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Cold calls every day

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Louis

Active member
Messages
29
Location
Slough
Does anyone else get loads of cold calls? I get at least 3 a day and it drives me nuts, especially because when the phone rings I think its a potential custy!

 They always seem to be trying to rank me #1 on google, or sell me a spot in a non existent wall planner that gets distributed in my 'local area'. I asked where my local area was and she couldn't tell me! Total scam.

Anyway,

I've found the best way to deal with them is to pretend to be the receptionist / secretary and say oh sorry the owner is appointment only, please send him an email - this quickly shuts them up.

You could also not answer but I've hung up some important calls before - I was thinking who's trying to scam call me from bloody Grimsby at this time in the morning so didn't answer multiple times, turns out it was pure freedom. I've also had an large SEO company (AddPeople - complete scammers too) call me from an 07 mobile number before - they're getting crafty.

 
Does anyone else get loads of cold calls? I get at least 3 a day and it drives me nuts, especially because when the phone rings I think its a potential custy!

 They always seem to be trying to rank me #1 on google, or sell me a spot in a non existent wall planner that gets distributed in my 'local area'. I asked where my local area was and she couldn't tell me! Total scam.

Anyway,

I've found the best way to deal with them is to pretend to be the receptionist / secretary and say oh sorry the owner is appointment only, please send him an email - this quickly shuts them up.

You could also not answer but I've hung up some important calls before - I was thinking Hiwho's trying to scam call me from bloody Grimsby at this time in the morning so didn't answer multiple times, turns out it was pure freedom. I've also had an large SEO company (AddPeople - complete scammers too) call me from an 07 mobile number before - they're getting crafty.
Yes its the same with me, perhaps not as many per day but almost something every day, drives me mad. I do tend to answer and when I realise that its not a customer, I can block the number from calling again on the mobile I have. I have literally dozens of blocked numbers. They just seem to be able to use so many numbers from the same company. Drives me nuts especially when your on a ladder or reaching over an extension with a 35 ft pole . You're not alone. Block em.

 
Yes its the same with me, perhaps not as many per day but almost something every day, drives me mad. I do tend to answer and when I realise that its not a customer, I can block the number from calling again on the mobile I have. I have literally dozens of blocked numbers. They just seem to be able to use so many numbers from the same company. Drives me nuts especially when your on a ladder or reaching over an extension with a 35 ft pole . You're not alone. Block em.
My dads house, he used to get loads every day, from indian call centres. Blocked em, but they just have endless new numbers to call from. I used to get really angry with them, other times have a wind-up and make up a pretend foreign language, or pretend i was police.?

 
This happened to me in September.

So i get a call from this Redditch number as im making my lunch, and as per usual its an automated message asking if ive had a recent car accident which isnt my fault. Obviously i try and do one of my usual wind ups, and say yes, and am asked to hold.

Conversation goes

Him: "hello sir, id like to take to you about your recent accident"

Me: "yes"

Him: "your accident sir"

Me: "No english"

Him: "sir you speak no english"

Me: "little little little"

Him: "what language do you speak sir" Me: "Portugese"

Him: "Olá senhor, gostaria de falar com você sobre seu recente acidente de carro"

I hung up lol.

Hows my fkn luck to pick a language that the **** head actually speaks

 
This happened to me in September.

So i get a call from this Redditch number as im making my lunch, and as per usual its an automated message asking if ive had a recent car accident which isnt my fault. Obviously i try and do one of my usual wind ups, and say yes, and am asked to hold.

Conversation goes

Him: "hello sir, id like to take to you about your recent accident"

Me: "yes"

Him: "your accident sir"

Me: "No english"

Him: "sir you speak no english"

Me: "little little little"

Him: "what language do you speak sir" Me: "Portugese"

Him: "Olá senhor, gostaria de falar com você sobre seu recente acidente de carro"

I hung up lol.

Hows my fkn luck to pick a language that the **** head actually speaks
typical, thats why I used to just make up a language, theres no way they can respond then and hopefully it really gets on their nerves

 
I have the same issue, however, I have an app called True Caller, if other people have reported the number as spam it shows you it's spam, you can then block it. Google have also started to integrate this facility in the Pixel range.

 
I also received a call saying they were at Optima legal company...
Optima: Is this Steven?
Me: Yeah
Optima: You have outstanding debt that you need to pay off
Me: What ??? Excuse me do I owe you?
Optima: Yes
Me: I don't owe anyone especially to any company
Optima: Sorry but you are listed with debtors and you have to pay
Me: Provide proof

Then end call ...

I was really surprised by that call...

