Breaking Through, Travelling On

[Deleted User]

ZTD wrote: »

Not at all, this is a known problem. The banks got caught a few years ago. It's one of the reasons why they started advertising "now with UK call centre!"

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/call-centres-selling-private-data-of-uk-customers/article3009811.ece

Thanks so much for The Hindu link, Z:T. What an eye-opener:eek:

It's reasonably easy to ignore the calls when they are actually from India as the caller shows as International on the caller display. I have relatives abroad who I worry about and don't want to ignore them if they are trying to contact me so I answer International calls but hang up without speaking if the caller isn't anyone I know.


A lot of these 'BT' calls are coming from UK numbers which show up in full on the caller display, not just withheld or unavailable. I can understand that they are selling databases (probably to crooks all over the world) but how come a lot of the callers are UK based yet still Indian? The callers always have an Indian accent so I hang up as soon as poss. Yesterday I merely said to the guy (with a Manchester dialling code) who announced he was from BT that it was a scam and he got very upset and said he could prove that it wasn't. I didn't give him the opportunity to try;) but sometimes wonder if I'm missing a genuine contact call.

Karmacat

carbootcrazy wrote: »

A lot of these 'BT' calls are coming from UK numbers which show up in full on the caller display, not just withheld or unavailable. I can understand that they are selling databases (probably to crooks all over the world) but how come a lot of the callers are UK based yet still Indian?

Maybe they're re-routed, using cheap numbers like Martin writes about?

Yesterday I merely said to the guy (with a Manchester dialling code) who announced he was from BT that it was a scam and he got very upset and said he could prove that it wasn't. I didn't give him the opportunity to try;) but sometimes wonder if I'm missing a genuine contact call.

Hmmm. I've not had anyone say that to me, but I *might* ask them "how can you prove that, quickly" - and put the phone down on them if they just go into a spiel. Or, if they *are* real, ask why they're calling, is it to sell something or is it a problem with your account? If its a problem with the account, then he should be able to send you a message via your account?

It sounds horrible!

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[Deleted User]

Karmacat wrote: »

Maybe they're re-routed, using cheap numbers like Martin writes about?


Hmmm. I've not had anyone say that to me, but I *might* ask them "how can you prove that, quickly" - and put the phone down on them if they just go into a spiel. Or, if they *are* real, ask why they're calling, is it to sell something or is it a problem with your account? If its a problem with the account, then he should be able to send you a message via your account?

It sounds horrible!

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Thanks, KC:T:T. I haven't seen what Martin said about re-routing using cheap numbers:o. I'll look for it. Would certainly seem to be the answer to my query wouldn't it?

I check my online BT account regularly and there is every opportunity for the genuine BT to contact me via the secure messaging within it or send me an email. As I haven't received anything I assume these phone calls must be scams.

Karmacat

carbootcrazy wrote: »

Thanks, KC:T:T. I haven't seen what Martin said about re-routing using cheap numbers:o. I'll look for it. Would certainly seem to be the answer to my query wouldn't it?

He just talks about re-routing your *own* calls, sorry - before I got the online doodads for my French apartment up and running, I was having to call regularly, and I used a number I got from the main site article to reduce the cost to half a pence per minute!

I check my online BT account regularly and there is every opportunity for the genuine BT to contact me via the secure messaging within it or send me an email. As I haven't received anything I assume these phone calls must be scams.

I agree - scams or sales calls. HSBC made a sales call to me once, and left an answerphone message asking me to return the call. I did, with my heart in my mouth, to the number on my bank statement. Then I was told it was a "courtesy call", and I absolutely hit the roof - I was furious at worrying for nothing, and for *paying* for them to make such a call to me. Not courtesy at all on their part! I think I was very polite in the circumstances

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Verbatim

I've had people saying that the fact that they were calling from a geographical number was proof that there was no scam! To be fair that particular guy had a native uk accent whereas mostly it's peeps with very strong Indian accents.
Had a lot of calls to my mobile from Manchester and Birmingham lately but haven't heard/answered any.

Tropically

When I get those sorts of calls, I ignore them and sing the Jamaican dancehall song to myself "Who's calling me from an unknown number? We nah answer no unknown number. Who's calling me from a private call? Gangsta don't answer no private call."

Watty1

Tropically wrote: »

When I get those sorts of calls, I ignore them and sing the Jamaican dancehall song to myself "Who's calling me from an unknown number? We nah answer no unknown number. Who's calling me from a private call? Gangsta don't answer no private call."

I love this If only you sung it to them :rotfl:

edinburgher

I've always been a fan of not answering my phone to any number I don't recognise. If they really need to talk to me, they will leave a message

[Deleted User]

edinburgher wrote: »

I've always been a fan of not answering my phone to any number I don't recognise. If they really need to talk to me, they will leave a message

Sounds like a good idea but we get a lot of legitimate calls from all over the country. A lot of them are first-time callers and I don't know all their numbers.


I might try leaving all calls from unrecognised numbers to go straight to answerphone. I can act on the wanted ones almost immediately afterwards. The only drawback to that is that I'll be paying for the call then and not the caller:(


Apologies to KC for starting this subject which has been monopolising the thread so much:o

Karmacat

Tropically wrote: »

When I get those sorts of calls, I ignore them and sing the Jamaican dancehall song to myself "Who's calling me from an unknown number? We nah answer no unknown number. Who's calling me from a private call? Gangsta don't answer no private call."

I've no idea how the music goes to that, but I *want* to know, badly :rotfl::rotfl::j

edinburgher wrote: »

I've always been a fan of not answering my phone to any number I don't recognise. If they really need to talk to me, they will leave a message

There's another thing I badly want to know - how do I get my answerphone to tell me there's been a message left, on the same day as the message is left? A million virtual pounds to the person who comes up with an answer I can understand.:D

carbootcrazy wrote: »

Sounds like a good idea but we get a lot of legitimate calls from all over the country. A lot of them are first-time callers and I don't know all their numbers.

Ooh! I'm not going to imagine what you're doing that gets complete strangers ringing you from all over the country :kisses3:

[/quote]I might try leaving all calls from unrecognised numbers to go straight to answerphone. I can act on the wanted ones almost immediately afterwards. The only drawback to that is that I'll be paying for the call then and not the caller:([/quote]
Hopefully within contract, though, CBC? Or tell them to ring you between certain hours?

Apologies to KC for starting this subject which has been monopolising the thread so much:o

It's fine :j it's an important topic, and it gave me the chance to ask my *own* question about answerphones on mobiles fear not :j

I've been slobbing about and done very little :T except send two birthday cards.

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