Unsolicited phone calls

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Caroline
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Unsolicited phone calls

Post by Caroline »

Is it just me or is there an increase in the amount of rogue phone callers at the moment? A few weeks ago it was just the usual solar panel salesmen but now I have several calls a day trying to sell me top-up health insurance - the last salesman even gave the name of a French comedian! My handset cannot bar calls so, short of just not answering any number that begins with 09, 01 or says 'Privé' is there anything else I can do?
For information, the last few numbers I logged as 'scams' were:
0975129430 0977771017 0170680410 0174909328
The final straw was yesterday when I answered a normal 0468 number and found myself talking to a lady who is trawling through the phone directories picking out english names and trying to introduce us to 'God'!
Caroline
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Santiago
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Post by Santiago »

I generally ask them to speak English. 99% of the time I get a "Sorry no, goodbye." response. Little time wasted. You can normally spot them very quickly as they speak French with an Asian accent and start with "Je suis xxx de la societe xxx chargé de contacter tous les proprietaires de ...." or they mention "partinaire de EDF" in the first few seconds.
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martyn94
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Post by martyn94 »

My phone comes through my Freebox: it is possible to block particular numbers, or particular prefixes, or those not using caller ID. I imagine the other boxes offer something similar.

Incidentally, if you ignore anything starting 01, you will miss anything coming from Greater Paris. I know we are mostly bad people (I am there at the moment), but it may still be a bit sweeping.
Last edited by martyn94 on Thu 04 Sep 2014 18:34, edited 1 time in total.
Smiley G
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Post by Smiley G »

We have Orange's "Stop Secret" which intercepts the withheld numbers. For the rest, and you can always tell it's a call centre, we either act dumb and speak only in English or, if I'm in the mood, answer in my best French "Gendarmerie Nationale." By heck, they can't get off the line quickly enough!
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Post by Geoman »

If you have the time just humour them, I keep them on the line as long as I can ask loads of ?,s after about 15 mins they can't wait to get away.
Allan
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Post by Allan »

I've invested in a device called Truecall that intercepts all incoming calls. Where I have previously approved the number the call comes through as normal. If I have previously blacklisted the number it goes to a pre-recorded message saying bog off and don't call back.

If the number is unrecognised then it asks the caller to say their name, much like the Orange Stop Secret system. It then calls me and asks if I want to take the call if I say no it plays them a message saying that I'm not interested, don't call back.

http://www.truecall.co.uk/home.aspx

If anyone wants to buy one then don't order online as they have a model designed for use in France that you have to contact them about.
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opas
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Post by opas »

Geoman wrote:If you have the time just humour them, I keep them on the line as long as I can ask loads of ?,s after about 15 mins they can't wait to get away.
my daughters race to the phone when they realise it is a call centre, lots of questions later and as you say, they hang up.

I can always tell it is a call centre, it is the couple of seconds of silence before hearing background chat and the operator realising I am on the line, give the about 5 words into their speil and a non merci, and hang up.
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Merisin
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Post by Merisin »

My OH knows a bit about this problem. I'm sure I've repeated his words of wisdom on here before. If it helps I can dig them out and send them to you.

Mary
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Sue
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Post by Sue »

I don't think they will be very helpful. :wink:
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susie
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Post by susie »

I've had three calls in two days with a variation on a long-standing scam.

They start in English so I guess they are trawling the phone book. It goes along the lines...
"I am from Mircosoft IT support department there is:
a) a fault with your anti-virus;
b) we need to refund your subscription for....
c) we need to upgrade your computer as it's running slow.

Then proceed to try to get you to
a) sit in front of your computer and download a virus or give them access to private data, or
b) give them your credit card details so they can refund to your account.

It might seem obvious to say it, but just hang up. Give no details. They play the numbers game, eventually someone does it. They are quite plausible. It is a scam.

I let the last one ramble on for a while, just out of interest to see where it was going. Then said I work in IT and knew for a fact he was talking absolute garbage, that it was a scam and that I had had him on the line long enough that I now intended to report his details to the authorities. (Also garbage, but I guess he didn't know that).

He then asked me why I just didn't hang up at the beginning if I knew it was suspicious. As if I wasn't playing the game right.
Susie
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