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  #1   Report Post  
Blair Malcolm
 
Posts: n/a
Default Spam phone calls

This may not be the correct news group to ask this question but does anyone
know how I can prevent these frequent and tiresome Spam calls?

--
Blair Malcolm


  #2   Report Post  
Wanderer
 
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Default

On Sat, 11 Dec 2004 16:39:23 -0000, Blair Malcolm wrote:

This may not be the correct news group to ask this question but does anyone
know how I can prevent these frequent and tiresome Spam calls?


Yup, google for "telephone preference service" and give them a bell.
Haven't had any unwanted 'phone calls for years now.

--
the dot wanderer at tesco dot net
  #3   Report Post  
Peter Crosland
 
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Do a search on Telephone Preference Service and register with them. It will
not eradicate the problem but it should reduce it.

--
Peter Crosland


  #4   Report Post  
Mary Fisher
 
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"Blair Malcolm" wrote in message
...
This may not be the correct news group to ask this question but does
anyone
know how I can prevent these frequent and tiresome Spam calls?


Sign up with Telephone Preference Service - google on TPS. It works and it's
free.

Mary

--
Blair Malcolm




  #5   Report Post  
Bob Eager
 
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Default

On Sat, 11 Dec 2004 16:39:23 UTC, "Blair Malcolm"
wrote:

This may not be the correct news group to ask this question but does anyone
know how I can prevent these frequent and tiresome Spam calls?


http://www.tpsonline.org.uk/tps/

It really does work.

--
Bob Eager
begin a new life...dump Windows!


  #6   Report Post  
Lee
 
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Default

Blair Malcolm wrote:
This may not be the correct news group to ask this question but does anyone
know how I can prevent these frequent and tiresome Spam calls?


What the others said

If you want to throw money at the problem then you could subscribe to
anonymous caller reject, but that's around £10 a quarter from BT

Lee
--
Email address is valid, but is unlikely to be read.
  #7   Report Post  
Andy Burns
 
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Default

Peter Crosland wrote:

Do a search on Telephone Preference Service and register with them. It will
not eradicate the problem but it should reduce it.


Also if you have an extra number on the line (e.g. with CallSign)
register that too ...

  #8   Report Post  
Set Square
 
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Default

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
Lee wrote:


If you want to throw money at the problem then you could subscribe to
anonymous caller reject, but that's around £10 a quarter from BT

Lee


And it will stop *all* calls with number witheld from getting through -
possibly including some from your friends.
--
Cheers,
Set Square
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  #9   Report Post  
John Blakeley
 
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Default

Does it work with text messages to mobiles ? - the wife is getting
suspicious of all the offers for lonely hearts introductions I get. :-)

JB


  #10   Report Post  
JM
 
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Default

Andy Burns wrote:
Peter Crosland wrote:

Do a search on Telephone Preference Service and register with them.
It will not eradicate the problem but it should reduce it.


Also if you have an extra number on the line (e.g. with CallSign)
register that too ...


Not forgetting mobile numbers too.




  #11   Report Post  
bof
 
Posts: n/a
Default

In message , Wanderer
writes
On Sat, 11 Dec 2004 16:39:23 -0000, Blair Malcolm wrote:

This may not be the correct news group to ask this question but does anyone
know how I can prevent these frequent and tiresome Spam calls?


Yup, google for "telephone preference service" and give them a bell.
Haven't had any unwanted 'phone calls for years now.


Registered with TPS the day after it started, re registered twice, still
getting junk calls.

--
bof at bof dot me dot uk
  #12   Report Post  
bof
 
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Default

In message , Huge
writes
"Set Square" writes:
In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
Lee wrote:


If you want to throw money at the problem then you could subscribe to
anonymous caller reject, but that's around £10 a quarter from BT

Lee


And it will stop *all* calls with number witheld from getting through -
possibly including some from your friends.


Shouldn't withold their numbers then, should they?


Or redial prefixed with 1470 (I think)

--
bof at bof dot me dot uk
  #13   Report Post  
Bill
 
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In message , bof
writes

Shouldn't withold their numbers then, should they?


Or redial prefixed with 1470 (I think)


I have a block on all withheld numbers and it works well, stopped most
spam calls. BUT there are companies out there that for one reason or
another do not reveal their number and cannot reveal it by dialling
1470, so it can have its problems.
--
Bill
  #14   Report Post  
Coherers
 
Posts: n/a
Default

"bof" wrote in message
...
In message , Huge
writes
"Set Square" writes:
In an earlier contribution to this discussion,

And it will stop *all* calls with number witheld from getting through -
possibly including some from your friends.


