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another phone scam ?

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Christine B
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another phone scam ?

Post by Christine B » Wed Mar 01, 2017 1:05 pm

Had another phone call this morning from Jack at 'B T' saying we had been selected to have our landline made safe by stopping all nuisance calls . He then proceeded to confirm my phone number (which he had obviously rung?) address, name ,knew the fact we paid by direct debit and the bank ! I neither confirmed nor denied these facts, but I did become suspicious when he asked me to confirm the expiry date of a debit card !! I said I didnt know as it was my husbands (a white lie) so he said he would ring back at 4pm to speak to him. Im so glad my elderly husband hadnt answered the phone as I feel he would have been duped into giving this information. So beware everyone !!

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boatbuilder
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Re: another phone scam ?

Post by boatbuilder » Wed Mar 01, 2017 1:17 pm

Welcome Christine, glad you managed to log in OK.

Was there a caller display number showing for that call?
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Cowper
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Re: another phone scam ?

Post by Cowper » Wed Mar 01, 2017 1:27 pm

This is a new one on me, Christine B, although like everyone else I've had my share of scam calls, and I've got so cynical now that I suspect almost every call from someone I don't know to be a bogus one! Very often of course it's immediately obvious that it's a scam, in which case I'm afraid that all pretence of being polite went right out the window ages ago. In my view by doing what they're doing they've forfeited all rights to politeness and respect. And always I'm thinking that the very next person they phone might be someone really vulnerable who mistakenly hands over their bank details.

PeteB
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Re: another phone scam ?

Post by PeteB » Wed Mar 01, 2017 3:07 pm

boatbuilder wrote:Welcome Christine, glad you managed to log in OK.

Was there a caller display number showing for that call?
It is possible to fudge the caller display number, they often try to make it look local (but surprisingly frequently get the number of digits wrong!). It can help to alert others by giving the number out on a forum like this, but I notice a lot of similar but slightly different numbers.

I've had a few recently that look like UK numbers, but have two zeros at the beginning instead of one, meaning they've almost certainly originated from abroad.

I almost never answer a call I don't recognise, and guess what? Most don't leave messages.

Although my home number in Hopton has a Lowestoft code (and I have a Norfolk Post Code!), I rent a Luton number (from where I used to live 6 years ago) and a Yarmouth number. These are accessed via the Internet, and my home phone can answer and make calls on any of the three numbers. If someone leaves a message on either of the Internet numbers, a sound file is emailed to me, so I can listen on my mobile phone or PC. Except for very close friends (both of them :D ), I only give out one of the Internet numbers, so I get few nuisance calls on my mobile or main home number.

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Re: another phone scam ?

Post by boatbuilder » Wed Mar 01, 2017 4:26 pm

Yes, I know it's possible but sometimes it can be worth checking the numbers. The other morning a call came in whilst I was still in bed and when I looked at the display I misread it and thought it showed an international number so just left it and the answerphone would have cut in shortly after although no message was left. It was only later in the day I had another look at the phone display and it was an 01369 number - not international. Just out of interest I rang the number from my mobile with my number withheld and got a message saying the number wasn't in use or something similar. My mobile display then told me the dialling code was Dunoon (Scotland).

I've had a lot of international numbers ringing recently and whilst I treat them as scams I know they are not quite that - it is companies touting for business on website creation, etc., as my details are on the domain directory for the websites I have registered. If I decide to answer one I just tell them 'No thanks - not interested' and they now seem to be fewer and far between. I also get loads of emails for the same thing which go into the junk mail.

I used to have an internet number and phone which once came as 'standard' with the BT hub, but they withdrew them several years ago I think, some time after I moved away from them and went on another provider. When I went back to BT shortly before fibre in 2012, the routers didn't come with them. One phone line is enough though, plus a mobile. I have skype but rarely use that.
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Re: another phone scam ?

Post by busman » Thu Mar 02, 2017 8:15 am

I have a BT8500, that will only allow calls through to me if I have previously keyed the number into the machine. All other callers are asked to announce who they are, then by using keys 1, 2, or 3, I can either accept the call, not accept the call or stop that number calling me again.

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Re: another phone scam ?

Post by funkychick » Thu Mar 02, 2017 8:24 am

I use my mainline phone so little now I am seriously considering getting rid of it
Always be yourself because the people that matter don't mind, and the ones who mind, don't matter.

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Re: another phone scam ?

Post by boatbuilder » Thu Mar 02, 2017 8:59 am

You will still need you landline for broadband FC unless you use a SIM card in a tablet where available.
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Re: another phone scam ?

Post by funkychick » Thu Mar 02, 2017 1:33 pm

I will need wifi BB but I meant for phone use
Always be yourself because the people that matter don't mind, and the ones who mind, don't matter.

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Lillyland
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Re: another phone scam ?

Post by Lillyland » Fri Mar 03, 2017 11:56 am

My Mum's been getting some scam calls with this code 01624 which happens to be from The Isle of Man...
Also 00151 and 00180 which is somewhere abroad...
She's with Talktalk and I think they can block some numbers for you...
The happiest people, don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything they have..!!!

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Re: another phone scam ?

Post by boatbuilder » Fri Mar 03, 2017 1:17 pm

Lillyland, any international codes starting with 1 after the two zeros would be from one of the 'Americas', including various islands in the Caribbean/Pacific. It is likely those numbers are not true numbers.

Here is a link to a list of - COUNTRY CODES - unfortunately it is listed alphabetically not numerically.
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Re: another phone scam ?

Post by morty1753 » Fri Mar 03, 2017 7:12 pm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_c ... ling_codes

And here is Wiki where you can find them numerically
I before E except after C - That's weird

busman
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Re: another phone scam ?

Post by busman » Sat Mar 04, 2017 8:34 am

Hi Boatbuilder, when you say those numbers are untrue, I get the impression that they are able to send a fictitious number. How would they do this? I'm thinking we can't do it, we can stop are number going out.

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Re: another phone scam ?

Post by SL-Dave » Sat Mar 04, 2017 9:56 am

There is computer software available that you can use to send mass-mails; emails to millions of people. These programs allow you to 'spoof' or make up the sender email address. Likewise, you can get computer programmes for dialing phone numbers, and they allow you to 'choose' what number is displayed on the receiving end. The more complex programmes will do this automatically, for example everyone in Lowestoft would see an 01502 number, everyone in Norwich an 01603 and so on. It is very clever, and unfortunately the new number blockers wouldn't work in these cases.

PeteB
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Re: another phone scam ?

Post by PeteB » Sat Mar 04, 2017 10:57 am

Also, on a simpler scale, you can buy an IP (Internet Protocol) phone number, and even transfer a real number to IP - I did this with my old Luton number when I moved to Hopton 6 years ago, and I also bought a Yarmouth number, in addition to the 'kosher' Lowestoft number for the proper land line.

I could just as easily buy a US number, a Spanish number, &etc. I can make and receive calls via my laptop, tablet or phone using IP phone software (some is free), and my home phone is able to deal with the landline and up to 5 IP numbers. All incoming calls display on the screen, and show which line the call is coming in on. When I dial out, I can choose which line to use.

So, I could easily ring you with my Luton number, hang up, call you back immediately with my Yarmouth number, then call again with my Lowestoft number - if I was feeling mischievous :)

PS - I haven't done this to make nuisance calls! - I still get calls on the old Luton number sometimes, and it only costs me £2 a month to keep it. The Yarmouth number I bought temporarily for a meeting I set up a couple of years ago and didn't want to publish my own number in the local papers. It's a really easy to remember number, so I've kept it for now.

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