"Hello this is John, your local energy advisor".

[yorkshirelad1]

Over 300 calls per year at peak? Good God! I find that almost incomprehensible. What causes that? Something must - I can't believe I have even had 25 calls in the last 25 years.

Indeed, in September 2017 there were 46 calls (below) (in case anyone's wondering, it seems there were mostly heating scams or lottery scams). I can only assume that my mother had unwittingly given out her number on too many forms etc, or the scammers had got wind that she was an elderly lady and therefore a soft target (little did they know....)

Fri 01-Sep-2017 | 09:15 | Call | Anonymous     
Fri 01-Sep-2017 | 15:35 | Call | Anonymous     
Sat 02-Sep-2017 | 11:22 | Call |             07
Sat 02-Sep-2017 | 16:15 | Call |             09
Mon 04-Sep-2017 | 13:16 | Call | Anonymous     
Wed 06-Sep-2017 | 14:50 | Call |   015555228553
Thu 07-Sep-2017 | 09:40 | Call |             04
Thu 07-Sep-2017 | 12:09 | Call | 00148081897777
Thu 07-Sep-2017 | 13:06 | Call |    01565432172
Thu 07-Sep-2017 | 15:10 | Call | Anonymous     
Fri 08-Sep-2017 | 09:01 | Call | Anonymous     
Fri 08-Sep-2017 | 11:19 | Call | 00148081897777
Fri 08-Sep-2017 | 17:52 | Call | Anonymous     
Sat 09-Sep-2017 | 10:19 | Call | Anonymous     
Sat 09-Sep-2017 | 16:52 | Call |             04
Sun 10-Sep-2017 | 10:49 | Call | Anonymous     
Sun 10-Sep-2017 | 17:06 | Call |             02
Mon 11-Sep-2017 | 08:40 | Call |    01565432172
Mon 11-Sep-2017 | 09:26 | Call | 00148081897777
Mon 11-Sep-2017 | 10:07 | Call | 00148081897777
Mon 11-Sep-2017 | 10:43 | Call |    02039313511
Mon 11-Sep-2017 | 11:12 | Call |    01565432172
Thu 14-Sep-2017 | 09:24 | Call |             02
Thu 14-Sep-2017 | 09:34 | Call |    01565432172
Thu 14-Sep-2017 | 12:18 | Call |    01565432172
Thu 14-Sep-2017 | 12:18 | Call |    01565432172
Thu 14-Sep-2017 | 12:45 | Call | 00148081897777
Thu 14-Sep-2017 | 13:01 | Call |    01565432172
Mon 18-Sep-2017 | 12:35 | Call |             02
Mon 18-Sep-2017 | 15:53 | Call | Anonymous     
Tue 19-Sep-2017 | 10:54 | Call |    02887900802
Tue 19-Sep-2017 | 20:14 | Call |             02
Wed 20-Sep-2017 | 12:41 | Call |    02436985528
Wed 20-Sep-2017 | 13:41 | Call |    02920452602
Thu 21-Sep-2017 | 10:04 | Call |        0011032
Thu 21-Sep-2017 | 16:48 | Call |    01698748526
Fri 22-Sep-2017 | 10:03 | Call |    01923545484
Fri 22-Sep-2017 | 12:01 | Call |    02038074351
Fri 22-Sep-2017 | 13:54 | Call |    08081897777
Fri 22-Sep-2017 | 16:39 | Call |    01782550371
Mon 25-Sep-2017 | 14:37 | Call | Anonymous     
Wed 27-Sep-2017 | 15:40 | Call |    01539899765
Fri 29-Sep-2017 | 14:14 | Call | Anonymous     
Sat 30-Sep-2017 | 12:10 | Call |             04
Sat 30-Sep-2017 | 15:43 | Call | Anonymous     
Sat 30-Sep-2017 | 20:26 | Call |             02

Jul-2017 | 18
Aug-2017 | 43
Sep-2017 | 46
Oct-2017 | 37
Nov-2017 | 23
Dec-2017 | 29
Jan-2018 | 28
Feb-2018 | 11
Mar-2018 | 16
Apr-2018 | 23
May-2018 | 33
Jun-2018 | 13

with grateful thanks to https://lemonfoolfinancialsoftware.weeb ... ormat.html

(I think I need to get out more and am possibly become a spreadsheet nutter....)