Shouldn't withold their numbers then, should they?


Or redial prefixed with 1470 (I think)


Dunno about 1470, but dialling 141 followed by the number itself blocks the
caller ID


  #15   Report Post  
Set Square
 
Posts: n/a
Default

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
Bill wrote:

In message , bof
writes

Shouldn't withold their numbers then, should they?


Or redial prefixed with 1470 (I think)


I have a block on all withheld numbers and it works well, stopped most
spam calls. BUT there are companies out there that for one reason or
another do not reveal their number and cannot reveal it by dialling
1470, so it can have its problems.


Precisely! There are callers who withold their numbers for legitimate
reasons (e.g. doctors) or without knowing it (e.g. people with ex-directory
numbers who don't realise that the default is for CLID to be witheld). You
may wish to receive calls from any of these - but would be prevented from
doing so if you use Anonymous Call Rejection.

In my view, it is a rather unsubtle tool - to be used only as a last resort.
--
Cheers,
Set Square
______
Please reply to newsgroup. Reply address is invalid.




  #16   Report Post  
Andy Burns
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Set Square wrote:

(e.g. people with ex-directory
numbers who don't realise that the default is for CLID to be witheld)


I am ex-directory, my CLI is released by default, I didn't have to ask
for it to be that way ...
  #17   Report Post  
John Stumbles
 
Posts: n/a
Default

bof wrote:
In message , Wanderer
writes

On Sat, 11 Dec 2004 16:39:23 -0000, Blair Malcolm wrote:

This may not be the correct news group to ask this question but does
anyone
know how I can prevent these frequent and tiresome Spam calls?



Yup, google for "telephone preference service" and give them a bell.
Haven't had any unwanted 'phone calls for years now.



Registered with TPS the day after it started, re registered twice, still
getting junk calls.


So what happens when you report them? (I presume if you can be donkeyed
to register with TPS you're also clued up enough to know to get callers'
identities and report them.)

Since I registered I've only had 2 junk calls: on the first, when I
asked their company's name and it became clear I was on TPS the caller
said "Oh sh1t" and apologised for calling; the 2nd was some SMS-to-voice
gateway run by BT which someone used to advertise a yoga group. Since
she didn't give any contact details it was pretty pointless advertising,
and may have been a genuine mistake. I didn't take that one up and it
hasn't happened again but if it did I certainly would.
  #18   Report Post  
Lee
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Set Square wrote:


Precisely! There are callers who withold their numbers for legitimate
reasons (e.g. doctors) or without knowing it (e.g. people with ex-directory
numbers who don't realise that the default is for CLID to be witheld). You
may wish to receive calls from any of these - but would be prevented from
doing so if you use Anonymous Call Rejection.

In my view, it is a rather unsubtle tool - to be used only as a last resort.


There have been arguments on this topic before in here, so I won't
revisit them. Except to say that this is what presentation numbers are for.

Lee
--
Email address is valid, but is unlikely to be read.
  #19   Report Post  
Mary Fisher
 
Posts: n/a
Default


"bof" wrote in message
...
In message , Wanderer
writes
On Sat, 11 Dec 2004 16:39:23 -0000, Blair Malcolm wrote:

This may not be the correct news group to ask this question but does
anyone
know how I can prevent these frequent and tiresome Spam calls?


Yup, google for "telephone preference service" and give them a bell.
Haven't had any unwanted 'phone calls for years now.


Registered with TPS the day after it started, re registered twice, still
getting junk calls.


I hope you report them.

I've had only two since I registered - when it started.

Mary


  #20   Report Post  
Set Square
 
Posts: n/a
Default

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
Andy Burns wrote:

Set Square wrote:

(e.g. people with ex-directory
numbers who don't realise that the default is for CLID to be witheld)


I am ex-directory, my CLI is released by default, I didn't have to ask
for it to be that way ...


I don't know whether the default changed at some point. We have at least two
friends who are ex-directory and whose numbers are witheld. They claim never
to have specifically asked for CLI to be witheld!
--
Cheers,
Set Square
______
Please reply to newsgroup. Reply address is invalid.




  #21   Report Post  
Mary Fisher
 
Posts: n/a
Default


"John Stumbles" wrote in message
news:L2Jud.579$WZ3.319@newsfe6-

Registered with TPS the day after it started, re registered twice, still
getting junk calls.


