee" business from people who haven't claimed compensation for real accidents. This is not a criminal activity however abhorrent the ambulance chasing parasites may be.

Yes, if you have the telephone preference system in action, then an offence has been committed, but it isn't attempted fraud.

It is perhaps worth remembering that these callers are trying to do their jobs. Better doing that than sitting on their backsides at home watching TV and drawing the dole. 

Imagine a young relative of yours, it was the only job offered to him/her and it was a matter of pride that made them take it rather than live off the backs of others, those who work. How would you like their call answered?

Rant over.  

[johnb]

Okay maybe I am a bit over the top. They were ringing someone who hadn't had a an accident, to numbers that are registered with TPS. Maybe some of the rest was the result of the pain in my leg which has materialised in the last couple of days! Perhaps I had better kick the cat instead of posting, except I haven't got one.

[smellyloo]

36 minutes ago, MauriceMynah said:

Even though both types of calls are irritating , they are very different issues. The "Your computer is slow, is a scam, a criminal attempting to rob you.

The "We understand you've had an accident" is a cold call trying to acquire "No win no fee" business from people who haven't claimed compensation for real accidents. This is not a criminal activity however abhorrent the ambulance chasing parasites may be.

Yes, if you have the telephone preference system in action, then an offence has been committed, but it isn't attempted fraud.

It is perhaps worth remembering that these callers are trying to do their jobs. Better doing that than sitting on their backsides at home watching TV and drawing the dole. 

Imagine a young relative of yours, it was the only job offered to him/her and it was a matter of pride that made them take it rather than live off the backs of others, those who work. How would you like their call answered?

Rant over.  

Whilst I have sympathy with your thought processes I think the "accident chasing" callers are conducting a type of "theft". They encourage people to make bogus claims which in turn leads to us all paying higher insurance premiums.

It is difficult to have sympathy with a cold caller that spouts off "I believe you recently suffered an accident" which is blatently untrue and then tries to fish for any kind of accident you may have suffered from in the past.

Strangely I had frequent such calls prior to my accident but mercysfully havn't had any since the event occured.

[SANTED]

Everyone seems to have their own views on these calls and how to deal with them. Personally, as soon as I get the gist of the call being a scam or nuisance call, I hang up and immediately block the number. I then google the number on a reverse phone number look up site and look for comments about this number, most are about,

 Take a short survey,

Claim PPI 

About your recent accident, etc

Then there’s the real criminal ones trying to get into your computer

I think it’s very unwise to try and take these scammers on, as remember, they have your name and phone number and can cause you no end of problems

Simply hang up and block the number

 

[eddybear]

1 hour ago, SANTED said:

Everyone seems to have their own views on these calls and how to deal with them. Personally, as soon as I get the gist of the call being a scam or nuisance call, I hang up and immediately block the number. I then google the number on a reverse phone number look up site and look for comments about this number, most are about,

 Take a short survey,

Claim PPI 

About your recent accident, etc

Then there’s the real criminal ones trying to get into your computer

I think it’s very unwise to try and take these scammers on, as remember, they have your name and phone number and can cause you no end of problems

Simply hang up and block the number

 

Good advice, however annoying you find the Calls to retaliate can only strengthen their resolve and could possibly cause you grief which we definitely don't want as stated they have your number and possibly more information on you, so as said the best action is to put down the phone, block the number.

[MauriceMynah]

18 hours ago, smellyloo said:

Whilst I have sympathy with your thought processes I think the "accident chasing" callers are conducting a type of "theft". They encourage people to make bogus claims which in turn leads to us all paying higher insurance premiums

I think that is a little bit unfair Smelly, a bit like saying supermarkets and department stores should be banned for encouraging shoplifting.

The fellow I'm staying with had an industrial accident many years ago. The firm of solicitors supplied to him (by the company he was working for) said that it was just one of those things and that he had left it too long before giving them instructions to take legal action. The reason he had left it for over a year, was that he was in a coma for most of that time. He believed them and left it at that.

