Does anyone know if call blockers are effective. We get loads of scam calls and if my O.H gets to the phone he is chatting away . I am nervous incase he discloses any info., not that he remembers bank or email details. Any advice would be good.
Scam phone calls
- Thread starter elizabeth hc
- Start date
Check your phone manual. Ours has a do not disturb feature which lets you programme in numbers of friends and family and put them in the group of whose calls will get through - every other call is simply on silent. It has cut down on sales callers like you wouldn't believe, and the ones who still call simply don't get heard. You need Caller Display for this to work but you can usually get this for free from BT.
I had a similar problem with my husband. I ended up getting caller ID and programming in the numbers of all friends and family. At the moment he knows not to pick up the phone unless he can see the caller's name.
Other than that the phone is left to ring until it goes to voicemail. I always tell him that if it is important enough they will leave a message - but they always hang up.
It's worked well for us over the past 18mths and my husband is a lot happier now that he doesn't get caught out by cold-callers (as am I!)
I didn't know about the 'silent call' facility that Beate has described. That could well be my next plan of action if my husband starts to pick up the phone to everybody and anybody again.
Other than that the phone is left to ring until it goes to voicemail. I always tell him that if it is important enough they will leave a message - but they always hang up.
It's worked well for us over the past 18mths and my husband is a lot happier now that he doesn't get caught out by cold-callers (as am I!)
I didn't know about the 'silent call' facility that Beate has described. That could well be my next plan of action if my husband starts to pick up the phone to everybody and anybody again.
First of all sign up with TPS ie the Telephone Preference Service - you can do this online and it will reduce unwanted calls.
You can buy a telephone with a blocker - I have a BT 6500 but there will be others. I block international calls to cut out call centres in Asia, calls with numbers withheld, and calls from specific numbers I don't want speaking to my husband. I rarely get unwanted calls.
You can buy a telephone with a blocker - I have a BT 6500 but there will be others. I block international calls to cut out call centres in Asia, calls with numbers withheld, and calls from specific numbers I don't want speaking to my husband. I rarely get unwanted calls.
Phones with built-in call blockers are very useful as marion says. We too have a BT6500 which does a pretty good job, the only snag is it can only save about 10 specific numbers which fills up quite quickly - I believe that the separate call blockers (which fit between your phone socket & your phone) have bigger memories and can hold many more numbers.
Hope this helps.
Hope this helps.
I'll have to check, but I think my blocker can stop up to 2000 numbers. I'll do that in the morning and report back. It is one of those separate ones. Works very well. Don't get many bandits on the line now, and those that do get in are soon removed.
marionq is quite right about TPS - we signed up to this too
It wasn't entirely successful unfortunately because there are always loopholes!
Up until a couple of years ago my husband used to enjoy taking part in online surveys - he would gradually build up points for participating and then get a cheque at reasonably regular intervals.
The problem was that some (not all) of these surveys would have a particular organisation sponsoring them and the personal details and other information provided would then be used a few months later for a 'follow-up' survey to try to extract more information; or try and sell things ranging from boats to mortgage products- or to arrange an appointment for some hyped up scheme or other.
When I pointed out to one caller that we were with TPS I was told that it didn't count as a cold call because it was a survey or a follow-up to a survey completed on line!
I repeatedly asked them to remove us from the call list and they point blank refused. On one occasion, one female who sounded embarrassed at what she was doing, confided how the loophole and online surveys worked and suggested I stop my husband doing them.
I couldn't stop my husband doing surveys (he got a lot of enjoyment from them and the earnings he received - they seemed to give him a sense of doing something worthwhile) - but then I couldn't risk him picking up the phone and being conned into signing up to something or giving away important information either.
That's when I turned to caller ID so he on only picks up for friends and family.
He isn't able to do the surveys now, he finds them too long and tiring - but it's probably worth others knowing about this particular loophole if they also have someone taking part in surveys online to while away a bit of time!
It wasn't entirely successful unfortunately because there are always loopholes!
Up until a couple of years ago my husband used to enjoy taking part in online surveys - he would gradually build up points for participating and then get a cheque at reasonably regular intervals.
The problem was that some (not all) of these surveys would have a particular organisation sponsoring them and the personal details and other information provided would then be used a few months later for a 'follow-up' survey to try to extract more information; or try and sell things ranging from boats to mortgage products- or to arrange an appointment for some hyped up scheme or other.
When I pointed out to one caller that we were with TPS I was told that it didn't count as a cold call because it was a survey or a follow-up to a survey completed on line!
I repeatedly asked them to remove us from the call list and they point blank refused. On one occasion, one female who sounded embarrassed at what she was doing, confided how the loophole and online surveys worked and suggested I stop my husband doing them.
I couldn't stop my husband doing surveys (he got a lot of enjoyment from them and the earnings he received - they seemed to give him a sense of doing something worthwhile) - but then I couldn't risk him picking up the phone and being conned into signing up to something or giving away important information either.
That's when I turned to caller ID so he on only picks up for friends and family.
He isn't able to do the surveys now, he finds them too long and tiring - but it's probably worth others knowing about this particular loophole if they also have someone taking part in surveys online to while away a bit of time!
Yes Lynne, I stopped doing a lot of online surveys for the same reason. We are registered with the TPS but have been getting a lot of recorded messages recently, these are not covered by TPS 
We have about 80 numbers saved on our phones when they call their Name shows if we get a call from the local exchange code we usually answer that all other calls we let go to answer phone first and jump in and take the call if we want or phone the caller back, we never answer International, or Withheld callers no need to accept any scam callers and if you accidently do just put the phone down your in control
The TPS doesn't stop my increasing number of call and I've read that it won't work with phone calls from other countries.