So what happens when you report them? (I presume if you can be donkeyed to
register with TPS you're also clued up enough to know to get callers'
identities and report them.)


TPS contacts the caller and points out that they shouldn't be doing it. I
can't think why but that seems to work!

Mary


  #22   Report Post  
Bob Eager
 
Posts: n/a
Default

On Sat, 11 Dec 2004 19:56:04 UTC, Andy Burns
wrote:

Set Square wrote:

(e.g. people with ex-directory
numbers who don't realise that the default is for CLID to be witheld)


I am ex-directory, my CLI is released by default, I didn't have to ask
for it to be that way ...


Same here, on one line (the ex-d was added later, due to the nature of
my job). I had a second line put in for the ADSL, and I was asked if I
wanted it ex-directory. Since no-one will ever call it, I said yes; they
added CLIP suppression without being asked.
--
Bob Eager
begin a new life...dump Windows!
  #23   Report Post  
Set Square
 
Posts: n/a
Default

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
Bob Eager wrote:

On Sat, 11 Dec 2004 19:56:04 UTC, Andy Burns
wrote:

Set Square wrote:

(e.g. people with ex-directory
numbers who don't realise that the default is for CLID to be
witheld)


I am ex-directory, my CLI is released by default, I didn't have to
ask for it to be that way ...


Same here, on one line (the ex-d was added later, due to the nature of
my job). I had a second line put in for the ADSL, and I was asked if I
wanted it ex-directory. Since no-one will ever call it, I said yes;
they added CLIP suppression without being asked.


That's interesting - and corresponds with my belief that CLID is witheld by
default on ex-directory lines - but Andy Burns believes that it's the other
way round. I wonder who's right?!

I post a query in uk.telecom and see what the response is.
--
Cheers,
Set Square
______
Please reply to newsgroup. Reply address is invalid.


  #24   Report Post  
Frank Erskine
 
Posts: n/a
Default

On Sat, 11 Dec 2004 21:51:32 -0000, "Mary Fisher"
wrote:


"John Stumbles" wrote in message
news:L2Jud.579$WZ3.319@newsfe6-

Registered with TPS the day after it started, re registered twice, still
getting junk calls.


So what happens when you report them? (I presume if you can be donkeyed to
register with TPS you're also clued up enough to know to get callers'
identities and report them.)


TPS contacts the caller and points out that they shouldn't be doing it. I
can't think why but that seems to work!

I frequently get calls from BT even though I'm registered with TPS. BT
ring up in the guise of my telephone service provider - they insist
that they aren't selling anything, but are just a caring company...

--
Frank Erskine
  #25   Report Post  
Dave
 
Posts: n/a
Default


"Mary Fisher" wrote in message
et...

"bof" wrote in message
...
In message , Wanderer
writes
On Sat, 11 Dec 2004 16:39:23 -0000, Blair Malcolm wrote:

This may not be the correct news group to ask this question but does
anyone
know how I can prevent these frequent and tiresome Spam calls?

Yup, google for "telephone preference service" and give them a bell.
Haven't had any unwanted 'phone calls for years now.


Registered with TPS the day after it started, re registered twice, still
getting junk calls.


I hope you report them.

I've had only two since I registered - when it started.


I have had 4, but they have all been from the RNIB.
I don't object to them ringing me up and I have told them so.
The person that taught me about computers was blind and he used to wire up
his own in the days before the 386 microchip. (A long time ago now. DOS 3.1
days, if anyone remembers that)

Dave




  #26   Report Post  
Dave
 
Posts: n/a
Default


"Set Square" wrote in message
...
In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
Bill wrote:

In message , bof
writes

Shouldn't withold their numbers then, should they?

Or redial prefixed with 1470 (I think)


I have a block on all withheld numbers and it works well, stopped most
spam calls. BUT there are companies out there that for one reason or
another do not reveal their number and cannot reveal it by dialling
1470, so it can have its problems.


Precisely! There are callers who withold their numbers for legitimate
reasons (e.g. doctors) or without knowing it (e.g. people with

ex-directory
numbers who don't realise that the default is for CLID to be witheld). You
may wish to receive calls from any of these - but would be prevented from
doing so if you use Anonymous Call Rejection.


Agreed.

I have had caller display for a number of year and every time the display
showed number withheld, I took great delight in taking the call and if it
was not some one I knew, who should withhold their number, then I would end
the call within seconds.
After joining the telephone preference service, I have had no further
un-solicited calls, other than the ones I mentioned further up this thread.