This accident has left him with a very bad back, and mental problems. (something very big and heavy fell on his head) I am also pretty sure it caused him to develop Epilepsy.

.

He has never received a call telling him he has had an accident... dammit!

[smellyloo]

1 hour ago, MauriceMynah said:

I think that is a little bit unfair Smelly, a bit like saying supermarkets and department stores should be banned for encouraging shoplifting.

The fellow I'm staying with had an industrial accident many years ago. The firm of solicitors supplied to him (by the company he was working for) said that it was just one of those things and that he had left it too long before giving them instructions to take legal action. The reason he had left it for over a year, was that he was in a coma for most of that time. He believed them and left it at that.

This accident has left him with a very bad back, and mental problems. (something very big and heavy fell on his head) I am also pretty sure it caused him to develop Epilepsy.

.

He has never received a call telling him he has had an accident... dammit!

Just to be clear, I have no problem with people claiming damages for injury or the companies that help them achieve this.

My complaint is the practice of blanket calling random people "fishing" for cases for them to persue.

It appears that the government also believes that this is a menace and is activelly trying to stop it.

Let's hope it works.

 

[HEM]

On 07/09/2018 at 15:15, SANTED said:

Then there’s the real criminal ones trying to get into your computer

 

This is where it helps to run a computer which uses a deritive of UNIX rather than MS-Windows.

Its quite good fun trying to execute DOS commands on a UNIX system.

[grendel]

especially when they dont realise they need to type in the correct case

[BroadAmbition]

Just had a pre recorded call from 'HMRC' (Really?) stating that there is a warrant out for my arrest due to non payment of tax and I should press one to talk to a case officer so I did,

Foreign voice says hello Whom am I talking to . . . that was as far as he got before I transmitted some proper foul language, racist abuse, a fair few four letter words mixed in before  finishing of with 'Your breath stinks'

Funny how 'HMRC' have not rang me back eh?

The fact that 'GriffTile's' tax affairs are all in order by 31st Jan as they are every year seems to have escaped them

Griff

[JennyMorgan]

Griff, pressing 1 might just have triggered a minor removal of funds, yours! Check your phone bill when it comes in.

[BroadAmbition]

Tks, doubt it as the call came in on the landline not my iphone, but I will check all the same

Griff

[LondonRascal]

I have become very aware of late just how crafty these things can be and deep they go. If you have any pre-recorded call just hang up the moment you realise it is one. If you react, press numbers or talk to the people on the other end, your number just became a very much more valuable asset to them and in terms of data. An active number that has someone who reacts.

The same goes for Facebook, I did not used to think there was much harm in some posts that friends may share - but now I am very much more aware of where the originating post might have come from. It might it self seem innocent 'who remembers one of these' and shows a picture of a Sony Walkman. You react, and comment that perhaps yes you did and owned one, and now your comment along with hundreds or thousands of others can be seen.  As an experiment next time you get such, go down the list of comments and tap on someone who is not your friend - it is so often the case their settings will enable you, a stranger, to see some of their photos, where they are from, and who they are friends with etc. If you can do that, anyone can and it is no wonder so many profiles on Facebook are then cloned or your details used to aid new scams.  Again, no need to comment or like these posts and if you do not you are able to remain effectively hidden.

Even non-scams can be annoying. I once allowed Halfords to have my email address to save a printed receipt being given. Huge mistake. I had, by consenting to them having my email address allowed them to add me to their database and sure enough did email the receipt, but then the offers and other products began to stream in my inbox - and it was not an easy thing to get rid of once it began.  Thankfully I don't suffer hardly any random calls, and no junk mail because for as long as I can remember I have always been very cautious of giving my address, and if do always read the T&Cs and remember to tick the 'do not contact me' type boxes. I always give false email addresses when I check into Hotels now because if you give your real one, they will add you to their database and begin to send you more offers. They just do not need this information to begin with when you check in but often will be a stipulation on the card you complete at the desk.

