Getting threats on ex directory phone no.

foxy-roxy

Hi,

I have recently had a bt line put in and got a new phone number, i have lived at my address for about a year and half but only just got the line put in due to having broadband.
I am ex-directory, but in the last week i have been getting funny phone calls, early in the morning, middle of the day and late at night.
Just had a phone call from my bf at work to say that the phone rang again and when he answered, some bloke asked who he was, so he told him and the bloke said 'never heard of you' and then said who is at home, bf said me why, then bloke said 'you're dead, am on my way round' :eek:

Well bf not that threatened but i am worried, how has this person got our number? the phone number and address isn't linked, as i have googled it and tried 118 and 192, so just need to know due to the number being withheld can bt do anything? Would the phone number be a recycled number?
Do i need to change my number? (can't change just yet as waiting on a company to phone to arrange a delivery.)
Oh must point out as well that the only people we have given the number to is my mum, dad and argos, no friends or work colleagues have it.

Do you think this is a case of mistaken number? Bored kids in school holidays?

What would you do? would you take it seriously or just brush it off? am so confused and also worried as my bf works nights and the phone calls are goin to leave me a nervous wreck
(thank god i have a very protective staffy )

Any advice much appreciated.

ACDeag

foxy-roxy wrote: »

Hi,

I have recently had a bt line put in and got a new phone number, i have lived at my address for about a year and half but only just got the line put in due to having broadband.
I am ex-directory, but in the last week i have been getting funny phone calls, early in the morning, middle of the day and late at night.
Just had a phone call from my bf at work to say that the phone rang again and when he answered, some bloke asked who he was, so he told him and the bloke said 'never heard of you' and then said who is at home, bf said me why, then bloke said 'you're dead, am on my way round' :eek:

Well bf not that threatened but i am worried, how has this person got our number? the phone number and address isn't linked, as i have googled it and tried 118 and 192, so just need to know due to the number being withheld can bt do anything? Would the phone number be a recycled number?
Do i need to change my number? (can't change just yet as waiting on a company to phone to arrange a delivery.)
Oh must point out as well that the only people we have given the number to is my mum, dad and argos, no friends or work colleagues have it.

Do you think this is a case of mistaken number? Bored kids in school holidays?

What would you do? would you take it seriously or just brush it off? am so confused and also worried as my bf works nights and the phone calls are goin to leave me a nervous wreck
(thank god i have a very protective staffy )

Any advice much appreciated.

More likely that the number has not been out of circulation long enough and they are trying to get the previous owners of the number. I still get calls for the previous owners of my number 15 months after it was installed.

Call BT malicious calls bureau on 0800 661 441

Jemma-T

Get caller ID and an answering machine and stop answering the phone to complete strangers.

If it's important they will send you a letter.

Heinz

There is a misconception about being ex-directory.

XD simply means your name/number are not printed in the telephone directory or given out by directory enquiries. An optional extension to that is to specify 'no connections' too and that prevents callers being connected by the operator without your number being divulged.

Being XD does not stop anybody (or any computer) from dialling your number (how could it?) in the same way as being registered with TPS does not stop cold calls (TPS merely stops cold calls from firms in the UK which comply with the TPS lists).

As the OP has demonstrated, being allocated someone else's old number is particularly problematic. In such cases, callers can think they know the name of the 'owner' of the number and the new 'owner' going ex-directory will do nothing to change that.

foxy-roxy

Managed to get some info out of the crazy fool, he had a completley different address for who he was looking for than the one we live at, so it is a case of us having a recycled number, we just told him that if he didn't stop calling us we would report to the police and BT for harrasment and threatning behaviour and witholding his number could still be traced to him, not heard anything of him again yet so so far so good.
Thanks guys:T

Katgrit

You seem to have solved your problem now, good to hear, but some points worth knowing:

Registering with the TPS will work eventually but you need to give it time. Its usually takes 6 months for it to have full effect. I registered years ago and now all i get in about 1 pre-recorded call a year telling me i've won a holiday and please press 5.

You can be ex-directory in 2 different ways. Having your number not printed in the phonebook, and having your number not given out via the 118/192 services.

Having a complete bar to automatically rejected withheld numbers or choosing to not answer a call where you dont recognise the number is a daft idea, in my opinion anyway. My Dad and his friends all got mobiles one Christmas and decided to withhold their numbers for privacy, but also wont answer anonymous calls. This lasted 2 days til they realised that they weren't getting to speak to one another at all!! I also work in a hospital and trying to phone patients or relatives if we have to notify them of anything is a NIGHTMARE if they have anonymous caller reject. I know if any of my family were in A&E I'd like to know immediately rather than the hospital writing to me!! "Dear Mrs xxxx, Your Mother has been in a serious road accident, she has life threatening blood loss and will need emergency surgery. If you could please arrange to visit her at the earliest opportunity...after the postal strike...". Bear in mind that its not just pestering phone calls that come via company switchboards!!

Ideal in these situations is either that TRUECALL thing off Dragon's Den that people have been raving on about (dont know much about that), or the service called CHOOSE TO REFUSE. This enables you to bar individual numbers, if known in advance, or as and when they call. This even works if they are withheld numbers. I had a psycho ex a few years back who kept calling both me and my parents so we had this put on both lines, rather than anonymous caller reject. My Mum can still call home despite being routed through her work's switchboard, and the hospital could call us when my Dad was rushed back into theatre twice after major surgery. You just type a code into your phone after you hangup from the unwanted call (you dont need a special phone tho). Its free for the first month if you've had malicious calls (or it used to be!), then £3.50ish a month. Expensive but well worth it and you'll probably only need it for a few months until the nutter callers get tired of hearing "The person you are calling is not accepting calls from you" ha ha ha.

Hope these suggestions help other people with either a nutty ex or a debt collection agency on their case!

1984ReturnsForReal_2

foxy-roxy wrote: »

Managed to get some info out of the crazy fool, he had a completley different address for who he was looking for than the one we live at, so it is a case of us having a recycled number, we just told him that if he didn't stop calling us we would report to the police and BT for harrasment and threatning behaviour and witholding his number could still be traced to him, not heard anything of him again yet so so far so good.
Thanks guys:T

So what about the person he thought he was threatening then?

Been any mureders in your area recently?

foxy-roxy

1984ReturnsForReal wrote: »

So what about the person he thought he was threatening then?

Been any mureders in your area recently?

hmmm none that i know of, it's quite a small town so am sure we would of heard something.....:D

I reckon that the original owners of the number changed it because of him and the lovely people at BT have passed it on to us...isn't that sweet of them?!:p

1984ReturnsForReal_2

foxy-roxy wrote: »

hmmm none that i know of, it's quite a small town so am sure we would of heard something.....:D

I reckon that the original owners of the number changed it because of him and the lovely people at BT have passed it on to us...isn't that sweet of them?!:p

Personally I would let the police & BT know.

BexTech

If you phone BT and mention this, they usually offer Choose To Refuse free for a month or three, these allows you to block individual callers even if they withhold their number.