Daily calls from fake number

thrifty_pete

We keep getting calls from 0171 9585511 which looks like an old old London number, which are now 020 7 or 8.
The caller says they are from BT Support and that there is a problem with the line and we need to take action or the line will be cut off. Sometimes it goes through to a menu system which says press 1 if you are a BT customer 2 for Sky or something.
Presumably there is nothing we can do about it?

Mister_G

Get yourself a TruCall call blocking phone like the BT8500/8600.

thrifty_pete

It would be good if BT or someone could investigate and clean up the networks. A bit like a spam filter but for the phone system.
Are there any services we could buy to filter out these calls?

Ian011

The calls you are receiving are a scam. They want access to your computer so they can then empty your online bank account.

Invest in a plug-in trueCall box, a handset with trueCall features built in (such as the BT "Call Guardian" 8500 or 8600 handsets) or swap to a phone provider that offers trueCall facilities built in to the phone network itself (Sky Shield on Sky, or CallSafe on TalkTalk). These are the only effective call filtering facilities. They work by challenging unknown callers to identify themselves before your phone will ring. Nuisance callers simply hang up at this point.

thrifty_pete

It does seem weird, how they got hold of my name even though I'm not in the directory?
Also even if you press 1 for a BT customer, I wasn't connected to anyone, the line just went dead.
I get the feeling landlines are only for the elderly, but as they are vulnerable there should be some kind of protection from these calls. I Googled "TalkSafe" and it seemed to be some kind of security feature when you call TalkTalk rather than any filter on calls you receive.

JJ_Egan

How can you protect from these calls??
The actual displayed number is changed frequently . Number may show as UK code but is from India etc .
BT 8500 call blocker is the way to go .
Its not only the elderly that use landline phones .
What is this elderly has it a set age when we all are incapable .

savemoney

I have BT 8610 and blocks any numbers I dont want. I use to have truecall did same thing. Well worth the money.

thrifty_pete

JJ_Egan wrote: »

Its not only the elderly that use landline phones .

I went into John Lewis yesterday to buy a new landline phone, and I couldn't see any on display so I asked where they were. The chap looked a bit puzzled and then told me to go to the electrical appliances section. I couldn't see anything there, so I asked again. They then took me back to the electronics department and showed me the one BT-branded phone on display. One phone. Without a price. Clearly no one is buying phones any more.

tempus_fugit

thrifty_pete wrote: »

I went into John Lewis yesterday to buy a new landline phone, and I couldn't see any on display so I asked where they were. The chap looked a bit puzzled and then told me to go to the electrical appliances section. I couldn't see anything there, so I asked again. They then took me back to the electronics department and showed me the one BT-branded phone on display. One phone. Without a price. Clearly no one is buying phones any more.

You're not looking very hard then. I've just checked John Lewis online for landline phones and it came up with 39 different types.

JJ_Egan

BT shop TESCO AMAZON etc

Many more found via Google .

Robin9

thrifty_pete wrote: »

It does seem weird, how they got hold of my name even though I'm not in the directory?

They are computer driven calls and they simply dial every possible number - then someone like you answers the phone.

Use the phones others have described and if you don't recognize a number don't and answer.