 

 

 

[FairTmiddlin]

Robin is so right about Faceache.

There was a programme on about a cyber criminal who repented and showed how they trawl peoples photo's. They love the young singles who share their life though faceache. they can through the photos get a house number. A view if you are single when and if you go out clubbing, what you have in the house, from expensive electronics, jewellery. Then people wonder why they get robbed. This tells the burglar exactly where everything is in your house exactly where you live, the expensive gifts that parents lavish on kids and when your birthday is. so just answering a silly question on line, isn't so simple after all. 

[BroadAmbition]

If My landline does become an 'Active' target number, for a while I will relish 'Dealing' with the scumbags, but then simply input ignore numbers etc. We are already signed up to the TPS which does help.  Normally I just disconnect immediately but this time common devilment got the better of me.  T'other week on my mobile phone I received for about the fifth time a call from a solicitors company stating the they could claim for an accident that I had suffered injury.  I kept em going ages before becoming clear that my accident was breaking a finger nail at work.  I have since blocked their number too

Griff

[grendel]

so do the ones that ask you your 'whatever name' based upon your date and month of birth - now they have your birth date, as faceache only allows you to use your real name they know your name, add a few more of these quizzes based upon the third letter of your name (next time it will be the second, or fourth- etc) and they have just corroborated you are using the correct name in facebook, and have your real one if you were not. they can soon build up a picture.

From the share this post, they collect a list of names of gullible people. - especially the cute pet posts and illness posts.

[grendel]

 is, I am sorry I am at work right now and not allowed to take personal calls, then I hang up - that stops them.

[OldBerkshireBoy]

Hello; My name is Razza and I`m ringing about the accident you had, is this right?

Me;  Excellent, which one?

Funny how the call always ends right there. 

[Malanka]

Both Fiona’s and my own response is identical and yes we get this is Switzerland too. Mostly in French occasionally German and quite often English. For the French and German ones we just answer in English they usually hang up. Last week a French one said do you speak French I replied in perfect French that no do not speak French.They hung up. 

The English ones with usual sub continent accent which sorry Polly is quite discernible are even more fun. Our response is “how stupid do you think   I am” ?  They reply pardon, we say nothing or repeat the how stupid and they then hang up. 

Fiona get calls from Mumbai or Bangaluru, or New Delhi all the time informing her that her computer has a problem with its windows system. She calmly and with relish asks them how Microsoft know that when her computer is a Mac. They hang up. 

Reverse call checks show them to be from the aforementioned locations on the subcontinent.

Not saying we enjoy them but we know they don’t. 

 

M

[dnks34]

I have adopted a system with my mobile whereby if I dont recognise the number I dont answer and if someone wants me seriously enough they will leave a messege and I can then choose if I want or need to return the call.

On my landline I have a call screening phone which asks callers to state their name (unless its a saved allowed number) it then rings and I listen to the name and again decide if I want the call, it doesnt bother me with a ring till the caller says their name. Since buying it a few years ago I have had zero nuisance or scam calls actually leave their name when before I was getting bombarded with them.

The way I look at it is a ringing phone is an invitation to talk theres no saying you have to!   Probably not good advice if your running a business though! 

 

[grendel]

last time I got the microsoft one I asked them which machine had the problem, when he asked how many I had, I answered 6 but you should know that already, so which one is it, then going on he said the one  you are using at the moment, yes I said, it could be one of the 6, that are running at the moment, so he then went for the one running windows 7, ah I said, none of them are on windows 7, they are all on linux, it was at this point he hung up.

[Lulu]

8 hours ago, dnks34 said:

have adopted a system with my mobile whereby if I dont recognise the number I dont answer and if someone wants me seriously enough they will leave a messege and I can then choose if I want or need to return the call.

Exactly what I do and If I can see the number, I google it and can usually find out who its from or see comments from others that its a scam.