Scam call

[Blue79]

I've just recieved a call from "Virgin Media".  I was addressed as Mam throughout the call. She claimed I had problems with the Internet signal. I asked if she could tell me what my account number was. She said yes and that she would provide this to me before my eyes and asked what device I was using. I asked her to tell me my account number. She said she would show me. At this point I said I didn't believe her. She said OK and hung up. Tel. No.[REMOVED]. Can't anything be done about these calls? I am receiving several every week. Two today and it's only 11: 00am. My mother is 90 and my husband has a dangerous job and works away. It stresses me out every time the phone rings.

[MOD EDIT: Private information has been removed from this post. Please review the Forum Guidelines]

[goslow]

Consider the purchase of a trueCall device which screens calls and prevents scam calls from ringing through to your phone.

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

Second hand units sometimes appear on eBay at significantly less cost (but with the usual caveats which apply when buying from there).

Some BT phones have a 'lite' version of trueCall built in but it is not as sophisticated or customisable.

[Blue79]

That phone number was the one used by the scammers. Why is that not allowed? Surely the more people who are aware of this number the better.

[goslow]

The number was removed because it was probably just a random (fake) 0203 virtual number which doesn't exist. The fake caller IDs are swapped regularly so, even if someone saw it on here and noted it, it would probably never be used again for long by the scammers.

More recently, the scammers have been copying and misusing real numbers from real businesses and residential customers to use as their fake caller IDs.

This has resulted in irate call-backs from scam call recipients to the real/innocent owners of the cloned numbers complaining about receiving a scam call. This can be very annoying and distressing to the real owners of the numbers who often have no idea why they are getting such calls.

As a result, phone numbers are removed by the moderators to avoid the possibility of publishing real numbers belonging to innocent people or businesses.

[Blue79]

Thankyou for that Goslow. Now I understand.