I’ve stopped answering my phone

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

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.

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.

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

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.

Blimey!

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

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.

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.

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”.

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.

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

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?

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.

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.

If I get a call from an accident management company I usually point they’re breaking the regulations as lawyers aren’t allowed to chase after injury claims, they can only pursues personal injury claim if the injured party approaches them and I demand they remove my information from their systems inline with Information Commissioner rules. That has significantly reduced the number of calls I get.

We changed from BT to Sky, phone and Broadband, just as the Country went into lockdown March 2020. Horrendous problems for about 5 weeks, without either service. BT didn’t care, Sky were brilliant and with them we now have Caller ID and Sky Shield (at no extra cost) which requests caller info then asks if you want to accept call, or block. Package was cheaper too and we’ve been very happy with the switch. Not one nuisance call since using Sky.

GolferGrandma

We changed from BT to Sky, phone and Broadband, just as the Country went into lockdown March 2020. Horrendous problems for about 5 weeks, without either service. BT didn’t care, Sky were brilliant and with them we now have Caller ID and Sky Shield (at no extra cost) which requests caller info then asks if you want to accept call, or block. Package was cheaper too and we’ve been very happy with the switch. Not one nuisance call since using Sky.

My brother has that package - I think he's been caught out once or twice, but it would appear cold and nuisance callers give up when they're challenged with identifying themselves.

I say "nuisance" callers - those that are out to de-fraud you are criminals like any other criminals, and I'd like to see them spend a significant time behind bars. Such is the thinking though that they are now 'accepted' as an 'unfortunate' part of life, and there are even those who believe that if you are gullible enough to fall for their trickery - you deserve what you get!

... how technology has changed us!

We don't answer the house phone at all any more due to the number of nuisance calls we were receiving, but I still get them on my mobile. I have only given my mobile number to family, doctor, dentist, hospital, so have no idea how these companies know my number 🤔

My daughter received a nuisance call from someone which was obviously a scam so she put the phone down on them. Can you believe they phoned back and became threatening? 😳

You Can Block Unwanted Calls
So easy if you have an iPhone:
• tap on phone icon
• tap on Recents (on bottom - it shows all incoming calls; the ones you don’t answer will be in red)
• on the Right side of unwanted call is a blue circle with an “i”
• tap on that
• scroll to bottom, tap on Block This Call
• DONE!

I do it all the time to solicitors, surveyors, political calls, etc. Fun!

Fairycakes

My daughter received a nuisance call from someone which was obviously a scam so she put the phone down on them. Can you believe they phoned back and became threatening? 😳

... yes, I can believe it.

Individuals who are prepared to rob your bank accounts or your identity are no different to those who would break into your home - they are criminal cyber thugs.

I've no idea if they are ever caught, but I'd like to see them serving hefty jail time.

People joke how they 'outwit' them by wasting their time on the phone, but this isn't a joke - these cyber thugs are ruining people's lives. And I hate this attitude that implies you are stupid and therefore "it's your own fault" if you get scammed... some very intelligent people fall for these tricks because the online thugs are getting ever more sophisticated, and they are making everyone's lives more complicated as we are urged to do more and more online by various organisations and businesses.

Fairycakes

We don't answer the house phone at all any more due to the number of nuisance calls we were receiving, but I still get them on my mobile. I have only given my mobile number to family, doctor, dentist, hospital, so have no idea how these companies know my number 🤔

Chances are they DON'T know your number, Fairycakes, any more than the people who use the postman to deliver flyers to every house in the area, with unmissable offers on paving, pizzas and polythene greenhouses. They can get automatic programs that are dialling the next number while you are answering the last one. That is why it is worth taking advantage of any option your phone provider has to block numbers that are known to be a nuisance, or getting your number onto the Telephone Preference Service, where organisations doing telemarketing have to check at least every 28 days that the numbers they are phoning have not opted out of reciving unsolicited sales and marketing calls.

When BT went over to Digital, a few months ago, I disconnected the line altogether. A little drastic but I dont miss it at all. Like an earlier "gran" mentioned, we have our mobiles with WA. Less stress for sure without a landline. I think for some time, I believed you needed a line for Broadband!

Gundy

*You Can Block Unwanted Calls*
So easy if you have an iPhone:
• tap on phone icon
• tap on Recents (on bottom - it shows all incoming calls; the ones you don’t answer will be in red)
• on the Right side of unwanted call is a blue circle with an “i”
• tap on that
• scroll to bottom, tap on Block This Call
• DONE!

I do it all the time to solicitors, surveyors, political calls, etc. Fun!

Similar with android. Go to 'recents' (at the bottom of the screen) find the call you want to block, tap the screen on the left and the option to block will be there. Don't press the little phone receiver icon on the right or you'll call the number.