Malicious calls to landline

[Oneofthosedays]

Annoying calls to home phone, from  01635 5898153 14.09 today. 

0163535875921 12.50 today. 

01635 840909 23/11/22

And many more before. 

[goslow · Accepted solution]

What does the caller want/say when you answer the call? Are these calls 'malicious', as in the caller is hostile/threatening/abusive etc. when you talk to them?

The fact they are all prefixed with the same area code makes them seem more like general scam calls using a fake caller ID which is automatically generated.

(Some of the above numbers look fake but you should avoid posting any more numbers as they can often actually be real numbers, from innocent users, which have been cloned as fake caller ID's by scammers for the purposes of making scam calls).

[nodrogd]

Numbers 1 & 2 are spoofed & don’t actually exist.

Valid numbers on the Newbury exchange (01635) only contain 6 digits. Two of the quoted ones have more than this, so it’s more than likely the last is also a spoof.

[Ilyas_Y]

Hi @Oneofthosedays thanks for reaching out to us on the forums.

I'm sorry to hear about the anonymous calls you're receiving.
May I ask if this is the first time this has happened or has it happened previously?
Is your landline on the traditional copper line or through the Virgin Media hub?

Let us know.

Kind regards,
Ilyas.

[Oneofthosedays]

We have received these calls before , also they ring then give you the silent treatment, usually thing money taken from your bank account,  Amazon account  etc. So annoying.

Im surprised that there on local numbers 01635 surely they can be traced?

[Andrew-G]

The number being displayed may look like a UK telephone number (and may or may not be a valid UK telephone number), but that's not the number from which you're being dialled.  The most likely source of the call is some scam call centre in India.  They typically operate as small call centres, with multiple "agents".  An automated dialler setups the call up often simply by dialling numbers at random* from known active ranges of UK landline numbers, and routes the call through different countries to minimise detection and tracing, and also uses flaws in telephone connection protocols to ensure the calling number shown on your phone is whatever they want. Sometimes that's a random UK number (my landline number has been used in this way), sometimes it's the number of a well known bank, ISP, HMRC or other organisation.  If the automated dialler results in you picking up a call when there's not a scam agent to conduct the call, then they drop the call - these are silent calls.  The others may have a recorded message trying to scare or coerce the gullible into a situation where they can be defrauded, or the call may go straight to an agent to tell you lies that your router is broken, that your DPD parcel cannot be delivered, or that a payment is about to be applied to your Amazon/Ebay/Paypal account.

If the calling number on an incoming call is your aunt Alice, then it's certainly aunt Alice.  If it shows any number that isn't a trusted friend or relative, then it could be a scammer, even if that's a number you think is your bank or some other organisation with who you do business.  If it's troubling you, buy yourself (for example) a BT4600 handset which can be set to screen all calls that aren't in your phone's memory, and either delay them or divert to answerphone.  If somebody from an unknown number really wants to speak to you they can, but 99.99% of scam calls will be effectively filtered. 

* A more troubling alternative is if you've been scammed before, then your number is possibly being traded between scammers who reason if you've been conned before, you're a good prospect to target again.

[Ilyas_Y]

Thanks for the reply @Oneofthosedays.

This usually indicates spoof dialling to me, I have seen a lot of them from a previous place where I used to work.
There were several causes of this, but may I ask if your number has been given out? i.e. Have you signed up to anything in which your number was used?
Let us know.

Kind regards,
Ilyas.