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Scams and fraud

Your Local Energy Consultant

(20 Posts)
Callistemon21 Tue 15-Feb-22 09:52:12

I've just had a telephone call from Chris who announced himself as our "Local Energy Consultant".
He phoned previously, a couple of years ago, too.

He asked me to confirm we were the home owners (to which I gave a non-committal answer) then informed me that our house had come up on The List of homes which had the original inadequate loft insulation.
I said "No, it hasn't"
Whereupon he put the phone down.

Beware - he might target your area next.

Shinamae Tue 15-Feb-22 09:58:36

Thanks for the heads up ?

trisher Tue 15-Feb-22 10:05:34

Oh he's a gift! I'd have to start asking him what he thinks I should do because I don't seem to have the energy I used to have and I want to have enough to go clubbing every night and is there a drink or a super food he could recommend.
I'd just go on and on. Bet he'd put the phone down on me as well!
Thanks for posting Callistemon21 it's given me a laugh.

Callistemon21 Tue 15-Feb-22 10:13:04

trisher ???

I did keep one going for ages once who'd phoned to advise about reclaiming protection insurance on a loan we'd never had. Poor man, I felt sorry for him in the end.

chocolatepudding Tue 15-Feb-22 10:16:12

We get a call from the local energy consultant every couple of weeks and our standard reply is "Telephone preference service" and put the phone down immediately.

pmdegroot Fri 01-Mar-24 16:23:07

Message deleted by Gransnet. Here's a link to our Talk guidelines.

Oopsadaisy1 Fri 01-Mar-24 16:39:50

I always say that I’m a tenant

AlwaysSmiling Fri 01-Mar-24 16:43:03

I received one of these calls and knew immediately it was a cold caller. I put the phone down and blocked the number. I have a cold caller jammer on my phone so it is very rare I get cold calls. I think these cold callers get their info from the energy companies.

Germanshepherdsmum Fri 01-Mar-24 16:44:48

We get a lot of calls from these ‘local energy consultants’. I tell them our house is very new with masses of insulation, full double glazing, air source heat pump and say goodbye. It’s true, but they don’t know. It stops them until the next time.

Cressida Fri 01-Mar-24 16:51:19

Just had a call from Luke, my local energy consultant, from a Birmingham number. I'm sure it wasn't a real person as I obviously didn't use the right words for 'him' to change his response. When I didn't respond to him the call ended.

Primrose53 Fri 01-Mar-24 16:54:03

We get them too, usually early afternoon. I tell them we have double glazing, full loft insulation, cavity wall insulation and a very efficient heating system. Like GSM it’s all true.

Other times when they start I play around with them or say “not interested.” Depends on my mood really. 😉

M0nica Fri 01-Mar-24 17:09:29

My response, which is perfectly accurate, is that we live in Listed building and can do nothing without full planning permission. The last bit is not entirely true, but it is effective.

Kim19 Fri 01-Mar-24 17:22:32

I regularly have calls regarding the whiplash I sustained in a car accident. When I thank them profusely for the heads up and the resulting huge amount of money I received, the silence is staggering. Love it.

Elegran Fri 01-Mar-24 17:28:36

AlwaysSmiling

I received one of these calls and knew immediately it was a cold caller. I put the phone down and blocked the number. I have a cold caller jammer on my phone so it is very rare I get cold calls. I think these cold callers get their info from the energy companies.

They don't need to get any info from anywhere, AlwaysSmiling. They just sit at their phone using an automatic dialler. While they speak to one person, it is dialling the next number, so no time is wasted in between calls. If your number is 1234567890 it will be dialled after 1234567889 and before 1234567891 - unless you are on the list with the Telephone Preference Service. Organisations doing cold call sales and marketing are supposed to check this list at least once every 28 days, and refrain from calling numbers listed on it.

In the UK, the Information Commissioner’s Office enforces the law and has power to fine firms that break it. It is worth getting your phone and mobile numbers onto this list - you can do so (it is free) at www.tpsonline.org.uk/ Some callers bypass the checks, but they run the danger of being reported and fined.

eazybee Fri 01-Mar-24 18:40:16

He has phoned me at least three times. i checked the number and it was registered in Cardiff, at a private address.

Primrose53 Fri 01-Mar-24 19:44:06

Elegran many years ago when the Telephone Preference Service started we registered with it. Made little difference.

kittylester Fri 01-Mar-24 19:55:22

Mine doesn't give his name! I just put the phone down, on the table and let him talk to himself.

LucyAnna Fri 01-Mar-24 20:02:53

This thread is 2 years old!

Jaxjacky Fri 01-Mar-24 20:59:41

I answer in French, it works.

M0nica Fri 01-Mar-24 22:52:07

We get very few spam/scam calls. one or two every week and most are the silent calls, where, under the scheme described by Elegran above, because 1234567890 has been answered, when it dials 1234567889, which is,say, my number. It cuts out after about 10 secs because no one has picked up the number their end.