Spam e mails and phone calls

[Glammanana]

More Amazon calls this week about 5 in total even when using call blocker they still get through,when I think back I seem to think that Amazon has only been a problem since Alexa came to live in my house I wonder if it has any thing to do with that ?

[Enfys]

The last two days I have been inundated with scam calls. The first one I answered as I didn’t notice the number, an Asian woman supposedly from Virgin/BT? Told me my internet had been or was in danger of being hacked and she wanted me to check my router. I was suspicious from the start, refused to do what she asked and told her to stop bothering me and go away! But the calls continued, always with a different number or “out of area”. Every hour, sometimes 2 o 3 straight after each other. This went on for 2 days but yesterday evening was quiet so I thought they’d stopped. I never picked up the phone after that first one, just let it go to answer phone. But drove me mad!!

its started again this morning so I have unplugged my landline! Most of my friends text me anyway so it shouldn’t be a problem. I think the fact the calls were being answered by the answer phone told them to the line was active so hopefully this will put an end to it. I hardly use the landline anyway only need it for the internet.

I just wish there was more we could do but nothing seems to work. TPS is a waste of time!

[Daisy]

Enfys - this is horrible and you must be totally fed up with them. We usually find if it's a UK call and we say we're TPS registered they just put the phone down. But if it is an overseas call they don't care and keep on ringing. You shouldn't have to unplug your landline to stop this nuisance. xx

[Plantaholic]

Enfys, that is awful for you, that's intimidation. Could you have a word with BT, they must be able to do something for you.

[Gemini]

That's terrible Enfys, as Plant says it's intimidation.
As you say, it people mostly use your mobile you can ignore your landline. You shouldn't have to though.

[Enfys]

I’ve googled it and been on the virgin media forum, (They are my provider). it’s a common problem. Apparently they target a certain area and randomly dial a series of numbers until someone picks up. There’s nothing they can do, they change the number they call from So you can’t block them. I’ve had the phone unplugged most of the day, plugged it in again now so we shall see. I’ve messaged a couple of people who sometimes ring me and asked them to either text or use my mobile so it won’t cause me any problems. I worry though about the more vulnerable people who might get sucked into the scam.

[Lizzie48]

Enfys, it was the same with those threatening mails I received, they are spam and rubbish, but, if vulnerable people fall for it they have a problem. I read so often that they warn people for calls and mails etc, even WhatsApp messages.

[Nanto2girls]

We get a lot of calls telling us our internet will be disconnected within 24 hours.
We just hang up, but i fear some will get sucked in.

[Oma]

We get loads saying we have missed a call by our internet provider and it will be cut off in 48 hours , well the 48 hours have lasted at least 10 month ,
Another is we have been in a accident and when you ask when this accident was they cant answer so i always say well you phoned me so you must have the info , at that point they hang up ,

And the amount of calls i get from Agnes or Malcom from a Indian call centre , the last one said her name was Vera , so i said well you have started off on a lie so what is your real name ? she went silent then hung up

Its the same with inland revenue letters and emails , all scams
But these calls are a bit much when its 5 or more a day
we are on the BT call block but not much they can do with overseas calls

[Daisy]

My standard answers to the one about being involved in an accident that wasn't my fault is either 'oh, yes. I remember, it was November, let me see, 1965 I think.' You can almost hear them trying to work the dates out! The other one is 'oh yes, it was not far from the Sea of Tranquility. It looked like an American moon buggy.' They generally hang up - can't imagine why!!

The foreign call centre ones I say could I just ask you a question, and they say yes. So I ask if their mother knows what a low life job they do and what would she say if she knew.

Other times, I just hang up.

But I agree, when they keep on ringing day in day out it becomes a much more serious nuisance, and very intimidating. Enfys - you certainly shouldn't be driven to unplugging you landline. Virgin do offer some kind of call screening I think. A friend of mine has it, but it's a real nuisance for genuine callers because the caller has to be verified in some way - I can't remember the details!

[WeeGranny]

We have BT call blocker,but the nuisance callers are now using what look like genuine numbers and and never the same one twice,so you can't block them. It does stop the overseas ones though. Now if I don't recognise a number I leave it for the answerphone to pick up. Nine times out of ten there's no message left.

[Daisy]

WeeGranny - I would leave unknown numbers too, but OH has calls from random people related to some charity work he does, and I don't like to ignore those. But I do wish he'd put his regular contacts in the phone memory!

[Fairyqueen]

We get them too. I always block them on both mobile and landline but they still seem to get through. So annoying.

[Plantaholic]

Yes, I have had those using genuine numbers WG. I never answer International calls, I don't have anyone calling from abroad.

[Enfys]

I have had a couple of emails during this last week from somewhere called “BTCLifestyle” but the sender is just a random name something like AlanHiggins! Apparently I had just had £14,738 deposited in my account!! Didn’t say what account .........I deleted them straightaway. Have just done some investigating online and it appears they are to do with Bitcoin, something I know nothing about.

Just a warning, do not respond, just delete ASAP. I don’t know what they are after, probably bank details or similar. Something else to be aware of.