Cold / scam phone calls

General Discussion
#1

I know this has come up before and wonder what the latest views are.

I don’t answer my landline anymore until I hear if a message has been left - scam and cold callers don’t do that.

Sometimes a particular scam / cold caller (Morocco I’m told) will ring my landline then immediately afterwards my mobile.

I know I can block recognised scam / cold callers on my mobile but SFR tells me there is nothing I can do on my landline. except have my number removed from the directory.

These scam / cold callers are such a nuisance and invasion of my privacy that if I can’t block them on my landline I may as well abandon it and just use my mobile phone.

#2

That is precisely what we have done.
Significant improvements in mobile technology (4G in particular) have meant that hard wired solutions are becoming less attractive - and that includes - for most - cable and landline internet.

#3

We have bought a call blocker for our landline (from amazon, but other vendors are available).
For these to work your landline has to have caller display. If we don’t recognise the number we press the red button and the call is blocked.
In the two months we have had it we have blocked 75 numbers but the frequency of scam calls now seems to be diminishing.

1 Like
#4

The problem is when these nuisance calls are made in the small hours… can be quite distressing thinking something terrible has happened and when you get to the phone there’s no-one there.

#5

You can also sign up to Bloctel.
http://www.bloctel.gouv.fr/

#6

We did. Bleeding useless! :frowning_face:

3 Likes
#7

Thank you all for your very useful information.

I think I’ll get the new SFR 4G+ box (sans engagement) with that Amazon call blocker and forget the bloctel. Sans engagement cos I’m often away for months at a time.

I like the fixed landline exactly cos its ‘fixed;’ I cant’ lose it while working round the house as I do with my mobile phone(s)…Only problem is that the new 4G box deal does not offer free calls to overseas, which I use a lot, but I can use ‘Messenger’ for that.

#8

+1 :slight_smile: :slight_smile:

2 Likes
#9

I have a telephone that has 9 different ring tones. I have now set all the numbers of those people I know with one ring tone, so I know if it is not that tone, then it must be an unknown caller. This is especially helpful when you are in another room to the phone, no more dashing to see who it is calling. I have stopped answering all calls from numbers that are not in my phone’s address book, accepting that if it is important, then they will leave a message. I like having a landline, as mobile signals can be temperamental in rural areas like ours.

I have to say, that cold calls have increased significantly this year, even though I am registered with the telephone preference system, but my new strategies have helped no end.

#10

I came across a podcast from the NY Times referring to a Brit -Jim Browning (not his real name) who spends his free time fighting scams. He even gained access to cctv and voip calls at one call centre. He got a friend in India to fly a drone over the building to locate the office. There was a Panorama programme using his input. https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000fzx2/panorama-spying-on-the-scammers He has a Youtube channel. https://youtu.be/le71yVPh4uk

#11

Love this - Arnold Swarzenegger sound clips used to communicate with a scammer. https://youtu.be/ZF-NtGsZ6Zo