Has anyone else noticed a fall in cold calling?
Despite being registered with TPS until recently I was getting around 25 calls a week where presumably a spoofed caller ID was presented. I let the answerphone pick up all calls and the majority of cold callers hang up during the outgoing message although the number is logged by my equipment.
In the past 6 days I haven't received a single unwanted call.
In message snipped-for-privacy@mid.individual.net>, alan_m snipped-for-privacy@admac.myzen.co.uk> writes
Likewise.
I guess call centres are considered non-essential activities:-)
If the caller ID is spoofed, do BT still know the real number of the originator, and, if so, they should be able to provide a facility whereby if we immediately dial a special number, then BT can prosecute those who ignore the TPS restriction.
A lot of the calls come form abroad.
However phone companies could provide some kind of trusted registration service and customers could set their phones to only recieved calls from trusted sources. A bit like what they do with websites.
However our government seem reluctant to prevent or punish cold calling, even TPS has the marketing/survey loophole.
I would expect in most cases they won't have access to the originating number (an in many cases there may not be one anyway - i.e. the call comes into the network via VoIP, not a phone line)
When it comes to the scammers, most will come from VoIP providers - usually based outside of the UK. The scammers will typically run accounts with multiple providers using fake ids, since they expect to burn through accounts reasonably frequently.
I find TPS mostly effective for blocking UK originated calls. I can't see them or the uk government being able exert much influence over an indian call centre though.
My idea has long been that we should be able to either answer or ignore a spam call and, as soon as the call terminates, be able to dial a special number to report "That last call was spam". I don't know quite how effective it would be, but if suitably simple, there would be a much greater rate of reporting. Hopefully that would help in identifying them and provide evidence of scale - leading to more prosecutions. Or, at least, ability of our phone system to deny access to some foreign calls.
But without these cold calls to remind you, your Amazon Prime account may get discontinued!
I don't there is any kind of demand for a sensible answer on here John.
Oh I have
But they might get too warm!
Still getting the Amazon Prime ones
Jonathan
yesterday, I got an email from PayPal tellingb me to log-in and clear a problem with my account. [the log-in address given was NOT PayPal's]
I baited one of the Amazon Prime scammer's for over 20 minutes last week. I was waiting for a big compile to finish so had nothing else to do. He was f****ng livid when he realised he been wasting his time and said before he hung up "F*ck you Whitey!". I was so pleased to have got such a wonderful rise out of him. Better than gammon baiting on here.
Of course he failed to get the language joke being Indian (said he was called Steve though) as he had my name down as Heywood Djablowme and kept calling me Mr. Djablowme. I'm still not sure how I didn't guffaw every time he said that.
"Mr. Djablowme I want you to type t e a m v i e w e r into the search bar"
Tap, tap, click
"meatviewer not found"
"no no no Mr. Djablowme t e a m v i e w e r"
ad infinitum...
Yup. I've switched off my TrueCall blocker. So those who may not be on it can get in contact easily. Not one spam call in two weeks. Last time I did this, at least one a day.
You could also avoid calls from annoying relatives.
The TPS is unfit for purpose.
Many of the cold callers that place an automated pre-recoded messages on my answerphone are for UK companies. However many may not adhere to any regulations/law as often they are blatant scams - "if you boiler is more than x years old it is illegal and must be replaced immediately. Press XYZ to speak to our advice line" etc.
Can't say I have ever had that one... Of the few that do still ring they usually scarper pretty quick if you mention TPS.
No need to renew every n years. That's an old wives' tale.
:-)
Yes, had a quiet week or so. But then that can happen from time to time anyway.
IME, blocking Withheld calls, using your provider's call screener (e.g. BT's Call Protect) can help. The TPS has some effect on UK callers, but most cold calls seem to come fro outside the UK/EU so the TPS wouldn't have any effect on them. Being careful what you do with your number (which website you enter it on when you're buying stuff) can make a difference. And then stringing them along seems to help :-) I live in the vain hope that there's a "do not call this **nker as they will waste your time" list circulating as well as the suckers list that gets sold on.
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