Telephone Scammers.

[FierceKitty]

There've been a few tenants at No. 10 that I could imagine using such machines and tactics (Pitt the Elder and Disraeli, to name the safer ones).

[steve_holmes_11]

I'm sure we've all been plagued by this.

As somebody who works in IT (and sometimes Telecomms) I am hugely disappointed that our telecomms providers aren't doing more to de-tox the wires they run into our houses.

My own experience relates to a busy time, expecting an important medical call; 4 or 5 calls in one morning form "Microsoft".
* Finally decided to report to my provider to have the source blocked. What a rigmarole to try to find the provider's number. What a wait.
* Described the problem, provider asked for the source number.
* When I reported it was withheld, I was told "We can't do anything because we can't tell where it's coming from".
* Listen sunshine: You bill these bandits (directly or indirectly), you relay my voice direct to their handset - you most certainly know who they are (of could find out in seconds based on your call records).

The technical solutions are very easy (Track the sources sending 30+ simultaneous messages throughout the working day).
The technical solution isn't applied because it would involve some loss of revenue.

[O Dinas Powys]

I always ask them what colour underwear they have on, in a loud, clear and confident voice. Doesn't matter if the caller is male or female.

Never respond to anything they say, just keep on repeating the same question, even if they tell you the answer, until they eventually hang up.

I like to repeatedly ask if they're a computer, questioning them with, "Are you sure?" if they say otherwise 

Or, if it's the accident lot, "Blimey that was quick, the fire brigade hasn't even made it to cut me out yet!"

[O Dinas Powys]

Shouldn't be possible with modern cars, the nozzles on the pipes are different sizes, and the cars have gates on the tank to stop the wrong pump fitting.

IanS

You shouldn't be able to get diesel into a petrol becasue a diesel nozzle's wider, but you can get petrol into a diesel - only done it once and thankfully reslised before I started the engiune! 

[Orcs]

You shouldn't be able to get diesel into a petrol becasue a diesel nozzle's wider, but you can get petrol into a diesel - only done it once and thankfully reslised before I started the engiune! 

They should make the nozzles different shapes. I did it once and realised before starting the engine, the recovery man said he picks up an average of 6 a week incorrectly fuelled vehicles.

Need an FV432 as it runs on anything. Its also zero road tax and does not require an MOT 

[sean66]

the problem with a 432 is the tracks are a bit dearer than wheels and you go through them faster.
also I think council might want a bit of money every six months to relay your road 
regards
Sean

[Orcs]

the problem with a 432 is the tracks are a bit dearer than wheels and you go through them faster.
also I think council might want a bit of money every six months to relay your road 
regards
Sean

The state of the roads around me they won't notice.  There are more potholes than road in some places

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

the problem with a 432 is the tracks are a bit dearer than wheels and you go through them faster.
also I think council might want a bit of money every six months to relay your road 
regards
Sean

It's got rubber blocks on the tracks for just that reason

[Techno]

The state of the roads around me they won't notice.  There are more potholes than road in some places

They've actually been repairing some reasonably large chunks of road here, recently......That'll spoil my games of pothole slalom, driving into Cardigan.

Cheers - Phil

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

The gravel surface isn't too durable Phil 

[Techno]

I would have to give the guys credit for doing such a good job 'along the lane'..........I'm sure the cyclists around here are finding they don't have such painful nether regions anymore.
(Must have almost crippled some of them !)

There's only one village on the way to Cardigan that could do with a 'sprucing up' now....That's the only one where I can now play the aforementioned pothole slalom.

Cheers - Phil

[Steve J]

Hmmm, come Winter roads round our neck of the woods (the outskirts of Bristol) are going to be in a terrible state, as the surface is already broken up . When I cycle over certain sections I keep having to check I haven't got a puncture due to the noise it makes!

[Raider4]

Hmmm, come Winter roads round our neck of the woods (the outskirts of Bristol) are going to be in a terrible state, as the surface is already broken up . When I cycle over certain sections I keep having to check I haven't got a puncture due to the noise it makes!

Aye, roads in Bristol are terrible. But I think that's by design. It's been clear for years that whoever runs the Bristol traffic planning department just really, really hates cars.

[Raider4]

Argh! Just had one these robot voice calls, from Amazon about my Prime renewal . . .

Normally I don't answer, because they show up as (mostly) made up numbers (No UK phone number starts '06xxx' . . .).

But this one purported to come from my wife's parents. Which show these buggers have some information about who might genuinely ring my number on a regular basis! Worrying.

[Techno II]

They can 'pretend' to be phoning from any number they choose now. (Barstewards)
A scammer can 'use' a genuine 'the tax office' number....The houses of Parliament....A relation....Whatever, nowadays.

Agreed, that's slightly worrying that they appear to have your in-laws' number...and have linked it to you, Martyn.
Hmmmm.

Mind you, using their number for an Amazon Prime scam is a bit of a giveaway.......A bit of a sod if they're using that number to do multiple Amazon calls.
Your in-laws might end up fielding a lot of calls from folk who believe that the in-laws' number IS Amazon.....or scammers.......I hope not.

Cheers - Phil

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Most oif the numbers don't show Phil, so altough a call scanner helps some will get through.

[Orcs]

They can 'pretend' to be phoning from any number they choose now. (Barstewards)
A scammer can 'use' a genuine 'the tax office' number....The houses of Parliament....A relation....Whatever, nowadays.

They called my daughter recently cloning the Tax office number, Told her she owed them £2000 and they were going to take her to court.  She does owe a  couple of Hundred due to changing jobs , so they caught her at the "right" time . Fortunately She guessed it was a scam , but the caller got her into a right state. She eventually hung up and called me in tears.

After I had calmed her down and made sure she had not given them any details. I told her all the usual stuff - tel them to write to you, just hang up etc.

I feel sorry for the genuine people making calls to thier customers , they must get so much grief.  I told a lady to "F*ck Off" on one occasion, when she just called and said "Hello Mr Webb How are you, are you having a good day" rather than saying its" Jane from Nationwide".  She called back again and said exactly that, I recognized her voice and had to profusely apologize.

   




   

[John Cook]

You have a number of options with these telephone scams.  If it is from an entity with which you don't have a relationship it's easy - just ring off and block the number.  If it purports to come from a bank, building society, insurance company or whatever, where you hold an account ask them for a letter of your password, say the fifth for example, or one of the other memorable names or places you have chosen.  If they can't, they are fake and most won't even know what you account number is either.  If you are convinced it is genuine, tell them that you are ringing off and will call them back, and then do so, preferably from another phone.  Treat all unsolicited calls as scams potentially.

[Techno II]

First one for AGES...it was quite amusing, in reality.

"Amazon Prime" querying my account...Still haven't got a Prime a/c.

Kept him on the phone for a good few minutes...finally told him that the number they'd 'spoofed' was in my own telephone area....Bit of a giveaway.

Especially as the call was definitely coming from overseas.    

Cheers - Phil.

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Had a couple lately trying to tell me I'd spent £700 + on Amazon, then refused to tell where from.