A scam or touting for business phonecall

It only prevents cold calls if the caller is ringing from the UK and bothers to check if you’re on it.

I really resent cold calls and we don’t have a landline anymore so if the number flashes up as unknown or withheld I simply do not answer. If it’s “important” they’ll leave a voicemail.

I had a similar call two or three days ago. The man ringing said he was a health worker, but when I asked, 'What kind of health worker?' he ignored me and kept talking. I put the phone down. I don't have health issues that would mean I need an alarm device.

Probably a bit of both. Genuine and it would be expensive and if a scam, they’d ask for your bank details.
However, these alarms which are either worn around the wrist or as a pendant are freely available - one from Age Concern is £25.

I just googled this. Barnet Age UK have a good page on scams. They say:

// Medical alert systems scams

People are phoned up and told they they might be entitled to a free medical alert button from Medical Alert Systems. The caller knows the name of the person and says that the offer is for vulnerable adults who are at risk of falls. This is a potential scam. Never give out personal details whether on the phone, or email, or text.//

www.ageuk.org.uk/barnet/our-services/latest-scams/

Our doctor's practice always withholds numbers so I always answer and more often than not the scammers show their number.

Scammers clone numbers from all over the country and all sorts of perfectly innocent businesses. Very annoying.

If in doubt then it is a scam. Hang up. Or better yet don't answer unknown numbers.

Georgesgran

Probably a bit of both. Genuine and it would be expensive and if a scam, they’d ask for your bank details.
However, these alarms which are either worn around the wrist or as a pendant are freely available - one from Age Concern is £25.

Don’t know where you got your information from, but you are wrong to just say the One from Age Concern is just £25. A personal alarm has a monthly fee, not a one off fee.

Vulnerable people (not just pensioners) also have to have responders, either family/friends/local support groups or pay to have a care company to respond, so very much more expensive than a one off £25.

Scam calls should be banned. My husband fell for one a few months ago and disclosed personal details. I realised what was going on just in time and we alerted the bank, so saved our money. But the calls escalated till we had to change our phone to stop them. Er... not wishing to derail the thread but is any of the parties in the current election rush offering to ban scam calls?

Germanshepherdsmum

It only prevents cold calls if the caller is ringing from the UK and bothers to check if you’re on it.

If you are on that list but still get a cold marketing or sales call, you can register a complaint via the Telephone Preference System website www.tpsonline.org.uk/ Sales/marketing callers are supposed to check the list about every month or so and refrain from calling numbers that are on it. They can be fined for breaking that rule.

I know but I really couldn’t be bothered.

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