Nuisance Calls

[murof]

Hi, we've suddenly started getting loads of nuisance calls today on our landline for things like "your internet will be disconnected in 4 hours," etc.

Have you had a data breach?  I don't give this number out with my name very often.

I'm at work but my wife has tried to called in but you are unable to do anything as she is not the account holder which seems pretty dumb as she is calling you from the landline concerned and the matter doesn't need any kind of personal information to be shared.

Sometimes its so frustrating  when your call centre agents just take the easy option when answering calls and don't think about what the customer is actually calling about.

Can you please block these calls?  Its getting very annoying.  Send me a PM if you need to go through security.

Thanks

[HowardML]

VM can't block the calls because they come from spoofed numbers and change constantly. There is no data breach. The scammers use auto-dialers which work through batches of numbers and strike lucky once in a while. It'll pass. And don't even think about changing your number.all VM phone numbers are recycled. And don't blame VM for not speaking to your wife. Rather you should praise them. How do you expect them to know who she is or that you have given her your account credentials legitimately. You'd be the first to moan if your privacy and security had been breached by an impostor that VM had dealt with - wouldn't you? VM are absolutely in the clear here.

[David_Bn]

Thanks for your post and I'm sorry to see that you've been receiving unwanted calls from scammers

I would have to echo the sentiments of @HowardML and confirm that any changes or information requested from the account would need data protection to be passed.

In the meantime, have you registered your phone number with the telephone preference service? This can filter out some scam callers and may cause you less frustration on this matter

Kindest regards,

David_Bn 

[goslow · Accepted solution]

For the OP, from the end of last year I have had the same automated spam calls. Put up with them for a time but recently they had reached upto 3 calls per day, either silent line or an automated spam/scam message.

Have recently fitted a call blocking/screening device and this has solved the problem.

Numbers of friends and family are on an approved contacts list and ring straight through. Any other calls are screened. You can program the level/severity of screening as required. The phone has now been silent for the last few weeks apart from calls that I actually want to receive.

Prices are in the region of £50 to £100-ish depending on the device/features. You can buy separate blocker devices or phones with blocking features built in (although some of the features on some phones are only very simple).

As has already been pointed out, these are most likely automated diallers ringing thousands of numbers in succession and using fake caller IDs for each call so trying to block individual numbers is a bit hopeless and pointless. The only way to really stop them is generic blocking and screening them.

[murof]

Do you really think that scammers would take any notice of TPS suppression lists?

[murof]

I don't expect VM to give out personal details as I hinted at in the original post.  The call was made from the handset assigned to the line so at the very least they know the call is coming from the correct house.And of course they don't have to make any changes from anybody who calls up, but the least they can do is look into the matter, and if it requires some kind of authorisation, they can stop at that point until the security check has been done.

And you would know for sure that there is no data breach because I'm sure Virgin Media run everything by you before they go airing their dirty laundry in public.

[murof]

Thanks, I did wonder if there was a device that would filter out calls and only allow pre-selected numbers through. Do you have a name of a product?  I'm surprised VM haven't come up with a network version of this to allow their customers to select caller from a portal or such-like.

Everyone has crank calls, but today there have just been so many.  Normally, the landline is hardly used, so to get some many calls in one day is very unexpected and annoying, especially as due to the coronavirus, there are two people working from home.

[goslow]

The device I have just fitted is this

https://www.truecall.co.uk/category-s/116.htm

I have no connection with the firm. I was actually given it by someone who had stopped using their landline number and gone mobile-only for phone calls.

You can program it from the phone handset which is quite simple to do if you have basic tech skills. It sits in between the main phone and the master wall socket. Works best with a cordless base station and wireless handsets as extensions. Wired extension sockets/wired phones coming off the master socket are not protected and may ring when a call comes in, so cordless is best. Caller ID has to be enabled on the line, which it should be by default now and free of charge.

Only issue I had setting it up was it didn't work reliably on an extension socket. I had to plug the cordless phone base station and trueCall into the master socket and use the cordless extension elsewhere. Not a problem for me but worth noting, along with the wired phones on extension sockets limitation, if that affects your own phone setup and layout.

For the first year, I believe you get free access to an online portal to set up the device and check what is being screened. The unit can dial out (on the phone line) to update itself and the calls list. The person who gave it to me said he was caught out initially with some additional call costs as he had that set up automatically on a schedule rather than manual request only for dial-out.

I haven't used the online portal and did the programming from the handset which was simple to do by following a spoken phone menu from the unit.

Currently have mine set up so that those on my contacts list ring straight through. Anyone else gets an announcement that calls are being screened. They have to press a number on the keypad to proceed and then they are required to say who they are. Only at that point does my phone ring. I get to listen to the announcement they have just made and I can accept or reject the call and also add the number to either the approved or blocked list. The unit also acts as an answering machine so you actually need to disable any VM voicemail and/or answering machine and let the trueCall unit do the answering machine function in conjunction with the screening.

The unit blocks out the robo-diallers because (at the moment at least!) the automated calling is not clever enough to respond to the requirement to press a key on the handset and so the call is rejected.

You can set the screening to your own requirements even to the point of blocking out any call not on your contacts list or by types of call (anonymous calls, number withheld, international etc.). You can download the manual at the above link and browse the options available and see exactly what it can do.

Key points I found in setting it up and fine-tuning it were

• The limitation of wired phones on extensions not necessarily being covered by the screening process (but not an issue with cordless phones)
• The need (in my case) to plug into the master socket, but that could just be my extension wiring
• Works best with cordless phones/cordless extensions
• Awareness of the issue of the device dialling out for updates if using the internet service (either turn that off if not required or set it to dial during any free call-plan times)

Other than that, it is working very well now. I was sitting next to it working yesterday when I watched it silently block out two calls within 30 min of each other.

Before being given the unit, I was looking at this in some detail. The other products which seemed relevant were https://www.cprcallblocker.com/ (which offers more of a range on devices/prices) and also some models of BT phones. However, some of the phones only offer simple number blocking (which is useless for the auto-dialler problem). I believe one of the newest BT phone ranges may also incorporate some of the trueCall features/functionality.

As far as I know, the only service Virgin Media offer is an anonymous caller rejection service which, again, is no use for the auto-dialler problem. Although TPS is no use for the auto-dialler issue it does help in cutting down 'legitimate' spammers who play by the rules. Also going ex-directory can help etc. etc. as other 'defensive' measures!

That was a bit of a long reply but, having experienced the robo-calls myself for a number of months, I can appreciate how extremely irritating it is. The above might save you some leg-work in your quest for a resolution! Hopefully the above can give you some pointers and you can resolve it with some type of blocking/screening device.

[aaaashy]

NO they never do

[dianaww]

Thanks I’ve read this with interest we are having robo dialled called so this is just what we need thanks .. you’re right the caller preference service hadn’t stopped it and anonymous callers on the line won’t work enough thank you for this informative post