Is this a scam?

Yes definitely a lot of these scams going on. For the last 2/3 weeks I've had at least 10 per day. They even leave messages telling me they've detected 'illegal activity' on my Internet account and it will be shut down. It starts at about 8.00am and goes on (different 07 number everytime) until about 2.00pm. Funnily enough they don't phone on Sundays! Must be giving me a day off - how considerate of them. I block every number once it's rung off. Its tailed off now thank god maybe they've run out of the 07 numbers they are using and I've successfully blocked every number they have. The cheek of it though leaving a message for me! I'm sure it will happen again but I'll rigidly keep blocking these dodgy numbers. It's about time this was sorted out by the providers. I too apparently owe money before a parcel can be delivered, etc, etc. These people are just evil ? and I'm sure there will be some poor unfortunately gullible people who fall for it.

Yes it is

Most of the phone calls we get these days are scams. Every time the phone goes I expect it to be a scam. Which do a useful email alert about the latest scams .

My daughter had the same about 3 weeks aho. It's definitely a scam, and potentially ID fraud, if you inadvertently tell them your NI number as that is usually the missing part of the data checks that lender do on applicants applying for for loans. If the scammer had got your DOB and address and telephone number from other sources the NI number can enable a scammer to take out a loan in your name....

Absolutely a scam !!!

I only have 2 people who call me on my landline so I have taken to letting it ring out, then call 1471 and ring back on my mobile. Most of the time it is a non-existant number but at least I don't miss anything important. I used to answer every call, but since my recliner stopped reclining I've moved to sitting the other side of the room on the sofa with a functioning recliner seat, so I don't always feel like getting up!

My only regret is that I no-longer have the fun of winding up human scam callers - the recorded message ones don't get the benefit of my responses!

eilys

My friend has a call guardian device, gp unable to contact her when it was urgent, as the surgery number was with held

When setting up the guardian phone always allow "withheld" numbers. When a genuine "withheld" such as the GP or a child's school etc calls they will be prompted to announce themselves and you can then accept the call.
Scammers when faced with the message that the call is monitored in this way will not continue.
I have never missed an important call simply because it is withheld.

I always delete any calls I do not know the number calling ...BUT before doing so, I check with Who Is Calling online ...as someone else said, you can make a comment and read others ....so I then block that number However, the next call I receive is the same but for ONE different number ..............these scammers must have the patience of a saint ...my Bank once told me there are rooms full of people , generally somewhere in Asia, just sitting with phones/computers tapping in random numbers until they hit on one which is real and rings through ..............it must be worth a fortune to them if anyone actually falls for these scams ...they are often so sophisticated now , sadly ........

We have so many of these - HMRC, BT internet, Amazon bills, warrants out for my arrest (I find that one hilarious as the recorded message shouts 'This message is for YOU'. There is a warrant out - but they don't know my name, and anyone could have answered the phone!) I lay the handset down and walk away - hopefully running up something of a bill for them, and then replace the receiver when they have gone. I have a call blocker phone now - worth its weight in gold.

I only have a landline phone but it tells me the number which is calling. If I do not recognise it I don’t answer it. There have been several overseas and mobile numbers calling lately. I call 1571 and they tell me if a message has been left.

These aren't from US. They are from India, Philippines, Cayman, etc. US gets them all the darn time.

They do not even have a phone but can use a computer to ring numbers, Michael’s Money did an expose’ on these one was a Nigerian ‘student’ who flew First Class, had a wall piled high with top trainers etc etc on the hauls he got from these phishing calls, it only needs one person to have the contents of their bank account flowing in to theirs.

Recently on Radio 4's Money Box there was an item about scammers being able to infiltrate bank phone numbers - Ofcom is working on this - and there's an article in today's Daily Telegraph about it. The scammer's call comes from your bank's number but it's not from your bank. It's due to the technology UK phones use but a new system is being developed. The call can come from anywhere in the world.

Yes, I’ve had two of these calls saying my NI number had been fraudulently used and I was under suspicion, and someone would be round to seize my assets if I didn’t ........... ??
At that point I just put the phone down as I realised it was a scam.

I would not recognise my banks' number if it did come up on the phone and the effort would be wasted because I would automatically assume that any cold phone call from my bank was a fraud anyway and secondly I do not give any finance or banking related numbers over the phone in response to a cold call.

25 years ago my handbag was stolen and I received a convincing and very efficient phone call from the police saying it had been found and the thief arrested when he tried to use my credit card. They just needed to do a few checks. What was my bank account number? At which point the bells rang and I told them I didn't give any one, not even the police, bank numbers over the phone. He said that was very wise and they would be in touch.

I then rang the police station and when they finally found the person I should speak to, they confirmed it was a scam and said that was the second time they had tried to pull off that scam that day and the other lady had given them all her numbers including her pin number.

Definitely a scam so don’t worry! I am always blocking numbers from scam calls. If and it is a big if! companies needed to contact you about anything personal, they wouldn’t ring you or use a recorded message. Just ignore anything like this. Never call them back on numbers they give, if you want to check it out, google the company and ring the number on the site preferably using another phone or wait half an hour to use your own phone.

I recently had a phone about the warranty on "the washing machine at (gave my address)" - let them witter on a little bit then explained my washing machine was 25 years old, the warranty had run out years ago and I had no intention of taking out a new one! Not sure if this was a scam or simply a cold call

Monica, a very similar scam was being used many years ago. A friend of mine had her purse stolen from her office to which the public had access.

The very ‘kind’ and plausible scamster said he was from the police, they had their eye on the thief, he was about to use her card to withdraw money, if she could just give them some details to enable them to apprehend him...

Having only just realised that her purse was gone, friend was in enough of a panicky tizz to do as he asked - only to realise almost as soon as she put the phone down what she’d done.

The bastards cleaned out the few hundreds in her account. ?
How do these people sleep at night? They surely can’t all be devoid of normal human feelings?

Some people are totally amoral and have usually/ grown up in homes where theft and cheating are accepted as normal.

If they had difficulty sleeping at night, they wouldn't do it.

JaneJudge...its definitely a scam, I had one similar threatening me with arrest if I didn't respond to a tax evasion message. I rang the inland revenue directly, and they took the scam details, as they keep on top of scam calling by taking them down. But sadly they told me the scammers come back with something more sophisticated. If your very worried call the national insurance company in question , but make sure its a genuine number, just to check. They'll put your mind at ease and maybe they too have the technology to take these scam calls down. The inland revenue told me they can't do anything about it if these scams aren't reported, so report it, it might save someone more vulnerable falling for it. I also know that genuine calls of this nature are never sent via recorded message. You get at least 2 letters first, then a genuine person to person call. That's the information I was given re: the inland revenue.

Just had a text saying that I've left some information off my census form and be aware there's a £1000 fine. Cheeky.

They may have my e-mail but not that phone number. It wanted to direct me to National census web address.
I've forwarded it to the scam hotline.

I had an email the other day telling me I was being investigated by the IRS! Strange as I live in the UK and I've never been to America.

that doesn't sound right about the GP not being able to get through on Call Guardian.
they would just record their message, and the person would listen to it and accept the call, or ring them back asap if out and it had gone to answerphone.
it really takes all the hassle out of it.
none of this having to look up numbers.
and i would never ring a number just to find out who/what it is. that is risky.

I know from experience, medical messages are not left on answer machines due to patient confidentiality and allowing a party access to another person's information.

It makes sense.

Hello you are being investigated for all sorts of naughty things so please press no 3 to supply us with evidence.