Scam takes a new direction

I know a couple of old people who can't always speak straight away so I have to wait to find out who's calling.

Previously the scammers have tried posing many different ways (computers, kitchens, green deals etc) but every call this fortnight has claimed to be from BT and I'm not with them so it's a simple no and hang up. The latest, however, was supposed to be from the Justice Department in London (though it was obviously from much further away than 600 miles).

The thing is, I am so sorry for people who get taken in and robbed in this way. In my circle I know of two people who were taken in by a "bank" and one who was very close to giving out card details to someone who said they could stop all scam calls, while another was unnecessarily frightened she was about to go to court for tax underpayment.

Some elderly people can't hear well enough to distinguish false calls and others have to leave the line unmonitored because medical appointment calls come through as "no number" and would be blocked.

Surely to goodness there is some way of detecting these bulk calls from abroad. I know the ICO has had some joy with stopping the ones which originate here in the UK, but really, Telephone Preferences should work efficiently.

I know this is an old subject but I wondered if anyone would like to add new scams so at least we can talk to our older friends about them?

A genuine medical appointment call would leave a message if there is a facility to do so.

I have been getting the BT scam for several weeks now - although now the recorded message says it is being forwarded from BT rather than from BT itself! They seem to come through from a different number every time.

I think the only thing we can do is impress on those we think may be vulnerable to these things not to give any details to anyone over the phone and if in doubt to always consult a relative, friend or neighbour.

I am still getting those blinking PPI calls ....I just put the phone down on them

Calidonail4
Buy a whistle and use it
They will soon stop as I found out.

Just last week I received an email, purportedly from my local council, telling me that I had overpaid my council tax and I was to send them my bank details to obtain the refund. It looked very genuine, even down to their logo etc. It was lucky that I'd only recently spoken to my council tax dept about moving house shortly, and the question of moving any credit balance across to my new address had been discussed. From our local Facebook page, it would appear that several other people in the area received the same email.

They're becoming harder and harder to detect and you have to be very vigilant.

I've had the occasional call on my mobile from a NE company, saying they've been told that I've been in an accident. Always the same spiel.
They then ask when this happened.
I say...'Didn't the person who reported the accident tell you?'
Silence.
They repeat the question.
I say...'You have more information than I do...I'm currently in a mortuary in Borehamwood with a fading signal. Gotta go...post-mortem time'. ?

I have Skytalk which stops all of these calls. Any number not in my home phone doesn’t get directly through until the caller actually states who they are. Then my phone rings and I listen to what has been said and if I don’t know them or think it’s a spam call I reject and it automatically goes into the reject list. I no longer get these annoying calls. My mobile has a similar system.

GabriellaG54 I absolutely love your idea

Get a BT phone that screens calls . We get no unwanted calls now as every caller has to be approved or state who they are . I do ring 1471 to see who has called and find they scam ones just give up and do not try to get through.

My OH got involved in conversation with one this week. I told him to hang up but he was convinced they were genuine as they did had a lot of personal details. However when they asked for ££ he refused and they terminated the call. I keep telling him NO ONE IS GOING TO CALL YOU AND GIVE YOU THOUSANDS OF POUNDS!! Doesn't matter how genuine they sound, just end the call.

GrandmaJan
I can barely read your comment due to poor light on my phone, signal fa...d.....e ???‍⚕️⚰

Hi, I don't use my mobile much at all so it's just my land line number that these scammers ring. My solution was to buy phone that unless I have programmed in the incoming caller's number i.e. my son's mobile etc the caller gets a pre recorded message and told to say their name and press the hash key. When the caller does this my phone rings and I have the option to take the call or not, block it from ever getting through again or leave a message on answerphone. I have used this phone for the last 4 years very successfully. I think it is called a BT Guardian phone, bought from Argos cost me £68 but I got the answerphone base set plus 3 extension phones included.
Just thought I would mention that these call stop phones exist. I am not with BT its just one of their range of phones I am using. I feel safer with this installed, not a lot of installing just plugging them into existing phone sockets.