I am thinking about joining the postal preference service, but I don't
receive that many letters as it is. Am I that sad :-)

Dave


  #27   Report Post  
Andy Burns
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Set Square wrote:

That's interesting - and corresponds with my belief that CLID is witheld by
default on ex-directory lines - but Andy Burns believes that it's the other
way round. I wonder who's right?!


Nothing to say that we're both right ... if BT don't have a policy that
link ex-dir to CLI blocking, or if they have done different things at
different times. My line was ordered with ex-dir from the start, not
added later, line was installed recently (i.e not a long standing line
that existed before CLI was available)
  #28   Report Post  
The Natural Philosopher
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Blair Malcolm wrote:

This may not be the correct news group to ask this question but does anyone
know how I can prevent these frequent and tiresome Spam calls?

Just take the receiver off the hook.

I just pick it up, and either say hello' and if no one I know answers it
or they don't know my name, down iot goes, or else just leave it off
hook for half an hour.

You can join these 'i don';t want spam' things, but that doesn't stop
the hardcore foreign calls from mumbai or the Ukraine..
  #29   Report Post  
The Natural Philosopher
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Set Square wrote:

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
Lee wrote:


If you want to throw money at the problem then you could subscribe to
anonymous caller reject, but that's around £10 a quarter from BT

Lee



And it will stop *all* calls with number witheld from getting through -
possibly including some from your friends.


And nearly all from people sitting behind (usually badly set up ) PABX's.
  #30   Report Post  
The Natural Philosopher
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Frank Erskine wrote:

On Sat, 11 Dec 2004 21:51:32 -0000, "Mary Fisher"
wrote:


"John Stumbles" wrote in message
news:L2Jud.579$WZ3.319@newsfe6-

Registered with TPS the day after it started, re registered twice, still
getting junk calls.

So what happens when you report them? (I presume if you can be donkeyed to
register with TPS you're also clued up enough to know to get callers'
identities and report them.)


TPS contacts the caller and points out that they shouldn't be doing it. I
can't think why but that seems to work!


I frequently get calls from BT even though I'm registered with TPS. BT
ring up in the guise of my telephone service provider - they insist
that they aren't selling anything, but are just a caring company...

Its usually a scamn.

I got one of those and aksed if it was BT why they didn't know what my
details were, since the (very indian) voice was asking for them.

They tried to tell me that it was because ne part of BT didn';t talk to
anoter. I replied that if that was teh case, they should get talking first.

Now whenever I hear someone claiming to be from BT who doesn't know my
name, I put the phone down.



  #31   Report Post  
bof
 
Posts: n/a
Default

In message , John Stumbles
writes
bof wrote:
In message , Wanderer
writes

On Sat, 11 Dec 2004 16:39:23 -0000, Blair Malcolm wrote:

This may not be the correct news group to ask this question but
does anyone
know how I can prevent these frequent and tiresome Spam calls?


Yup, google for "telephone preference service" and give them a bell.
Haven't had any unwanted 'phone calls for years now.

Registered with TPS the day after it started, re registered twice,
still getting junk calls.


So what happens when you report them? (I presume if you can be donkeyed
to register with TPS you're also clued up enough to know to get
callers' identities and report them.)


The vast majority are automatic diallers with recordings/robots number
withheld, advertising premium rate numbers, I've reported two and not
received any reply.

--
bof at bof dot me dot uk
  #32   Report Post  
Tony Williams
 
Posts: n/a
Default

In article ,
Set Square wrote:

And it will stop *all* calls with number witheld from getting
through - possibly including some from your friends.


Most national and local govt departments, plus we
lost a bed vacancy in our local hospital because
the beds woman dials out with number witheld.

Also it does not stop spam from call centres abroad,
and BT themselves seem to have been the first ones
to notice that workaround.

--
Tony Williams.
  #33   Report Post  
Mary Fisher
 
Posts: n/a
Default


"Frank Erskine" wrote in message
...

I frequently get calls from BT even though I'm registered with TPS. BT
ring up in the guise of my telephone service provider - they insist
that they aren't selling anything, but are just a caring company...


That's interesting, I don't - but I wouldn't mind. If I did I'd ask them not
to do it again.

Mary

--
Frank Erskine



  #34   Report Post  
Mary Fisher
 
Posts: n/a
Default


"Dave" wrote in message
...


I've had only two since I registered - when it started.


