Forum Topic

Phone  ‘missed call’ scam

Victims receive a missed call from a number beginning 070 or 076. These numbers are used as they appear to be calls from a mobile phone number.However, when the victim tries to call the number back, the call is immediately dropped or an engaged tone is played and the victim is charged 50p for making the call.If you receive a missed call from a number beginning 070 or 076 that you do not recognise, do not call it back. Instead, make a note of the number and complain to the premium rate regulator, PhonepayPlus (Tel: 0800 500 212)http://consumers.ofcom.org.uk/phone/tackling-nuisance-calls-and-messages/scams/

Fred Hunt ● 4084d20 Comments

Some scams are quite sophisticated other are simply laughable.I enjoy the letters from 'Euro Lottery Winners Circle' based, normally, in Stamford bridge avenue, Chelsea, west London (sic).

Nigel Brooks ● 4048d

Yesterday, I received a scam letter, asking about a possible money inheritance for me from a long lost uncle who had lived and recentlydied in Oz - it was such an obvious scam letter, so was binned immediately.

Gerry Tan ● 4049d

As I posted in an earlier responseIf you are at all worried by this....... BT have a cracking call-screening phone, the 6500,which you can 'train' in seconds only to let recognised numbers through.  It's about £35 and has brought us peace of mind with an elderly relative.

Nigel Brooks ● 4078d

The Telephone Preference Service is a help, but does not stop all calls, the excuse the callers getting through is sorry I'll update my disc, or in one case the caller, selling windows replacements, said she never heard of the service.You can also get from B.T. a call baring service (it charges) baring calls that don't leave there number, but still some calls get through, usually international calls or calls with a false number, (with 12 or more numbers) B.T. says they can't do nothing about international calls or calls that are computer generated and are "bounced" from one computer to another

John Charles Todd ● 4078d

Sadly the TPS can do nothing for calls originating overseas nor for companies that 'spoof' their numbers behind fictitious line identities.

Nigel Brooks ● 4079d

The TPS is used by legitimate companies not to call, the cowboys don't know of its existance.

Fred Hunt ● 4079d

You could also register to go on the Telephone Preference Service (it's free), which stops nuisances callers coming through on your home phone.

Mary Devine ● 4079d

We gets phone calls offering advice regarding a car accident we've had recently. Most annoying 'cos we don't have a car and haven't had for some years.  Its not a scam caller, but its very irritating. We've reported these calls but we still receive them. Bah!

Gerry Tan ● 4080d

I may well use it myself in a few years.

Susan Kelly ● 4083d

No worries, it's there if you need it.

Nigel Brooks ● 4083d

Thanks, Nigel. One thing I don't worry about is Dad falling for any scams: he's far too truculent for that. It's just this odd habit of always calling back that baffles me.

Susan Kelly ● 4083d

SusanIf you are at all worried by this, in regard to your dad, BT have a cracking call-screening phone, the 6500,which you can 'train' in seconds only to let recognised numbers through.  It's about £35 and has brought us peace of mind with an elderly relative.

Nigel Brooks ● 4083d

Oh, yeah, 1471; haven't needed it since we got caller ID years ago.Obviously if you're running a business, it's a whole different ball game.

Susan Kelly ● 4083d

If you run any kind of business at all you will often receive calls from numbers that you don't recognise.

Tony Colliver ● 4083d

1471 is the messed call number.

Tony Colliver ● 4083d

Damn it!I think I get suckered by this last week.  :-(Thought nothing of it at the time - which is the hoped for response of course.

Tony Colliver ● 4083d

You're probably right, Keith. The moment my octogenarian father gets home, he dials 1971 (is it?) and calls the last number back. Me, I just assume they're nuisance callers and, if they were legitimate, then they'd leave a message. No way would I ever call one back.

Susan Kelly ● 4084d

You obviously don't have the same level of curiosity about missed calls that some people have  Susan. I think Fred has given a useful warning to some who might want to know who called them.Again, thanks Fred you may have saved some people some money.

Keith Iddon ● 4084d

Why would you call back a number you don't recognise?

Susan Kelly ● 4084d

Cheers Fred.

Keith Iddon ● 4084d