Would a private number come under numbers withheld because if so, it would mean that a couple of my relations of wouldn't be able to phone. However, an number of cold calls I receive are also displayed as private calls.
My TT account does allow for calls to be blocked but you have to register for it.
Would a private number come under numbers withheld because if so, it would mean that a couple of my relations of wouldn't be able to phone. However, an number of cold calls I receive are also displayed as private calls.
My TT account does allow for calls to be blocked but you have to register for it.
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Thanks Tony. I do have an answerphone. However, I quite often find I have notifications from private numbers there which turn out to be from cold callers.
I would need to double check the method to be sure how it works but the Truecall units have a way around this problem. You set it to play a message to all callers with withheld or private numbers BUT you also have a special code that a caller would type on their phone that would let the call through
Obviously cold callers won't have the code so would be stuck but as long as you have given the code to your relatives they get through no problem. There are a variety of ways you can set a truecall system up and the full manual is available on their web site to see what you can do.
Having had the unit for few months now it is great It is not cheap (~£100) but we think it is worth it. We used to get multiple cold calls a day over a number of days clearly from the same company which had some sales campaign on. We never answered numbers we didn't know but it was still a pain to go and check the phone every time it rang. Now it doesn't ring unless it is a legitimate call
Obviously cold callers won't have the code so would be stuck but as long as you have given the code to your relatives they get through no problem. There are a variety of ways you can set a truecall system up and the full manual is available on their web site to see what you can do.
Having had the unit for few months now it is great
It is not cheap (~£100) but we think it is worth it. We used to get multiple cold calls a day over a number of days clearly from the same company which had some sales campaign on. We never answered numbers we didn't know but it was still a pain to go and check the phone every time it rang. Now it doesn't ring unless it is a legitimate call There's a new trick that these telemarketers use now whereby they somehow get the call to show up as coming from a local dialling code.
I have a TrueCall Secure call blocker at my mother's house which I can monitor online. It has been brilliant and I highly recommend the product and service. I have set it to block all international calls without a secret code. My brothers live overseas and they have the code. No-one else gets through.
You can set the unit to allow all UK calls but only to connect immediately the ones on your trusted caller list. Everyone else gets a screening message and then has to press a number to be connected. UK telemarketers hang up during the screening message. People who withhold their number such as medical staff ringing through a switchboard, or on their mobile, follow the screening instructions and are put through. I don't think we've ever had a telemarketer get through since we installed the unit.
There are 2 products, and I would recommend the TrueCall Care (now called Secure) over the main TrueCall product, which I think is too fiddly in the way you have to use it. I suppose the difference is that the main product allows you to add a number to your trusted or zap lists at the time you receive the call, whereas the Secure product requires you to go online to make that adjustment.
I got so fed up with cold calls at home that I have now bought one of these machines for our house too.
I bought it through Alzheimer's Society shop which was the cheapest. http://shop.alzheimers.org.uk/product/truecall-care/
I am just starting to relax at home in the knowledge that the phone calls we receive will now be from people we want or need to speak to. It's only when you eliminate these intrusive calls that you realise how much they affect everyone negatively, not just the most vulnerable people.
I have a TrueCall Secure call blocker at my mother's house which I can monitor online. It has been brilliant and I highly recommend the product and service. I have set it to block all international calls without a secret code. My brothers live overseas and they have the code. No-one else gets through.
You can set the unit to allow all UK calls but only to connect immediately the ones on your trusted caller list. Everyone else gets a screening message and then has to press a number to be connected. UK telemarketers hang up during the screening message. People who withhold their number such as medical staff ringing through a switchboard, or on their mobile, follow the screening instructions and are put through. I don't think we've ever had a telemarketer get through since we installed the unit.
There are 2 products, and I would recommend the TrueCall Care (now called Secure) over the main TrueCall product, which I think is too fiddly in the way you have to use it. I suppose the difference is that the main product allows you to add a number to your trusted or zap lists at the time you receive the call, whereas the Secure product requires you to go online to make that adjustment.
I got so fed up with cold calls at home that I have now bought one of these machines for our house too.
I bought it through Alzheimer's Society shop which was the cheapest. http://shop.alzheimers.org.uk/product/truecall-care/
I am just starting to relax at home in the knowledge that the phone calls we receive will now be from people we want or need to speak to. It's only when you eliminate these intrusive calls that you realise how much they affect everyone negatively, not just the most vulnerable people.
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Here is the link to the main truecall web site: http://www.truecall.co.uk/
And this is the manual for the unit we have: http://www.truecall38.co.uk/callblocker/index.html
As I said above not the cheapest solution but if you are getting a lot of different types of calls that are bothering you one that works very well.
And this is the manual for the unit we have: http://www.truecall38.co.uk/callblocker/index.html
As I said above not the cheapest solution but if you are getting a lot of different types of calls that are bothering you one that works very well.
Well if your unlucky or the scammer gets lucky and you actually answer , start asking them questions fist , age , sex are they married how many children how old they how muck do the earn etc. or you could ask real personal questions !! and carry on until they can’t take it anymore or put down the phone for a few minuets
Most of mine are recorded messages and some recently have been silent, which I thought had been outlawed. Otherwise they are fron overseas.
They aren't massively intrusive, just a pain!
Saffie I worked in an Office for 25 years with 20+ other people obviously phones ringing all the time and believe me you quickly learn to only answer your own phone unfortunately my wife can’t resist answering ,
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