I have had 4, but they have all been from the RNIB.
I don't object to them ringing me up and I have told them so.
The person that taught me about computers was blind and he used to wire up
his own in the days before the 386 microchip. (A long time ago now. DOS
3.1
days, if anyone remembers that)


Ah, DOS ... wipes a tear

Dostalgia isn't what it used to be ...

Mary

Dave




  #35   Report Post  
Set Square
 
Posts: n/a
Default

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
Mary Fisher wrote:

"Dave" wrote in message
...


I've had only two since I registered - when it started.


I have had 4, but they have all been from the RNIB.
I don't object to them ringing me up and I have told them so.
The person that taught me about computers was blind and he used to
wire up his own in the days before the 386 microchip. (A long time
ago now. DOS
3.1
days, if anyone remembers that)


Ah, DOS ... wipes a tear

Dostalgia isn't what it used to be ...

Mary

Dave


It's amazing (by modern standards!) what you could achieve on a machine with
640kB (or less) of RAM and a 10MB hard disk!

Now, the *entry level* is 128MB of RAM and 20GB hard disk - mostly running
bloatware!
--
Cheers,
Set Square
______
Please reply to newsgroup. Reply address is invalid.




  #36   Report Post  
Bob Eager
 
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Default

On Sun, 12 Dec 2004 11:10:34 UTC, "Mary Fisher"
wrote:

Ah, DOS ... wipes a tear

Dostalgia isn't what it used to be ...


I still have my copy of DOS 2.0, manuals and all...IBM gave it to me!
--
Bob Eager
begin a new life...dump Windows!
  #37   Report Post  
Mary Fisher
 
Posts: n/a
Default


"Set Square" wrote in message
...
ago now. DOS
3.1
days, if anyone remembers that)


Ah, DOS ... wipes a tear

Dostalgia isn't what it used to be ...

Mary

Dave


It's amazing (by modern standards!) what you could achieve on a machine
with
640kB (or less) of RAM and a 10MB hard disk!


Yes. But people wanted more ... they always do :-(

Now, the *entry level* is 128MB of RAM and 20GB hard disk - mostly running
bloatware!


LOL! I hope I remember that :-)

Mary


  #38   Report Post  
Lurch
 
Posts: n/a
Default

On Sun, 12 Dec 2004 01:36:05 +0000 (UTC), "Dave"
strung together this:

The person that taught me about computers was blind and he used to wire up
his own in the days before the 386 microchip. (A long time ago now. DOS 3.1
days, if anyone remembers that)

Nearly, I came in at around DOS 5. Used to use it more than Windows at
the time.
--

SJW
Please reply to group or use 'usenet' in email subject
  #39   Report Post  
Lurch
 
Posts: n/a
Default

On Sun, 12 Dec 2004 09:25:32 +0000, John
strung together this:

Which is a right pain for the people that work there - we have to then
call using a mobile, making the person we're calling suspicious of who
we claim to be.

Then don't call from the mobile, leave it until your company has no
customers left. Someone might do something about it then.
--

SJW
Please reply to group or use 'usenet' in email subject
  #40   Report Post  
Peter Twydell
 
Posts: n/a
Default

In message , Bob Eager
writes
On Sat, 11 Dec 2004 16:39:23 UTC, "Blair Malcolm"
wrote:

This may not be the correct news group to ask this question but does anyone
know how I can prevent these frequent and tiresome Spam calls?


http://www.tpsonline.org.uk/tps/

It really does work.

Not always. I still get calls showing up as International, usually with
an Indian voice. They often sound baffled when I mention the TPS, but
usually hang up.

However, the worst case was a few weeks ago, when a woman with an
American accent called. This is the paraphrased conversation:

She: Hi, this is Jane Doe, did you get my e-mail?
Me: Yes. I deleted it because I don't read spam.
She: Have you noticed how your phone call costs are increasing?
Me: I'm not interested. I'm moving house soon anyway.
She: Well, would you like...
Me: This number is registered with the Telephone Preference Service and
you shouldn't be calling it.
She: I'd like to tell you about our VOIP service.
Me (irritated): I told you, this number is registered with the TPS and
you are committing an offence by calling it.
She: Well, we can save you...
Me: (now very irritated): I told you, You are committing an offence!
She: Well, our service...
Me (incandescent): GO AWAY (or something similar). (hangs up)

Next time I'll try to stay calm long enough to get their details and
fill in the on-line complaint form, not that it'll help much for
international calls.
--
Peter

Ying tong iddle-i po!
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