I’ve stopped answering my phone

My policy is, if I don't know who is calling I don't answer. If it's bona fide they will leave a message. I had a missed call today from a Bristol number. My daughter lives in Bristol. I put the number in a Google search and it was identified as spam/sales. I blocked it. It's easy to do.

Susie42

If I don't recognise the number I ignore the call and then check with "Who Called Me" The annoying calls are those "Number Withheld" as these are very often the doctor or the hospital and the caller doesn't always leave a message.

When the call relates to medical matters, the caller can't leave a message, because of GDPR regulations.

I wish they wouldnt!! When trying to block rubbish phone calls, the NHS ones are ignored too. What on earth is wrong with the NHS NOT withholding their numbers. How many NHS calls have been ignored because of this silly habit?

My phone, a pixel 6a has a feature whereby I can screen calls, if it is a spam they usually hang up
If it is genuine but I just don't recognize it when they say I'm from x organisation which is one I want to take a call from, I can pick it up
Very useful

Aldom

If the NHS were to do that I imagine scammers would soon be indicating NHS in order to gain our trust.

Quite!

But NHS withheld numbers are a problem. There must be some way they could leave a message without giving intimate details?

Considering that it is now a widespread practise that people don't answer their phones if they don't recognise the number, or if it's withheld - I think the 'system' needs a re-think.

I just pick up the “Withheld” calls but don’t say anything. Sometimes a recording clicks in, and I put the phone down. If it’s genuine the person might say “hello? My name”.

There is a device you can get to block calls unless on an approved list that you enter. They have the opportunity to leave a message and of course the spammers done. Sorry if mentioned previously but I have not read thru all the posts here. I was concerned for elderly mother rushing to answer a nuisance call and having a fall so researched it. She was often gardening and steep steps down to house.

If I don't recognise the number I ignore the call and then check with "Who Called Me" The annoying calls are those "Number Withheld" as these are very often the doctor or the hospital and the caller doesn't always leave a message.

If the NHS were to do that I imagine scammers would soon be indicating NHS in order to gain our trust.

Blimey!

If your interested in this subject there is a very good film on Iplayer called Hunting the Cat Fish
It’s mind blowing when you see how huge this industry is. The film takes you to the far east where they are building small towns to accommodate the call handlers.
Some of these are prisoners who have been sold to the people who run this industry.

My phone tells me if a call is spam or potential fraud, no idea how this cameal about butvit's very useful, I dismiss the call and block the number

TPS does not prevent nuisance calls, I have been registered with them for years and I still get at least one a day. Most of the calls come from abroad, I checked one the other day and it was a number registered in Bosnia.

That’s interesting Petra, I didn’t know that. I was told not to put date of birth unless it’s necessary for reasons that would be obvious.

We got rid off the land line when we moved a few years ago, best thing we ever did, only used to get cold calls on it anyway

Can I ask how many of you when ordering anything on line put your correct phone number in. You don’t have to. All the computer needs to see is a phone number.

Never answer any unknown number or caller on landline or mobile as details are on each screen. Never answer the door without checking Ring doorbell details first unless someone is expected.

I run any unknown numbers through this website who-called.co.uk/ Depending on what that tells me, I ring back or block the number.

dragonfly46

I don’t answer calls from locations I don’t recognise but do answer those that have no caller ID as they could be the doctor or hospital.

Yes, my husband reguarly gets calls from different parts of the NHS that have no caller ID. I do wonder why they can't put a simple ID such as the initials of the hospital or just "NHS"?

Chestnut

I would second using the Telephone Preference Service, I've been using this for years. it doesn't stop them all but if I get any unsolicited calls I just block them.

You can also check who called you, where people put the details of callers and whether spam or scam. You don't have to register:
who-called.co.uk/

I don't understand why BT is considered expensive. I'm paying £22.05 for Broadband and £6.52 for the BT Vision Box making £28.57 a month in total. That includes a landline but I don't use it. Is that expensive?

I don't find that the TPS stops all calls and guess that spam callers some just dial randomly generated numbers and don't even think about checking the TPS lists. However it does stop most of them.
We were allocated a new number when we moved here which has never been in any directory - I do wonder if this makes a difference?
We have a holiday home and have a phone there in case of emergencies, though it's rarely used. We have broadband included in the cost too and it is around £30 for three months which is really amazing. They don't advertise this rate at all, initially we just had the phoneline, then we were asked if we wanted to add broadband. At the start there was very limited broadband included but then it went to unlimited during lockdown.
The rate for calls is relatively expensive but, since we don't use that aspect, this is not a problem.

I find the TPS doesn't work as it should and Caller ID is only good at indicating if the number calling is in your phone's contact list and tells you who it is. As far as cold calling companies are concerned they are allowed to generate spoof real STD code areas numbers to display on your phone and blocking them (once you know its a scam) is futile as they call again with another fake number. Blocking "Withheld" or "Private" numbers can be dangerous as some posters have stated above as it could be an organisation you do need to hear from. If the call is at lunchtime or dinner time then it's almost certainly to be a cold call selling or scam so my husband always answers them and has a damn good swear at them which can be quite funny.

I do not have a mobile, only a land line. I rarely get sales calls and put the phone down when I do.

I only answer those I recognise. The time wasters can get lost.

It’s for voice recognition Greyisnotmycolour. My bank uses it when I phone them and it won’t be the only one.

www.welivesecurity.com/en/cybersecurity/your-voice-is-my-password/