The big problem with the call blocker phones comes when I have had to call a patient from a hospital phone. The person doesn't answer or the message comes through to say who I am and where calling from which can cause a breach in patient confidentiality as I don't know if I have got through to the correct person

Sorry I didn't reply earlier Singlegranny, but Seventhfloorregular has made the point for me. My GP's surgery will not leave a message on the answerphone for the same reasons and, thinking about it, they won't actually tell me why they are calling if the call is for my DH, even if it's only about a blood test.

The confidentiality is obviously necessary on the phone because you don't know who you might be speaking to (or whether you would have the intended person's permission to reveal anything). I suspect that's why you can't get the number on 1471 either. There must be people who don't tell partners/spouses/ children everything for very good reasons.

It's a bit of a nightmare for medical staff at times, I would think. However, on balance, we all deserve a bit of privacy and dignity in that direction.

A genuine medical appointment call would leave a message if there is a facility to do so.

Not necessarily the case, I'm afraid. A message could be picked up by anyone else at the address, thereby breaching confidentiality, which is why many hospitals and GP surgeries no longer leave messages.

As I've lived on my own for a long time I didn't think about security or confidentiality problems, but I have had messages left for me about appointments, not too long ago. No details, usually a request to call back or a promise to ring again.

I have my phone set to direct unrecognised numbers to the answerphone,
Emails are not so easy to avoid. You asked Caledonail4 about new scams. I have recently been receiving emails about a tv licence refund. It looks extremely convincing but, I get a free licence being over 75 (at least for the moment!).

That's a new one on me Tweedle24 and I can see how people might want to be taken in by that because the licence is a struggle for some people.

I can't believe anyone is thinking of taking the free licence away for over 75s. The TV is a lifeline for so many who can't get out and about. I have a neighbour who says her housebound mother goes all over the world on a very low income, courtesy of the television.

There seems to be an assumption that those of us approaching or in retirement are all loaded and don't need these wee helps. How wrong they are.

And thanks for the warning about the scam.

It can take up a lot of our time - if the call is blocked because the caller number is not shown then we have to get switchboard to call the patient which is time consuming and the patient may or may not recognise the number and for a list of thirty patients having half a dozen of these to do post clinic can make it a long day

As in all scans of it looks too good to be true it almost certainly is. If I get any of these calls I use it as a reminder to look into whatever they have called about - TV licence, energy deals, phone contract but only on my terms and after a day or two as sometimes they will stay in the line. I like the comment on the mortuary - I have used the "yes the accident was on a virgin/District line/Northern line train didn't you hear about on the news"

seventhfloorregular. If the call goes through to answerphone, if someone is in, there is no delay, it is just a matter of screening. If there is no-one in, then a message can be left.

My mum has moderate Alzheimer's and one of our concerns was her gullibility over the phone. She trusts everyone and had signed up for a couple of scam telephone preference callers and unwanted insurance - we found out when we used our LPA to help her with banking.

I did a lot of research into call blockers and found out that most of them require the person answering the phone to make decisions whether to accept the caller and press certain buttons. Not something mum can do! But I found one called True Call Secure which is perfect for people with dementia. Now, only numbers from a trusted list which I have set up go straight through. All others hear a recorded message that I made, saying that their call is blocked and if they want to call mum ( I used her name so people know they have the right number) they must speak to me on my mobile first. This means I have to answer all calls on my mobile even when I don't know who it is but in the seven months since we installed the blocker, no one has needed to call me. As part of the initial price, I get a years free access to a website so I can monitor the calls, both made by mum and received, and input new trusted numbers as necessary.

We have hidden the blocker under a table so mum cannot mess with it! Mum tends to dial 1471 and then call everyone back which makes her rather vulnerable. To protect her from giving out her bank details over the phone, I also scratched off the security number from the back of her card!

Tweedle24 there is also a problem with answerphones unless the phones owner has put a message on saying you have come through to and gives a name. I am not going to leave a message unless somebody picks up. I am not going to say hello I am seventh floor regular from st elsewhere's hospital and i have your blood test results until I know who I am speaking with. If it clicks into answerphone I don't speak