Scam

[Chippy_Tea]

I have a free telephone call screening service on my landline which works and stops all unwanted calls coming through you can also buy boxes that block known scam and cold calling numbers automatically so why cant all service providers do this for free and help stop this scum from ripping people off.

 

[jayk34]

I have a free telephone call screening service on my landline which works and stops all unwanted calls coming through you can also buy boxes that block known scam and cold calling numbers automatically so why cant all service providers do this for free and help stop this scum from ripping people off.

I thought that the telephone preference service was available to all service providers as you just register your number. Done it ages ago for BT but maybe doesn'twork for others?

 

[RichardM]

I thought that the telephone preference service was available to all service providers as you just register your number. Done it ages ago for BT but maybe doesn'twork for others?

The TPS only stops calls from marketing companies that are signed up. It won't make any difference to scammers and foreign companies.

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

The telephone preference service (TPS) works really well to cut down marketing calls from legit companies because the direct marketing code requires them to check their calling lists against the database.

Unfortunately however the TPS is no use whatsoever against scammers as they don’t give a to$$ about complying with the direct marketing code.

Equally call-blocking methods based on calling number ID (CLI) are mostly ineffective against scammers because as they are mostly using IP telephony it is relatively easy for them to fake their CLI to be whatever they want (see Number spoofing scams). This is called CLI spoofing, and it’s very difficult for the telephone companies to prevent because it takes place outside their own networks.

Having a call-screening service (where callers are required to say what their call is about before they are connected to you) works a bit better, but it’s a complete PiTA for legitimate callers.

 

[jayk34]

The TPS only stops calls from marketing companies that are signed up. It won't make any difference to scammers and foreign companies.

Ah ok. My way of avoiding scam callers is not to have a landline phone. I do pay for a landline so I can get broadband but don't have an actual phone plugged into it.

Its a different story on my mobile, have had a few voicemails lately with attempted scams. They are scum. There are a few youtube users that I like to watch that actually scam the scammers and are enjoyable to watch.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I thought that the telephone preference service was available to all service providers as you just register your number. Done it ages ago for BT but maybe doesn'twork for others?

To be honest i found the TPS about as much use as a chocolate fireguard.

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

I do pay for a landline so I can get broadband but don't have an actual phone plugged into it.

same here until recently, when BT OpenReach started offering direct fibre connections to the home in our area. We went for the fibre but with a third party (Zen Internet) and once you’ve got that you can finally say goodbye to the fixed line phone and get it disconnected.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Having a call-screening service (where callers are required to say what their call is about before they are connected to you) works a bit better, but it’s a complete PiTA for legitimate callers.

This is what we use and it works great you either let them in, let them in once or block them permanently, obviously scammers are not going to give their name to the automatic service as they know you are not going to let the call through and they are wasting their time it works brilliantly and we have not had a single scam or sales call since we sighed up to it.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Ah ok. My way of avoiding scam callers is not to have a landline phone. I do pay for a landline so I can get broadband but don't have an actual phone plugged into it.

Its a different story on my mobile, have had a few voicemails lately with attempted scams. They are scum. There are a few youtube users that I like to watch that actually scam the scammers and are enjoyable to watch.

This is the problem its no good not having a land line phone if you give your mobile number to every site that requires it i never give my mobile number to anyone i give them my landline so when they call i can let them through or block them, i have never had a call on my mobile from anyone i don't know.

 

[jayk34]

This is the problem its no good not having a land line phone if you give your mobile number to every site that requires it i never give my mobile number to anyone i give them my landline so when they call i can let them through or block them, i have never had a call on my mobile from anyone i don't know.

I used to have sipgate where you could sign up and get a geographical number. I used to use it regularly and you would get an email alert when someone called or left a voicemail. Was a great way to filter the crap out. I must investigate it again and use it for Internet signups.