Door to door in Lockdown - claiming to be ex army

[Filthy_contract]

Like many other, I am working from home most days of the week. However, mobile coverage isn't brilliant so I still have a land line (remember them?) to make the occasional call - and if I need to be contacted.

Over the last week, I have had about six calls - three claiming to be Amazon and that my account is about to be debited for a new iPhone and three claiming to be either the police or HMRC and that I am about to be prosecuted for 'tax irregularities'. All are recorded messages and all encourage the receiver to select an option and stay on the line. The latter three have all come from London numbers whereas the Amazon ones the number is withheld. Interestingly, the London numbers are out of service. My connection is via Vodafone.

My ex parents in law, normally cautious folk, have been plagued by these calls (they have a regular BT line) and have managed to get some blocked but they get four or five a day - often from Ambulance chasing law firms.

PinL still regard mobile phones as the work of the Devil and get anxious if you talk to them from a mobile for more than a couple of seconds - generally responding that they will call us back...

I wonder if land lines are targeted by fraudsters as they are mainly used by elderly, home-bound folk?

 

[ThunderBox]

Set up one of those blank 12 bore shells to a panic button, if they dont drop to the floor crying into their own shit when it goes bang you should suspect them.

 

[Listy]

Like many other, I am working from home most days of the week. However, mobile coverage isn't brilliant so I still have a land line (remember them?) to make the occasional call - and if I need to be contacted.

Over the last week, I have had about six calls - three claiming to be Amazon and that my account is about to be debited for a new iPhone and three claiming to be either the police or HMRC and that I am about to be prosecuted for 'tax irregularities'. All are recorded messages and all encourage the receiver to select an option and stay on the line. The latter three have all come from London numbers whereas the Amazon ones the number is withheld. Interestingly, the London numbers are out of service. My connection is via Vodafone.

My ex parents in law, normally cautious folk, have been plagued by these calls (they have a regular BT line) and have managed to get some blocked but they get four or five a day - often from Ambulance chasing law firms.

PinL still regard mobile phones as the work of the Devil and get anxious if you talk to them from a mobile for more than a couple of seconds - generally responding that they will call us back...

I wonder if land lines are targeted by fraudsters as they are mainly used by elderly, home-bound folk?

That's even easier.

All UK cold callers are required by law to use a a database of telephone numbers. I suspect the criminals also have access to this database.

You opt out of the database here: Telephone Preference Service

I'm registered and never get calls. My wife had the same, but I stuck her number in and now, no calls. IT does take 28 days to filter through however.

 

[Filthy_contract]

That's even easier.

All UK cold callers are required by law to use a a database of telephone numbers. I suspect the criminals also have access to this database.

You opt out of the database here: Telephone Preference Service

I'm registered and never get calls. My wife had the same, but I stuck her number in and now, no calls. IT does take 28 days to filter through however.

PinL have done that and it stopped calls for about 6 months...

 

[Edwardian Fred]

I can second that strategy, but I tend to do it in Welsh or Yiddish.

Taffy Goldstein walt

 

[JackSofty]

It is a scam as old as the hills.
I had to chuck one out of our building a while ago claiming to be ex-Royal Marines.
Lied in order to enter the building, lied again when he knocked on a neighbour's door and called me a paedo when I (the block's resident cripple) picked him up by the throat and hoyed him out the door.
Later, I passed a white van full of the vermin.
Don't buy their sh*tty dusters, ironing board covers or other tat.


Sent from my karzi while losing several pounds

 

[Unremarkable]

Taffy Goldstein walt

Oy, meyn bywyd.

 

[ExREME.TECH]

Lock them in a 20 ft shipping container then bang on the outside with rebar offcuts until they start crying.

Worked for us.

Amature

Six arrested after 'Dutch torture chambers' found

The suspects were located following the hack of a Europe-wide phone system.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[vinniethemanxcat]

"Ah'm not a Nottingham Knocker !! Ah'm from Migglesborough!!"

"Well **** off anyway "

 

[pc flaps]

That's even easier.

All UK cold callers are required by law to use a a database of telephone numbers. I suspect the criminals also have access to this database.

You opt out of the database here: Telephone Preference Service

I'm registered and never get calls. My wife had the same, but I stuck her number in and now, no calls. IT does take 28 days to filter through however.

