Nuisance Phone Calls

Is anyone else plagued by these callers claiming to be from the technical support team, telling them there's something wrong with their computer, and if I log on they'll talk me through repairing it, do they really think I'm that stupid,for well over a year now they phone at least twice a week this week its been twice a day!!!!,the numbers are always from abroad, I've tried all the usual 'I don't have a computer' 'Yes I'll just get her for you' (leave the phone off the hook, 10 mins later they were still there) 'Stop phoning this number', tonight it was 'You're really starting to get on my nerves' but I can guarantee they'll phone again, I'm on the telephone preference list and have reported them but unfortubately they can't do anything as the numbers are abroad and they don't always phone from the same one, say they're working on a way to stop them (soon please),told me to keep a list of the times they phone and report to the police as its harassment, but what can the police do ? how can I get it through to these callers that NO WAY ARE THEY GETTING ANY PASSWORDS FROM ME!!!!(which I have told them by the way) mmm just thought a whistle sounds like a good idea.

 

Exactly what I do! .... The ACME SCOUT still makes a piercing shrill......but don't forget to hold the phone away from your ear!

Just out of interest, have a look at the ACME WHISTLES site: http://acmewhistles.co.uk/xcart/home.php - fascinating stuff!

 

Here's one option
Nuisance Phone Calls - YouTube

 

The 'phone was once a useful device. Now it's just a way for cold callers to torture you. E-mail is going the same way. Despite the spam filter, I reckon I still get more ads for viagra and begging notes from Nigeria than bona fide messages. A while ago I started getting unsolicited treetreetree on my mobile as well. Some of it was gross.

There are times when I think life in a hermit's cave might be the only way to escape the treetreetree.

 

I just say Oh gosh thanks, hang on I will switch it on, and we wait whilst it flashes up
Then he talks me through it
Only each time he asks me what it says I change it, nope it does not say that it says this
The longest I have got is 32 minutes before he hung up
Pakistani
Hello dare sir salutations my name is Malcolm, What lovely /awful weather it is in (Kirkcaldy) CHirckiady today your compuder as a virus,
Well it is not on,
No,no it has been very reported to me sir
can you switch it on fer mee
Sure
I then play, if I do not have any play time
I just tell them to stick their head where the sun don't shine

Jack McH

 

Simbad, you could try the silent treatment. When they ring and speak stay silent and just hang up. Once you speak that gives them the go ahead to get a conversation going.

 

Yesterday, t'other half was at one of our other houses doing work and the phone went .. sometimes his mobile for whatever reason doesn't say it's him, so I answered it ... :DOH: .. PT Telecom trying to sell something .. I pretended I couldn't speak Portuguese so the call ended.

I have had six today here ... the caller ID comes up as 'No Name' which means I don't answer it .. but it is so annoying. They obviously have something here like 'hide caller ID' because it does not come up when I try to find out who the caller was.

 

I think that most of us are like minded, and see the scam for what it is.

However a small percentage do fall for it. A good friend of mine had promised his next door neighbour, before she died, that he would keep an eye on her somewhat mentally disabled daughter who continued to live next door. This friend discovered that the daughter had sent thousands of pounds to scam lottery and other schemes.

These people are their real target, which makes me so sad.

 

The trouble is, without caller display, the minute you answer the 'phone 'they' know there's someone the other end so even if you hang up immediately, you're fair game for them to try again.

Unfortunately, TPS won't stop calls dialled from overseas nor those dialled by computer - which is why I get 2, 3 sometimes 4 calls a day worrying, for me, about my unclaimed PPI!

In the unlikely event I actually get a 'human' on the other end, and since 'Hello' sounds pretty much the same in any accent, I wait and see what response it elicits before pretending 'I no speek d Ingleesh', a phrase I constantly repeat until they get fed up. Of course, there's the other strategy, listen without saying anything for a few seconds, ask them politely to excuse you, then shriek 'Put - the - gun - down', before returning to them with a 'Sorry about that, you were saying ....?'

So far my computer has been 'virus free' insofaras, no-one has yet tried to talk me through repairing it. I just wish it was even a quarter as easy to get through to BT's helpline, and when I do, oh, how I wish I could talk to someone with English as a first language.

 

Glad I'm not the only one who gets totally ticked off with these callers, we thought by going on the telephone preference list it would stop all these calls and it has apart from this one niggly one.
Definitely investing in a whistle Alex .
Wonder if I could train the cat to do that gcc:D
Yes JWK I do have caller display but they phone from different numbers or as Sheal says withheld numbers and do have a few friends and family who are ex directory so they're numbers are withheld.
Yes Sheal the silent treatment does work :D,have tried that if its one of the numbers I recognise as being them.
It is very annoying isn't it Victoria you'd think after a year of abuse from me they'd have given up, must be very thick skinned:D.
Yes someone must fall for it musn't they Peter or they wouldn't do it, must be as you say the old and vulnerable, upsets me too that they prey on such people,my Mother in Law springs to mind 83 and sends money to different lotteries etc thinking she'll win something, we've told her time and again but she won't listen.
Now thats a good idea ARMANDII thats one I haven't tried:D
Jack I'll try that one, sounds like a good idea

 

In the unlikely event I actually get a 'human' on the other end, and since 'Hello' sounds pretty much the same in any accent, I wait and see what response it elicits before pretending 'I no speek d Ingleesh', a phrase I constantly repeat until they get fed up. Of course, there's the other strategy, listen without saying anything for a few seconds, ask them politely to excuse you, then shriek 'Put - the - gun - down', before returning to them with a 'Sorry about that, you were saying ....?'


now you're all getting me so that I want them to ring just so I can have a bit of fun:D
Good one Fidgetsmum:D

 

OMG Shiney thats so fummymade my day.