Old dogs and new tricks

Thu 26 Jan 2012, 21:51

Mike - The Indian con-artists are renowned for their persistence, in every English-speaking country around the world. Their be-all and end-all is to get suckers to give them their credit card details, usually in return for scam software that is supposed to 'fix' the problems on their computers. The calls are generated automatically by computer which is why, from time to time, you pick up the phone and there is nothing on the end of the line. We have been receiving these calls on and off since probably 2005 - and there is nothing you, BT, the TPS or the police can do about them because their numbers are untraceable (despite what Harriet told them). The only way to get rid of them is to change your number, then don't list the new one in the phone book. The word 'police' usually results in the line suddenly going dead at the other end, which may give you a clue as to the credentials of these fraudsters. None of the regular put-offs you mention have any effect - these are not call-centre operators as we know them, they are plain-and-simple thieves.

Thu 26 Jan 2012, 19:40

True Simon, that's why I mentioned the other methods. They work quite well for calls originating from anywhere.

Wed 25 Jan 2012, 19:03

The first time I told them I worked for Windows too so they hung up immediately and the second time they had called a business that specialised in dealing with phone scams, and that as this was the second time they had called my number we now had a good trace on the number they were calling from. They didn't like that and apologised!

Wed 25 Jan 2012, 17:34 (last edited on Wed 25 Jan 2012, 17:34)

Mike - the TPS can't handle calls from India. This has been discussed at length in the other thread on 'Security Systems Scam in Charlbury'. Registering with the TPS is (usually) fine for companies based in the UK, but outwith the country, forget it. These callers are crooks and they are after your money.

Wed 25 Jan 2012, 16:56

Step 1: Subscribe to the telephone/mail preference service(s) on-line. It's free, and it works. But give it time for the registers to synchronise.
Step 2: If you haven't arranged the call, tell them you subscribe to the above and...
Step 3: Sympathetically, tell them they've accidentally rung a business and request to be removed from their list. Thank them and say you have to get back to your meeting. Do ask if they would they like to speak to your Chairman/Director (aim high) [If they agree, be prepared to use a different voice].

On the whole, call centres don't want to call people that have no interest in their products and services. Why would they want to waste their time and effort?

BUT. If you are too grumpy, weird, kind, accommodating etc. you will end up on a list which they'll use for their own amusement. You will suffer, and you probably deserve it. [I'm on loads of these and I relish them... for comedic purposes]

If you don't answer, or you just hang up, they will call back. Follow the above and they won't.

Wed 25 Jan 2012, 16:15

We've just had a call from a lady with a distinctly foreign accent, saying that she was calling from 'UK gas and energy survey', and asking us to answer her questions. When I asked where she was calling from, she repeated the "UK gas and energy survey" bit several times, rather like a parrot, then when pressed for a location from where she was calling, said - rather enterprisingly, I thought - Oxfordshire. Unfortunately, when I asked her 'where in Oxfordshire?', she didn't seem to know ....

Anyway, fun aside, just be aware that the Indian scammers have worked out a different wrinkle to getting your financial information than the usual "We are from windows and we know that your computer is not working properly" approach. Rest assured that if you try to dial 1471 after the call, there won't be any information available on its source. At least that's the same as before.