I'm from Microsoft, there's something wrong with your computer

[WTFH]

Normally I ask them where they got my number from.
Their first response is that it is linked to my computer. If I'm not bouncing off servers in Belgium and the US, then maybe I play along a bit more.


If I feel like wasting a bit of time, I will ask them if they are religious.
Normally they answer yes (after a few seconds, cause they are now off-script)


So, I follow up with "and what does your religion teach about lying and cheating?"

[expat]

You can stop calls from the UK by registering for the Telephone Preference Service. Of course calls from abroad are not subject to British rules. ISTM that most of these calls come from India, and I wonder if our dear government has ever considered raising with our friends in government India the idea of a mutual application of these "no spam calls"?

[WTFH]

well as they should get the private routing information (only we see number witheld, BT see the number so they can charge termination fees) they could block numbers used for these scams.They are complicit in this. Similar could be said for premium rate scams.

Not sure how they are complicit - not all numbers are blocked, some are re-routed to display a different number to the original one, and if the phone is an IP phone, the routing information is dummy anyway.

I would like to see dial "scam" e.g. 5643 after a call and the number is automatically tagged as scam. Once the number has > 100 complaints it automatically goes to a automated message which gives the originator a chance to pay an administration fee with a credit card and prove they are not a scam.

A rather simplistic solution, if you ask me. Because what happens next is a bunch of scammers log your number as a scam number, which gets your number blocked and the only way to release it is for you to pay the administration fee - either to the scammers, or to the phone company.


O2 have a process in place for spam texts, where you forward the text to 7726 (i.e. SPAM). Because it is a text, they can analyse the information in it (something that can't be done as easily with a voice call) and if it meets certain criteria then the number is blocked from their network.

[expat]

While I feel like a rant: I would just block "unknown" calls but I can't because some agencies come up as unknown or withheld. Can you guys stop that, please?

[WTFH]

You can stop calls from the UK by registering for the Telephone Preference Service. Of course calls from abroad are not subject to British rules. ISTM that most of these calls come from India, and I wonder if our dear government has ever considered raising with our friends in government India the idea of a mutual application of these "no spam calls"?

TPS only applies to businesses that agree to abide by its rules.
Also, the physical location of the caller (or their accent) does not necessarily mean that is the "number" which is sent through with the call. People with Indian accents live all over the world, and re-routing of numbers is common practice. That's why, when you phone a UK helpdesk, your call could be answered anywhere in the world, not necessarily in the country or area code you called.

[vetran]

Not sure how they are complicit - not all numbers are blocked, some are re-routed to display a different number to the original one, and if the phone is an IP phone, the routing information is dummy anyway.





A rather simplistic solution, if you ask me. Because what happens next is a bunch of scammers log your number as a scam number, which gets your number blocked and the only way to release it is for you to pay the administration fee - either to the scammers, or to the phone company.


O2 have a process in place for spam texts, where you forward the text to 7726 (i.e. SPAM). Because it is a text, they can analyse the information in it (something that can't be done as easily with a voice call) and if it meets certain criteria then the number is blocked from their network.

if its IP the last identifiable then it gets blocked. Agree with other Telco's to eradicate spam.

100 unique scammers need to block it after they have been called by the number they are complaining about - see the problem in your analysis?

the routing information in most modern exchanges is fairly comprehensive they just need to dump it to a database if the next call within 30 mins is a scam report.

[xoggoth]

some are re-routed to display a different number to the original one

Not sure how they do this. I keep a log of cold calls so I can add any that call too many times to the blocker and some are weird numbers like 000 or 0000 000000. Had some that appear but be local but pretty sure they weren't.

They need to develop these call blockers a bit more. List you can set up is far too small and it would be handy to block any number that starts with a certain sequence.