[elkay]

they have a calling system that calls

07000000000 through to 07999999999 in turn.

its presumably just a scatter gun approach nothing specifically targetted.

More likely 07100000000 through to 07999999999 unless they like blowing their hard-earned cash
(070 being personal numbers with extortionate charging...)

elkay

[didds]

they have a calling system that calls

07000000000 through to 07999999999 in turn.

its presumably just a scatter gun approach nothing specifically targetted.

More likely 07100000000 through to 07999999999 unless they like blowing their hard-earned cash
(070 being personal numbers with extortionate charging...)

elkay

whatever

[elkay]

More likely 07100000000 through to 07999999999 unless they like blowing their hard-earned cash
(070 being personal numbers with extortionate charging...)

elkay

whatever

I'm not sure what I said that merited a rude response. It was just a tongue in cheek reminder to anyone that isn't aware that 070 numbers are a different category with a different charging structure to other 07 numbers.

[Watis]

whatever

I'm not sure what I said that merited a rude response. It was just a tongue in cheek reminder to anyone that isn't aware that 070 numbers are a different category with a different charging structure to other 07 numbers.

I wasn't aware of that, so thank you elkay.

Watis

[Rhyd6]

Somewhat late to this thread but we have to have a landline because mobile reception in our area is almost nil. We too have been receiving calls from a friendly energy advisor but after putting the phone down numerous times they still persisted however I've found that a really long blast on my old Guide whistle has discouraged the human ones at least.

R6

[didds]

I'm surprised anything dissuades them. The dialling is done on an auto dialler, not Bert Bloggs at home with a phone book, crossing out names that say no thanks or blows whistles at them.

Though if blowing whistles helps YOU then fill your boots of course

[pochisoldi]

I had one a couple of weeks ago - usually I just hang up or ignore, but this time I answered and put on my best simpleton voice, and had the "old lady" going around in circles doing anything other than tell me who their company was. In the end I maintained the simpleton tone and gave her 30 second stream of expletives.

Tied up that "valuable contributor to the UK economy" for over five minutes - probably saved some poor mug from being mis-sold to.

[Rhyd6]

Didds, think you may have it wrong about humans because sometimes I used to answer them in Welsh, the chap who shouted "I've got some d'head speaking chimpanzee" certainly yelled his head off when the whistle went.

R6

[pochisoldi]

"Nee bedankt" are my words of choice to use when face to face with chuggers, or others getting in the way of my day trying to flog me things I don't want. You don't really need to speak dutch to (a) understand the message, and (b) realise that they are trying to flog a dead horse.

[didds]

Didds, think you may have it wrong about humans because sometimes I used to answer them in Welsh, the chap who shouted "I've got some d'head speaking chimpanzee" certainly yelled his head off when the whistle went.

R6

LOL!

what I meant was id be amazed if somehow their system then removed your number from their database of numbers they autodial through - that's all

[didds]

meanwhile if I bother to stay on the line just say "oh, you need to speak to my wife" then leave the open call next to a radio

I once did it at rugby practise and left the open call (I was coaching) on the scrum machine where the pack were grunting and swearing themselves through a set of scrums.

[UncleEbenezer]

I'm surprised anything dissuades them. The dialling is done on an auto dialler, not Bert Bloggs at home with a phone book, crossing out names that say no thanks or blows whistles at them.

Though if blowing whistles helps YOU then fill your boots of course

My phone indicates "suspected spam".

