Government funded gas boiler offer - phone spam/scam?

GustyGardenGalaxy

Pretty much every day for the past few months I've received an automated phone call (at various times of the day) with a pre-recorded message which starts off roughly as follows:

"all gas properties in your area now qualify for a government funded boiler ....... "

etc.

The phone number varies every single time so I can't block it, occasionally it's International but usually it's a 5 digit STD code then another 5 digits on my phone's display.

The message states to press 9 to opt out but I'm wary of doing so as that can often instigate another charge.

Does anyone know anything about this gas boiler spam/scam?

rusty_frog

I wish it was genuine.
I could do with a new one!

phillw

It is possible for some!people to!get grants or even a free boiler, but you need to be old and on benefits.

I had someone!phone me up!about double glazing and it turned out that my name had been sold on a list of retired people, I'm no where!near retirement age so I didn't qualify.

Eric_Disley

You can get a grant towards a free boiler but only if both your house qualifies (you've got an old and inefficient boiler) and you qualify (you're on certain types of benefits e.g. child tax credits or pension credits - it's not just pensioners that qualify).

The call is a scam.

If you think you might qualify, look online. You can get either one of the Big6 energy companies or a local gas engineer to fit the boiler. They will check you qualify and then do a survey of the house to see if that does too.

GustyGardenGalaxy

Thanks for the replies. I should have made it clear that I have no interest in such an offer (even if it was valid) and am curious how I can prevent the calls. If I press '9' to opt out will that work? I ask as I know that some scammers tell you to press a number to do something and the person then ends up with a large phone bill.

footyguy

GustyGardenGalaxy wrote: »

... If I press '9' to opt out will that work? I ask as I know that some scammers tell you to press a number to do something and the person then ends up with a large phone bill.

They would have ended up with an equally large phone bill if they had not pressed 9

Eric_Disley

GustyGardenGalaxy wrote: »

Thanks for the replies. I should have made it clear that I have no interest in such an offer (even if it was valid) and am curious how I can prevent the calls. If I press '9' to opt out will that work? I ask as I know that some scammers tell you to press a number to do something and the person then ends up with a large phone bill.

Just hang up.

You can register your number with the TPS. This will reduce marketing calls but not stop scammers.

There's apparently some phones on the market which are good at filtering out calls - the caller has to tell you who they are, if they do that the phone will ring and you can decide whether to take the call. Or something like that?

Or you can pull the phone out of the wall like I do.

GustyGardenGalaxy

I'm registered with the TPS - makes no difference.

I usually get one or maybe two of these calls a day.

I can't just pull the phone out of the wall as I also receive legitimate calls during the day.

So who do I complain to in order to get these calls stopped?

footyguy

Eric_Disley wrote: »

...

Or you can pull the phone out of the wall like I do.

I leave mine plugged in (else you won't receive the calls you do want to receive) and let BT take the strain
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/phones/2017/01/bt-home-phone-customer-you-can-now-opt-in-to-its-free-spam-calls-filter-to-escape-nuisance-callers

Had 1 call automatically junked on first day, and added another number the following day too.

Edit: Just re-checked. 5 junked calls so far, not bad for a week (3 from the same caller) :cool:
(not including a couple that did get through ... but won't again to my number)

GustyGardenGalaxy

footyguy wrote: »

I leave mine plugged in (else you won't receive the calls you do want to receive) and let BT take the strain
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/phones/2017/01/bt-home-phone-customer-you-can-now-opt-in-to-its-free-spam-calls-filter-to-escape-nuisance-callers

Had 1 call automatically junked on first day, and added another number the following day too.

Thanks, that looks useful, unfortunately though I don't get my phone service via BT. Ah well.

copperclock

I get this spam call all the time. Most days. It's really annoying. I'm tempted to unplug my phone, but it doesn't seem fair.