Cold callers... is it inevitable?

[Hicks12]

Right still in the process of switching my landline back to the old number, virgin gave me a temp number and yet on the second day of having it i was already getting called by scam organisations and other cold callers, it wasnt much maybe have had about 5 or so in the last two weeks (virgin taking an age of giving my number back), question is why am i getting them? I dont even remember the number, the number HASNT been used to call or been given out as i knew we were getting the old one back same day(or so they said...). Only virgin knew the phone number and so im wondering if virgin sell out your number? It was signed up as ex-directory so it isnt that.

Its very odd, if they can get your number from your supplier then you pretty much cant avoid these scum... atleast we my old number i know why we got them as it was me being stupid with the internet while younger , naive in my youth but ive been slowly reducing these calls on our old number by getting it removed from companies etc.

So has anyone else had the same experience? No fault of their own and getting their time wasted by scammers and just generic crap cold calling?.

[pp05]

Might be a case of what happens in India stays in India.

I seem to get those automated PPI no-win-no-fee messages.

[scaryjim]

There's two ways you get these calls:

1) Automated dialer guessing numbers - they use an algorithm to generate lists of potentially valid numbers, then just ring them all and hope someone picks up.

2) Reused numbers - AFAIK there are virtually no valid telephone numbers that haven't been previously used. Even if you think you've been given a "new" number, the chances are it's been held by someone else previously, and they haven't been particularly careful about who they've given it out to.

And yes, it's basically inevitable, particularly with the first type (and of course once you've answered, they just stick you phone number in a database of valid numbers and sell it to anyone who'll pay them - probably illegal but why would they care about that?

[Hicks12]

Totally forgot about the recycling of numbers, havent changed number in over 15 years so havent really put much thought into it . Its a shame really that we will never avoid these things but i guess its life!.

[jimbouk]

2) Reused numbers - AFAIK there are virtually no valid telephone numbers that haven't been previously used. Even if you think you've been given a "new" number, the chances are it's been held by someone else previously, and they haven't been particularly careful about who they've given it out to.

It does sound like this one. If you weren't changing the number shortly anyway I'd recommend getting a different number and hoping for better luck!

[Zak33]

TPS is still worth signing up for.

http://www.tpsonline.org.uk/tps/index.html

[Hicks12]

yup i had signed up for it on my old number which i think has reduced it a fair bit, still loads but a noticeable decrease although i didnt get long to test it as we switched . Cant think of many other ways, just asking companies to remove your details but they get them back within a few weeks from other companies that have your data and sell it on .

[Phage]

TPS - plus have fun with the ones that still call.

"Please would you speak more clearly for the sake of the recording."
"Is that you Mum ?"
"This is international Rescue, how may I help you ?"
etc etc

[KeyboardDemon]

I had a phone scammer call me some time ago, telling me he was calling from a company that works with the microsoft anti-virus team and the reason he was calling me was that he had detected that my PC has a virus. I asked him which PC, he couldn't say, so I asked which virus and he couldn't tell me. Then I asked how he knew and he said that microsoft have can monitor and track this information and when they detect a virus they contact his company so that the company can help resolve the issue for people. I would have tried to keep him on the line longer just to see when he would try and scam me but had to go out so I just said that he had called a data centre for an anti virus lab and that most of our machines had viruses for research purposes, he just hung up.

We get about 4 or 5 cold callers ringing us every week, mostly it's for surveys, the first time I answered a few questions, the last few times when they ask if I have time I say no, once the guy said it would only take a few minutes, I said no it won't, he said yes it's only a few minutes and I hung up, that proved him wrong.

[Pob255]

now if I was cynical, I'd guess that . . . oh wait . . .

It's Virgin!

They are holding up your number transfer so they can sell the current number to the cold callers to raise more profits, actually they probably have a contract deal, virgin gives them the full list of temporary numbers and drags their feet for as long as possible and the cold callers pay them a monthly backhander.

[scaryjim]

My wife's recently had the fake anti-virus check-up caller on our landline. I'm just dying for one to call me - it's going to be hilarious

[Kumagoro]

I have thought about creating a honey trap machine so if they ever did call I could let them connect to that and have all manner of unplesant things on there. Or have it running windows really good edition.

Middle of the desktop icon with credit card details and passwords written in it but actually an msi so I could get onto their machine.

If only I had the time knowledge and skills though.

[Saracen]

I very rarely get cold callers. Firstly, I always go ex-dir when I take out a new line. Second, TPS etc. Third, and most important, I'm very selective about who I give my number to, and don't even give it to my bank, and never, ever to commercial operations like shops, etc.

And for some reason, the incidence of spam callers seems to have decreased since I took to answering the odd one I do get as "Information Commissioner's Office - Commissioner's private office, how can I help you?"



But seriously, these days, I get maybe two a year, and they get very short shrift from me, though they might get an exhibition of Anglo-Saxon expletives and/or a few probing questions about the nature of their ancestry, and a few choice suggestions about their mother's clandestine occupation in the sex industry.

[csgohan4]

If I have time I keep them on the line as long as possible, even as far as giving out a fake credit card number just for their troubles. Sometimes I even say I work for the Cybercrime division in the Met Police.

[iamlorro]

My wife's recently had the fake anti-virus check-up caller on our landline. I'm just dying for one to call me - it's going to be hilarious

Still hoping for one of these.

Had an amusing conversation with someone who wanted to sell me windows - tried to explain that I'm in a new house, so I'm okay ... she double checked with me. REALLY? I'm in a new house - the builders did think to fit windows!

[Behemoth]

We ask them if they like sex and travel, if they reply yes then they are told to truck off