Nuisance Phone Calls

ossian

ossian

Senior Member
Location
Scotland
I, like many, get really annoyed by all the cold calls and scammers that plague me on a daily basis. So, I was really pleased to learn that BT have now introduced a new, free service for BT customers in the UK. It is called BT Call Protect and works like a junk mail filter for phonecalls. You can access details of your received calls on BT's site and see a summary of the calls in your junk folder too.

As I have only started to use the service, I cannot say how effective it is. However, I understand that it uses some nifty smart technology and am hoping it does the business as I have long since given up answering my phone unless I recognised the number.

BT Call Protect
 

I get a lot of them too every day on my land line and I rarely pick up. After awhile you get to recognize the numbers of the callers, even if I had call blocking, the spammers/scammers use numerous different numbers to do their dirty deeds.
 

Beware the scammers are phoning home numbers again telling you they have dectcted you have issues with windows on your computer ...I'm in Australia....I'm sure they are not ..so anyone ,anywhere could get a call from them ..
I received a call about tea time (evening meal time ) last night ..I told them I didn't have a computer :sobad:,she hung up on me without another word
 
I can block calls on my phone. I just can't seem to keep up with them. I also wish the phone wouldn't ring at all when recognizing that it is blocked. I still get the answering machine telling me who is calling and then stops. It disturbs dinner and conversation should we have company and it does seem to happen more often during dinner hours.
 
Trying to keep up with these calls can ware you out. I am on "the do not call" list (which is useless) and can block a certain number of calls. But they just keep coming. Don't answer landline unless I know the number, otherwise goes to voicemail and of course they never leave message. Since I use my cell, think once contract is up will have the landline removed.
 
I've written about this before and for those of you with land lines here in the US, that are over the internet (as many are these days) check out a free and easy-to-set-up service called NOMOROBO . Works like a charm. Works with many telephone companies. Blocked a call just a few minutes ago. I have no connection to the company; just stumbled across it one day after being frustrated with interruptions during my work day at home. I have Comcast/XFinity phone service and took all of five minutes to set it up. Probably blocks 3-5 calls per day. Will only block computer dialed calls, which is what many telemarketers and scammers use. The phone rings once, then stops. Very effective.

They have just release a version of the software for the iPhone. Costs $1.99/month for cell phone coverage, but is free on landlines.
 
Hi Bob, I must have missed that information when you first posted it. Thank you. I too have Comcast/XFinity so will be looking into it. Unfortunately, not very technical but will bookmark that site and have my daughter look into it. Again, thank you so for the info.
 
Temperance said:
Hi Bob, I must have missed that information when you first posted it. Thank you. I too have Comcast/XFinity so will be looking into it. Unfortunately, not very technical but will bookmark that site and have my daughter look into it. Again, thank you so for the info.
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You'll find it very easy to set this up. Takes no more than five minutes.
 
I think in the UK we have trailed behind the technology that may be available in other parts of the world. Our main provider is BT and until recently, they did not operate a call blocking system. You had to either buy a phone that could perform some type of control or develop your own means by recognising numbers and ignoring the calls when they were displayed.

I posted this, not so much to open up the issue once more, but to make BT users over here aware of the initiative.
 
Although it is early days yet, I am not sure how good this is. I received and unknown international call yesterday which I did not answer. Typically these calls are of the Windows comuter scam and I never answer those. I had hoped that those would be eliminated.
 
I never answer my phone unless I recognise the caller ID, there's an answer phone and if they don't leave a message it couldn't have been important ....
 
Wren said:
I never answer my phone unless I recognise the caller ID, there's an answer phone and if they don't leave a message it couldn't have been important ....
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That is the method that I use, Wren. So far with the BT system I have received 2 out of 2 nuisance calls. Hopwefully it will improve.
 
Here is a good reply to a nuisance call.

Thank you for your call, I am really interested in what you are selling, but I am about to leave for an important meeting. Please give me your home number and I will call you tonight when I get home..

I just about always hear a click on the end of my message..001.gif
 
Wren said:
I never answer my phone unless I recognise the caller ID, there's an answer phone and if they don't leave a message it couldn't have been important ....
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This seems to be a common recommended solution, but don't you get tired of hearing it ring all day?
 
  • 'This seems to be a common recommended solution, but don't you get tired of hearing it ring all day' ?

    Its rare for my phone to ring more than a couple of times a week Nancy, and I can't remember the last time I received a nuisance call..., 11:28 AM​

  • ​
 
NancyNGA said:
This seems to be a common recommended solution, but don't you get tired of hearing it ring all day?
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It is not really a problem. I can allocate specific ringtones to saved numbers on my phone. So, I do this for numbers I know. That way, when I hear an ordinary ringtone, I ignore it. It has become the norm to ignore most daytime calls now.
 
If Bob's suggestion doesn't work for you, maybe this will. I have been using the Digitone call blocker for about 5 years and it has been worth the money. It will block by the phone number or the area code. When one is blocked, your phone will not ring. It is so easy to block either way. I don't work for the company either. I just found it after getting 25-30 calls a day while my husband was in bed sick with cancer. This device had such good reviews I thought I would try it and I haven't regretted it one bit! You can find it at: http://www.digitone.com/
 
AprilSun said:
If Bob's suggestion doesn't work for you, maybe this will. I have been using the Digitone call blocker for about 5 years and it has been worth the money. It will block by the phone number or the area code. When one is blocked, your phone will not ring. It is so easy to block either way. I don't work for the company either. I just found it after getting 25-30 calls a day while my husband was in bed sick with cancer. This device had such good reviews I thought I would try it and I haven't regretted it one bit! You can find it at: http://www.digitone.com/
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April T, this sounds pretty good, but I was looking at some of the videos and it seems awfully complicated to set up. Is it really complicated?
 
The news has had several references to a new type of phone scam in recent days. The caller asks if you can hear him, and wants you to answer "Yes"...then hangs up. Apparently, they can capture your voice saying "Yes", and are using that somehow to make purchases using your voice. I don't know how that scam works, but it has been on the evening news on the major networks, so it must be a pretty big problem. Be Aware!!
 
Here in Australia you can register your phone number on the Government "Do not call register" this seems to work pretty well..charities are exempt though so still get them!!
 
Butterfly said:
April T, this sounds pretty good, but I was looking at some of the videos and it seems awfully complicated to set up. Is it really complicated?
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It's not to me. If you just want to block by telephone number, you just hit the block button twice quickly while it is displayed on the device screen and it will block it. But, if you want to block by area code, the device will tell you what to do as you do it. For example, if you want to block area code 403. You press the program button until it shows Program Mode then you wait until it shows Pickup Phone and then wait until it shows Enter Code. When it wants the code, you enter 40403 and the * button on your phone 7 times. Your Digitone will show number blocked and then you hang up unless you want to block another area code. The area code blocking is a little bit more complicated but by the number there is nothing to it but pressing the block number quickly as it instructs.I don't have mine programed for the "After Hours Mode". You don't have to use that if you don't want to. I haven't needed it. It comes with complete instructions to do whatever you want to do.
 
I have that set up on my home phone kburra but I still get scam calls ..I live in South Aust ...I had one just yesterday from an oblivious attempt to get our personal details ,they were claiming we had an car accident in the last three months and they would be taking action on our behalf ...
 

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