Scam calls

[Tipp blue]

I've been getting a few lately with numbers that share the same first 6 numbers as my number.. one even left a voicemail.. apparently they were from the Department of social protection department and were going to cancel my PPS number as I have been engaged in criminal activity by claiming pandemic unemployment benefit while continuing to work.. they want a small payment to rectify this.. is this much of an issue elsewhere? Its a pain in the face being almost daily and some days multiple times.

 

[john jako]

Scam calls and texts have definitely increased in the past year. Amount of texts I get is incredible. Annoying but hopefully nobody is falling for these

 

[Simon Buttle]

Yeah I get a lot of texts and some calls, they are a total pain in the arse, there is very little you can do though. So many numbers are passed on through third party setups, one of the worst has been the NHS app. Serco are said to have sold off peoples details to make some money back and the number of scam/prank calls that started after the app was installed went up tenfold.

 

[chrismpw]

I always give a false phone number to any web page that doesn't let me opt out if it, and refuse giving it to businesses unless I have no choice.

I still get scam calls since moving house 6 years ago where I HAD to give my number to estate agents and mortgage broker.

Businesses are scum.

I always get them at really inconvenient times - like when you're under a car or up a ladder. Any decent government orkungvin the interests of citizenry would have cut it out by now.

 

[Methuselah]

I do no business transactions over the phone, so any calls like that I just hang up.

 

[Yarrgh]

Hello, is this Mr Yarrrgh?
Yes.
Can you confirm your details please?
Yes.




Can you confirm your details please?
I said yes.



What are your details sir?
I said I would confirm them not tell you them.




Tell them nothing! Cold calling = scam.

 

[Old Blue 2]

When I get a call (supposedly from Open Reach about my internet connection, or whoever), I always speak to them in German. For some reason, they always hang up... lol

 

[brieverton]

I don't accept calls from withheld / private / unknown numbers, and still won't take the call if the number is displayed and I have any doubts at all.

The world might have changed, but people / organisations needing to contact you on a legitimate basis, can still use email / paper mail.

Despite the obituary being written, paper mail is still de rigeur for any correspondence from official state / governmental organisations.

The rule is simple really - if it seems fake/dodgy, then it probably is. Hang up on the call / delete the text and phone the listed number for the organisation in question, to check things out.

 

[ste d' indica]

I've told this story before on here, but anyway -


I had a very lengthy conversation with a nice chap about viruses and all that sort of thing, he explained to me that I had one, how dangerous they were which was very helpful, and if I downloaded some software he'd check my computer for me.
I said I'd heard you can get them from looking at porn on the internet - he said that was definitely the case.
I asked if he thought I should stop looking at lots of porn then?
He was a bit taken aback but suggested that maybe I should.
I said to be honest, if I'm not looking at porn on it, I haven't got much use for the computer really, but thanked him for his concern.

 

[The binman chronicles]

Just block the number immediately and hopefully they don't have more than a few numbers to call you on.

 

[kev]

I just don't answer any calls from numbers not listed in my contacts.
If it's somebody who is genuinely trying to contact me they can still do so by text.
After any 'missed' call I check the number via Whocalled.co.uk and then block.

 

[rylojr]

Just answer the unknown number with heavy breathing, and then gasp out:... IT'S DONE........BUT THERE'S BLOOD EVERYWHERE...... then hang up.

 

[Kurt.]

I've been getting a few lately with numbers that share the same first 6 numbers as my number.. one even left a voicemail.. apparently they were from the Department of social protection department and were going to cancel my PPS number as I have been engaged in criminal activity by claiming pandemic unemployment benefit while continuing to work.. they want a small payment to rectify this.. is this much of an issue elsewhere? Its a pain in the face being almost daily and some days multiple times.

I get them all the time mate …. Just pay them … they stop calling then

 

[Lob]

I just don't answer any calls from numbers not listed in my contacts.
If it's somebody who is genuinely trying to contact me they can still do so by text.
After any 'missed' call I check the number via Whocalled.co.uk and then block.

Same here mate. If the number is not recognised in my contacts list or a number i am expecting etc then they can just do one as i have no interest in speaking to them. Simple and 100% effective.

 

[Prevenger17]

I've been getting a few lately with numbers that share the same first 6 numbers as my number.. one even left a voicemail.. apparently they were from the Department of social protection department and were going to cancel my PPS number as I have been engaged in criminal activity by claiming pandemic unemployment benefit while continuing to work.. they want a small payment to rectify this.. is this much of an issue elsewhere? Its a pain in the face being almost daily and some days multiple times.

Its happening loads at the moment. Particularly annoying for me as I work for a company under contract to the DSP with a huge caseload of people. So a lot of them aren't answering their phones or are very suspect of us when we call