 
I also received a call saying they were at Optima legal company...
Optima: Is this Steven?
Me: Yeah
Optima: You have outstanding debt that you need to pay off
Me: What ??? Excuse me do I owe you?
Optima: Yes
Me: I don't owe anyone especially to any company
Optima: Sorry but you are listed with debtors and you have to pay
Me: Provide proof

Then end call ...

I was really surprised by that call...


Obviously that is scam and you need to that to the FCA or CSA.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
We never had a problem until i did a year on yell, I know it was a big mistake when doing it as when i used toe own a Taxi a few tried yellow pages and that was the same amount of hassle. I Know it was yell because as soon as the advert went live i got a call asking me about advertising.

 
I cannot begin to tell you how many calls I get. Partly because I block the numbers. As has been pointed out above they have an endless stream of numbers to call you from, this is because they are making VOIP calls (internet based) and not fixed landline calls, they could call you from your own landline number if they wanted to, it is just what the system they are using identifies itself as on that call.

I used to get em from "BT" telling me my internet was running slow. I went through the process with the guy one time. I carried on cleaning windows and then said I was doing all the things he was asking me to on the computer. He gets to the scam part and asks me to go online and type in a website, reads it to me letter by letter... www.BTFDKKSJH122 etc etc etc. I repeat it back to him half way through. "So that was G-O F-U-C" you see where I'm going with that.

Next lot are automated calls about the accident I was in. These are companies my insurance has sold my details on to as I genuinely was. If you tell this lot the accident has been paid out they will leave you be.

Then there is "the trade finder" working on behalf of yell.com they tell me. They get really aggressive. One demanded proof that they ring me every week and called me rude.

The worst type I've see is "We are calling from E-on to renew your energy contract".... I tell them , oh sorry I'm with EDF and he says "Yes thats what I said EDF"... I told him to get F**ked and out the phone down. A few days later someone calls again and says they're from EDF so I say I'm with British Gas (Thinking that last time they sounded the same) He genuinely tried to claim he was calling from British Gas and I misheard it as EDF. Listened to where it was going this time and they just started reading a script at me that was to move my supplier at my business premises. They explained in the script they were a third party but read it at 100 miles an hour.... Thankfully I don't have a business premises but that was a crafty one.

Block the scam calls but for any business based sales call just tell them you are just an employee, you do not make any decisions and kindly ask them to remove your number. 9/10 will be stumped (except the trade finder who will ask you for proof you get calls)

 
Louis,

Get your number (landline and mobiles) on the Gov's telephone preference service >>  https://www.tpsonline.org.uk/tps/number_type.html  - dead easy - lasts until you delist it.

Any commercial cold caller legally has to check this register and remove from their calling roster any number resigsetered.

To call you, when you're listed is an offence and they know this.

It cut my cold calls by 95%... takes a little while for all companies to update their precalling checks etc but you'll notice the difference.

When the odd one (often abroad) do get thru wanting to rebuild my website ("what's wrong it I built myself thanks!") etc I calmly tell them this number is registered with the TPS and they have just committed an offence by breaching that, and calling me 'unsolicited for commercial purposes' - I then say on this occasion I will not take the matter further, if they will remove me number for their calling roster. But add, another call will result in me reporting the breach to the TPS who may choose to prosecute. 

Works a treat - most apologise (even though abroad and would be beyond TPS' reach) and never get called again....

 
Louis,

Get your number (landline and mobiles) on the Gov's telephone preference service >>  https://www.tpsonline.org.uk/tps/number_type.html  - dead easy - lasts until you delist it.

Any commercial cold caller legally has to check this register and remove from their calling roster any number resigsetered.

To call you, when you're listed is an offence and they know this.

It cut my cold calls by 95%... takes a little while for all companies to update their precalling checks etc but you'll notice the difference.

When the odd one (often abroad) do get thru wanting to rebuild my website ("what's wrong it I built myself thanks!") etc I calmly tell them this number is registered with the TPS and they have just committed an offence by breaching that, and calling me 'unsolicited for commercial purposes' - I then say on this occasion I will not take the matter further, if they will remove me number for their calling roster. But add, another call will result in me reporting the breach to the TPS who may choose to prosecute. 

Works a treat - most apologise (even though abroad and would be beyond TPS' reach) and never get called again....




Thanks for posting this , my wife registered the land line no some time ago , I have just done my mobile no didn’t think you could but it has accepted it hopefully will stop the “ accident you were involved in “”frozen pension “ and all the other scammers out there ??

 
Funny thing you would think all the scammers wouldn't bother to check - but it stopped them dead too - not sure I fully understand why they would be diligent about checking but happy to sell you fake advertisement's in Fire Brigade weekly blah blah...?

 

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