Scammers

Veryconfused101 · 13 March 2019 at 3:38PM

Is it me or is most people over 55 starting to have a lot of SCAM MAIL, Telephone Scammers and Internet Scams done to them these days? not wealthy by any means but not debt ridden either. Found this month alone have had three letters demanding monies from Debt Agencies for account closed over two years ago. Nothing owing on them. Water Board also insisted on sending a demanding letter of missed payment. Queried well I pay direct debit on 22nd of Month. Paid actually in advance of that by the 11th of the month. Waterboard sent letter saying I missed payment. Advisor "If we dont received payment by the 12th we generate letter." I said thats not true cause the letter you sent me states by the 22nd of the Month!!!!

Also sick to the back teeth with getting up going over to the phone and having silent phone or automated messages.

Is there someone we can go to for this?

Only if I was older I would be worried sick about non-existant debt because I would be convinced by these SCAMMERS THAT I OWED IT.

My parents in their late 80's better check their mail make sure they are not paying for somthing already settled.

agrinnall · 13 March 2019 at 5:58PM

I don't think age has much to do with it, scammers target as many people as they can, and people of all ages get such communications.

Davesnave · 15 March 2019 at 10:01AM

I'm well over 55, but if I had them, I'd put a rash of these things down to coincidence, or a systematic area search, rather than some concerted effort to target me because of my age.

It's possible to report telephone numbers from which scam calls originate. I can't remember exactly how I did it last year, but the calls stopped. Of course, very often, the number is withheld.

If your parents are in their late 80s you should be obtaining Power of Attorney, just in case. Overseeing their finances might be appropriate, but it depends on circumstances, as would looking for ways to reduce their bills. In my case, the parents-in-law are very clued-up and probably better off than me!

Spelunthus · 21 March 2019 at 11:24AM

I'm convinced these things happen in "batches" - when your name gets to the top of a list you suddenly get loads of calls, letters, emails.

If you take the apprppriate action (i.e do NOT reply, in most cases), then your names drops down the list again.

Answering/replying just identifies you as a "live" target and you'll get more contacts.

No-one except the consumer has any incentive to stop this. Post Office gets letter revenue, ISPs get email money, and BT etc gets paid for the junk calls.

cattie · 21 March 2019 at 2:46PM

You can apply to the telephone preference service (tps) to have your name added to their database, which will down on the amount of unsolicited calls you receive https://www.tpsonline.org.uk/tps/number_type.html.

It's a free service. However, this will only reduce the no. of UK based calls you receive, but you'll still receive calls from call centres based abroad. Many of these companies that make cold calls switched their call centres to overseas to get around the UK ban.

It's best to also have caller display on your phone, I never answer a call from a number I don't recognise or that I suspect is an overseas number & as soon as the answerphone clicks into action, nearly every caller hangs up. The rare exception is when it is a recorded voice calling me & they prattle on leaving a message on my answerphone telling me how I'm missing out on pp claims etc.

bigalinsk · 21 March 2019 at 3:52PM

I was enrolled in the TPS for a few years. I believe that if that resulted in any reduction to the silent/spam/unwelcome sales calls, the reduction was very small. We used to get several calls a day at the peak of the problem.
I bought a phone set that included a "nuisance call blocker". You need your phone provider to have caller ID enabled. Since making that investment, we have had virtually zero nuisance calls!

moonpenny · 28 March 2019 at 10:35PM

cattie wrote: »

You can apply to the telephone preference service (tps) to have your name added to their database, which will down on the amount of unsolicited calls you receive https://www.tpsonline.org.uk/tps/number_type.html.

It's a free service. However, this will only reduce the no. of UK based calls you receive, but you'll still receive calls from call centres based abroad. Many of these companies that make cold calls switched their call centres to overseas to get around the UK ban.

It's best to also have caller display on your phone, I never answer a call from a number I don't recognise or that I suspect is an overseas number & as soon as the answerphone clicks into action, nearly every caller hangs up. The rare exception is when it is a recorded voice calling me & they prattle on leaving a message on my answerphone telling me how I'm missing out on pp claims etc.

I have been enrolled on the TPS for years but the nuisance calls I have been getting are supposedly from this organisation.
Last week I had 9 calls in 2 days from these people. Sounded like a call centre and each time the caller had an "Indian accent".

I have also had a number of calls from BT saying they are cutting of my internet service later that day as my privacy has been compromised. I am not with BT.
I listened a bit longer (instead of slamming phone down) and they gave numbers to press for different options - in other words premium numbers for unsuspecting victims.

[Deleted User] · 3 April 2019 at 11:03PM

We disconnected our home phone months ago, we only use our mobiles and have a landline for the internet.

Browntoa · 4 April 2019 at 8:24AM

I've swapped to a VoIP (voice over IP) local telephone number from sipgate that works Via an app on my mobile.

If I turn it off in the app it goes straight to answerphone and it emails me the message.

No spam calls

And anyone else thinks they are calling my landline .

As a bonus I can make and receive calls over WiFi anywhere in the world without high mobile charges

Silvertabby · 4 April 2019 at 11:33AM

I agree the 'flurries' theory - I was getting 'I'm calling about your recent accident' calls every other day for a couple of weeks then they dropped off (perhaps because I didn't bite?)

As a retired pensions administrator I was almost looking forward to getting a 'pensions advice' call - but have never had even one!

Gers · 4 April 2019 at 1:03PM

Silvertabby wrote: »

I agree the 'flurries' theory - I was getting 'I'm calling about your recent accident' calls every other day for a couple of weeks then they dropped off (perhaps because I didn't bite?)

As a retired pensions administrator I was almost looking forward to getting a 'pensions advice' call - but have never had even one!

Despite having two (non-fault) car accidents in seven months I've yet to receive the scam calls! Maybe TPS and the GDPR are beginning to bit the scammers on the fundamental.

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