I do answer those, because I do get legit. calls from unknown numbers, and the phone is wrong as often as right. But I answer quietly and mumble. A human on the other end will hear something and respond, but the call centre bots won't register, so if and when a call centre human connects, they're confused and flustered. I can then hijack the script to make them to identify themselves (customary mumble not accepted), and hang up if appropriate.

[XFool]

I'm surprised anything dissuades them. The dialling is done on an auto dialler, not Bert Bloggs at home with a phone book, crossing out names that say no thanks or blows whistles at them.

Something must. Or possibly, something encourages them. Which is it?

I don't get such calls*. Just as I don't get out of the blue email spam. Yet other people are always complaining of both. There has to be some explanation.


* Doesn't mean I have NEVER had such calls in the past, though a very small number, and seemingly none for a long time now.

[didds]

I'm surprised anything dissuades them. The dialling is done on an auto dialler, not Bert Bloggs at home with a phone book, crossing out names that say no thanks or blows whistles at them.

Something must. Or possibly, something encourages them. Which is it?.

an autodialler. thats it. it is not joe bloggs with a phone book and a pencil. its totally random.

[XFool]

Something must. Or possibly, something encourages them. Which is it?.

an autodialler. thats it. it is not joe bloggs with a phone book and a pencil. its totally random.

If there was any degree of intelligence or learning there, then an efficient operation ought not to be totally random.

Interestingly, watching an edition of the BBC 1 programme 'Spam Interceptors' the other day, they mentioned that the scammers know by calling numbers during the middle of the day that most people answering from home will not be of working age. i.e. Older, retired people.

So not always entirely random then?

[Redmires]

Sometimes not totally random. A couple of years ago I worked in an office which had a switchboard with DDI extensions, where the extensions could be reached directly without going through the switchboard. The numbering system for DDI was sequential, for example 0161 555 2300, 0161 555 2301, 2302 and so on. One day, a call came through direct to extn 2300 from a scam caller (broadband/router issue as I recall). The phone was answered and terminated. Then the same thing happened to another extn in the office. Altogether, about 15 extns were called in the office by the scam call centre. So it was an autodialler system at work, but in this case it was working sequentially through the telephone exchange area code. The rest of the area code numbers were probably called in the town that day (mid afternoon), meaning that some calls would be answered by those at home, more likely to be the elderly/retired people.

PS. Scam Interceptors - this should be prime TV on all channels. If a handful of BBC staff can set up an operation like this, how come the banks are not working together to do the same, saving themselves billions in the process (or should that be saving us, as we all pay in the end).

Edit: DDI - 'direct dial in'

[XFool]

PS. Scam Interceptors - this should be prime TV on all channels.

Yes. I of course saw I had typed it wrongly in my post.

We NEED more editing time on TLF posts, despite what some may insist.

[UncleEbenezer]

Interestingly, watching an edition of the BBC 1 programme 'Spam Interceptors' the other day, they mentioned that the scammers know by calling numbers during the middle of the day that most people answering from home will not be of working age. i.e. Older, retired people.

So not always entirely random then?

Sounds like what might've been expected in the past, maybe even as recent as pre-lockdown.

Nowadays of course ever more people are ditching landlines altogether, more "landline" numbers have moved to VOIP and reach the customer by mobile, and the distinction between home and work numbers is much more blurred.

[XFool]

Sounds like what might've been expected in the past, maybe even as recent as pre-lockdown.

Nowadays of course ever more people are ditching landlines altogether, more "landline" numbers have moved to VOIP and reach the customer by mobile, and the distinction between home and work numbers is much more blurred.

You haven't seen the programme, Scam Interceptors, then? Most calls they show on the programme are to smart phones. They show a screenshot (blurred) of the recipient's phone - which of course is also what the scammers are often looking at as well, after persuading victims to download apps such as AnyDesk to their phone as part of the scam.

The BBC people are trying to find out who the victims are and to get in contact with them however they can, via the smartphone, a landline, a neighbour etc.