Automated phone calls

[LMcD]

Having reached the phone just after it stopped ringing, I dialled 1471 and discovered that I'd been called by the local hospital (the general number). When I returned the call, none of the options in the first or the second menu was of any use, as I had no idea which person or department had called me. I ended up talking to the operator, who was unsurprisingly unable to help, so we agreed that the best thing for me to do would be to wait until whoever it was called again....

[Bryn]

Having reached the phone just after it stopped ringing, I dialled 1471 and discovered that I'd been called by the local hospital (the general number). When I returned the call, none of the options in the first or the second menu was of any use, as I had no idea which person or department had called me. I ended up talking to the operator, who was unsurprisingly unable to help, so we agreed that the best thing for me to do would be to wait until whoever it was called again....

Modern 'communications' eh?

[LMcD]

Modern 'communications' eh?

Quite!

[Frances_iom]

Modern 'communications' eh?

no it's an assumption that everyone has a mobile phone that is constantly on - true probably of the majority but possibly not true of the over 70s - I have only a landline + answer phone - yesterday was rung by local surgery whilst out of phone hearing + didn't notice the call recorded light until early evening - rang this morning (a totally tedious process as my local practice has offloaded as much as it can and it too assumes that you are willing to be triaged by a web application) it was however a shorter wait of only 5 mins rather than the 20+ before answer) only to be told after going thru the rigmarole of identification that they had no idea of why I was rung on previous day to contact them

[gradus]

Our supposedly whizz-bang BT wireless phone with call blocker doesn't work on scam calls, presumably because 1471 never reveals a number for the scam caller. Even BT must be capable of tackling these nuisance calls.

[french frank]

I was called by HMRC two days ago. Apparently they're starting a lawsuit against me for defrauding them. Didn't even have the courtesy to check who they were speaking to

[oddoneout]

Our supposedly whizz-bang BT wireless phone with call blocker doesn't work on scam calls, presumably because 1471 never reveals a number for the scam caller. Even BT must be capable of tackling these nuisance calls.

Doesn't it depend to a certain extent what filters you've set for call blocking? The other problem is that a great many of the calls are from UK numbers(ostensibly, although the time lag and accents give the lie in some cases, which are evidently being "flown under the radar" to avoid the likes of call blocking) so don't necessarily flag up as scam but I've found that mostly they will show up on 1471, so an online search can verify if it's a scam/nuisance call. The numbers used by the scammers will change frequently as well which doesn't help, and I seem to remember from trying to follow this up some time ago that the options open to 'shut down' rogue numbers range from limited to zero.
It's unfortunate that calls from NHS related sources seem to show up as withheld now, as my previous reaction to such is that I don't answer or follow those up. That had to be modified somewhat to avoid the possibility of missing a useful call, such as the invite to vaccine appointment. In due course(once I've had the second dose) I imagine I can revert to previous avoidance tactics as there won't be anything important to call me about.

[oddoneout]

I was called by HMRC two days ago. Apparently they're starting a lawsuit against me for defrauding them. Didn't even have the courtesy to check who they were speaking to

They must know more about your income than you do!

[LMcD]

Doesn't it depend to a certain extent what filters you've set for call blocking? The other problem is that a great many of the calls are from UK numbers(ostensibly, although the time lag and accents give the lie in some cases, which are evidently being "flown under the radar" to avoid the likes of call blocking) so don't necessarily flag up as scam but I've found that mostly they will show up on 1471, so an online search can verify if it's a scam/nuisance call. The numbers used by the scammers will change frequently as well which doesn't help, and I seem to remember from trying to follow this up some time ago that the options open to 'shut down' rogue numbers range from limited to zero.
It's unfortunate that calls from NHS related sources seem to show up as withheld now, as my previous reaction to such is that I don't answer or follow those up. That had to be modified somewhat to avoid the possibility of missing a useful call, such as the invite to vaccine appointment. In due course(once I've had the second dose) I imagine I can revert to previous avoidance tactics as there won't be anything important to call me about.

A while ago I started receiving calls - up to 4 a day - from somebody who did not identify herself but began by asking me to confirm my name and date of birth - which, suspecting a possible scam, I refused to do, and hung up. The number which I found when I dialled 1471 turned out to be that of a company I'd never heard of some 80 miles away. I then discovered that our local surgery had in fact contracted out all appointment reminders to said company. There is now a notice at the surgery assuring people that these calls are not scams. Fortunately it proved possible to opt out of this automated 'service' and now it's the surgery's number that comes up, and the caller confirms the fact that they're calling from the surgery, when I'm called to remind me of an upcoming appointment.

[Katzelmacher]

Anyone else getting an automated (female) voice message beginning ‘This call is a warning ...’? I don’t get any further, as I replace the receiver.

[Anastasius]

A while ago I started receiving calls - up to 4 a day - from somebody who did not identify herself but began by asking me to confirm my name and date of birth - which, suspecting a possible scam, I refused to do, and hung up. The number which I found when I dialled 1471 turned out to be that of a company I'd never heard of some 80 miles away. I then discovered that our local surgery had in fact contracted out all appointment reminders to said company. There is now a notice at the surgery assuring people that these calls are not scams. Fortunately it proved possible to opt out of this automated 'service' and now it's the surgery's number that comes up, and the caller confirms the fact that they're calling from the surgery, when I'm called to remind me of an upcoming appointment.

'Contracted out ' ? Mmmm...doesn't GDPR have something to say about that ?

Most scam calls we get don't get any hits from any of the 'Who Calls Me' website. If you try and ring them, you get a 'This number is not a valid number".

I really like the group that are setting up an AI to respond back with a human voice. Simply just to tie up the scammer to no useful end.

I just rely on Anglo-Saxon.

[oddoneout]

Anyone else getting an automated (female) voice message beginning ‘This call is a warning ...’? I don’t get any further, as I replace the receiver.

I had one yesterday which went on to "about BT internet" at which point I hung up, obviously a scam since I'm not with them. A couple more since which I think(from the numbers) may be the same but I don't answer so the recording isn't triggered so no message left.

[Petrushka]

Several weeks go by without any scam telephone calls at all then they all come in a rush, perhaps half a dozen a day in a concentrated burst of a few days. After that it all goes quiet again.

Never understood what factors are at work here.

[teamsaint]

I was called by HMRC two days ago. Apparently they're starting a lawsuit against me for defrauding them. Didn't even have the courtesy to check who they were speaking to

You should be ashamed of yourself, FF.
( I usually call Nick in these situations ).

[french frank]

You should be ashamed of yourself, FF.
( I usually call Nick in these situations ).

I shall demand my day in court