How Can I Become Ex Directory To Stop Nuisance Calls

[Jdossett85]

Hi I'm constantly getting calls proclaiming to be Microsoft or virgin media or BT (none of these are true) as soon as you say not interested thank you they become abusive. My wife who is disabled was trolled so badly last week via the phone we had to unplug it, she's disabled I don't need it. 

[Travis_M]

Hi @Jdossett85

Thanks for posting on our community forum!

Sorry to hear about this, i'm going to private message you to confirm a few details, please keep an eye on your inbox.

Regards

[jem101]

Going ex-directory won't stop the calls, these are generated by a system which just dials numbers in order and as soon as someone answers they get put through to a scammer to try and steal your money.

The best thing to do is don't engage, don't say anything and as soon as they start the 'This is Microsoft and we've seen....' chat, just put the phone down without replying.

[goslow]

---

@Jdossett85 wrote:

Hi I'm constantly getting calls proclaiming to be Microsoft or virgin media or BT (none of these are true) as soon as you say not interested thank you they become abusive. My wife who is disabled was trolled so badly last week via the phone we had to unplug it, she's disabled I don't need it. 

---

Unfortunately, going ex-directory will do nothing whatsoever to stop the types of calls which you have described. Nor will registering with organisations such as TPS. These calls are produced via an automated process, dialling groups of numbers sequentially. The calls are generated by telephone scammers who use a variety of means to try to steal money from you.

The only way to mitigate against these calls, whilst still retaining some kind of normal use of your phone line, is to use a call screening device such as trueCall or one of the BT phone ranges which has trueCall features built in.

In the meantime, the best advice is to let any unknown caller ID numbers go to answering machine.

[Andrew-G]

It is unlikely that the criminals behind these scam calls are using directory enquiries, they'll be using either leaked databases from large companies, or even setting auto-dial software to dial every conceivable number matched to a known UK STD code.  So removing yourself from any public directory won't help, nor will signing up to the Telephone Preference Service to decline marketing calls.  Our landline number started off with BT, registered in my wife's name and twenty five years after the phone was switched to VM and in my name, later I still get calls in Indian accents addressing me by my wife's maiden name.

The services Virgin Media offer for incoming call management are very poor, and chargeable - don't fall for that.  Virgin Media should be ashamed of their dismal capabilities in this area, and for having the cheek to expect customers to pay for that.

Your best bet is the (unfortunately rather expensive) Truecall blocking service, or the more limited version built into various BT DECT handsets.  

[goslow]

---

@Andrew-G wrote:

<snip>

Your best bet is the (unfortunately rather expensive) Truecall blocking service, or the more limited version built into various BT DECT handsets.  

---

For clarity, trueCall isn't a blocking service (such as the unrelated trueCaller for smartphones, subscribing to blocking lists of numbers), it is just a device. There is an optional feature (free for first year with a new device, £20 p.a. after that) which allows the user to administer the unit via a web interface and adds a few extras such as viewing calls in/out of the device. The web interface is not a requirement and pretty much all features can be administered locally direct to the unit. Current cost of the unit is approx £100, a one-off payment.

[MrHalfAsleep]

All the TrueCall thing built into BT phones does is play a recorded message asking the caller to hang up.  It doesn't actually block any numbers in the sense you think it would.  All the caller has to do is ignore it, and comms companies can't take these problematic numbers out of circulation. It's like wrapping your phone in tissue paper.  Area code (landline) numbers for the whole of the UK are available freely online.  Scammers now use mobile numbers as they can also use them for fake text messages.  Kills two birds with one stone.

[goslow]

Don't think you have got your BT phone's trueCall features configured correctly if all it is doing is playing an announcement and nothing more. It should be screening the calls before deciding whether to ring the phone or not.

Earlier versions of the BT phones asked the caller to state their name before the call would progress. Doing so caused the customer's phone to ring and the customer could accept/block/hang up/answer the call. This could sometimes be falsely triggered if the automated scam messages repeated themselves. Even if the call does accidentally get through, the customer can still manually drop the call without actually speaking directly to the scammer.

Later/current versions of the phones require the caller to state who they are and press a specific key on the key pad. The automated messages cannot respond to the keypad instruction and so the call is dropped without ringing the customer's phone. Any self-respecting, real-life scam caller is not going to waste time going through this routine to connect with a recipient who is likely to be more scam-aware. The scam caller will just try another number.