Fyi, there is a way they get round this. TPS only applies to sales / marketing calls, not research / questionnaires.

So one scam is to start with some perfunctory questions to make it look like a survey, then go into the hard sell. The minute they do that, put the phone down. There's no point getting angry, though my old man does this all the time. Wasted breath and energy, just put the phone down and they'll move straight onto the next call and within 30 seconds will have forgotten you.

 

[Moderator]

PinL have done that and it stopped calls for about 6 months...

Get a 'Call Guardian’ phone (or multiple thereof). Ours is absolutely superb and precisely zero ‘spam’ calls reach us.

Fyi, there is a way they get round this. TPS only applies to sales / marketing calls, not research / questionnaires.

They haven’t found a way to get past the phone’s ‘shite call' filtering yet.

 

[jockparamedic]

Any advice how my dad ought to deal with young men pretending to be ex army with PTSD if they come knocking again. I tore him a new one, but if you have any other ideas, I'd love to hear them. My dad is Glasweigan so I'm particularly welcoming any suggestions in the Scottish vernacular.

.

Awayandgettaefuckaffmydoorstepyafuckinbassaorahlkickyerfuckinheadin!

 

[Dan Gleebles]

Fyi, there is a way they get round this. TPS only applies to sales / marketing calls, not research / questionnaires.

So one scam is to start with some perfunctory questions to make it look like a survey, then go into the hard sell. The minute they do that, put the phone down. There's no point getting angry, though my old man does this all the time. Wasted breath and energy, just put the phone down and they'll move straight onto the next call and within 30 seconds will have forgotten you.

For the more bored recipient of unwanted calls there can be a game to play.

Let the cold caller waffle on whilst you ignore and hold the phone far away enough to know when they pause.

Ask them to repeat that, and when they've done that ask the most moronic question possible.

If they don't twig you're mugging them off, just keep asking stupid questions and see how long you can string it out for.

The more competitive of the terminally bored can time this and try improving their performance on subsequent unwanted cold calls.

No need to thank me.

 

[Unremarkable]

I can't remember if I have already mentioned this.
I was feeling playful one day when Kevin or Clive or Dave or (typical English name of choice) rang.
"Am I speaking to Mr Person of (this address)?"
"No, my friend; this is Ivar Gunnarson, in Stockholm, Sweden."
"Oh! I am calling from 5G network..."
"Oh? Well we don't get your network here in Sweden; perhaps your dialling software is at fault. I would run a diagnostic..."
"Oh, I am so sorry sir."

Next day: Very similar conversation, same result. Same advice to check their systems.
Two days running! I couldn't believe it!
Day three, however...
"Hello! I AM speaking to Mr Person of address!"
"No, I already told your colleagues! I am Ivar Gunnarson of Stockholm! Sort out your equipment!"
"Why are you talking like this?"
"Excuse me! I know my English is not very good, but it is a Hell of a lot better than yours! Tusen takk, og farval!"
I never heard from them again.

 

[Mrsheeny]

Do you flick them a finger when they turn up?

They flick the finger afterwards, usually to get the sweetcorn off.

 

[oldbaldy]

Like many other, I am working from home most days of the week. However, mobile coverage isn't brilliant so I still have a land line (remember them?) to make the occasional call - and if I need to be contacted.

Over the last week, I have had about six calls - three claiming to be Amazon and that my account is about to be debited for a new iPhone and three claiming to be either the police or HMRC and that I am about to be prosecuted for 'tax irregularities'. All are recorded messages and all encourage the receiver to select an option and stay on the line. The latter three have all come from London numbers whereas the Amazon ones the number is withheld. Interestingly, the London numbers are out of service. My connection is via Vodafone.

My ex parents in law, normally cautious folk, have been plagued by these calls (they have a regular BT line) and have managed to get some blocked but they get four or five a day - often from Ambulance chasing law firms.

PinL still regard mobile phones as the work of the Devil and get anxious if you talk to them from a mobile for more than a couple of seconds - generally responding that they will call us back...

I wonder if land lines are targeted by fraudsters as they are mainly used by elderly, home-bound folk?

When they get one of these calls tell them to ring 1572 and have the number blocked, over time the calls should decrease.