• Anyone getting strange returned calls?

Posted: **Wed Jul 21, 2021 1:30 pm**

On Sunday I received a call on my mobile. Whoever was on the other end of the phone said he’d miss my call and was returning it.

I hadn’t phoned anyone. I was curious.

That one incident has now continued over the past three days. Today I’ve had seven to date and also a text, all from different numbers.

Is this the latest scam? Is anyone else getting them or can anyone offer any sort of explanation?

Posted: **Wed Jul 21, 2021 1:34 pm**

Google the numbers... some great sites out there where people post comments on scam numbers. If they are numbers that are being used frequently for scamming there will be info out there.

Posted: **Wed Jul 21, 2021 1:37 pm**

Venkys4eva wrote: ↑
Wed Jul 21, 2021 1:34 pm
Google the numbers... some great sites out there where people post comments on scam numbers. If they are numbers that are being used frequently for scamming there will be info out there.

I use Sky Mobile. I’ve spoken to them and they are sending a new SIM card. The only other option then they could offer would be to change my number which I really don’t want to do.

All the numbers are stored so I will start checking them.

Posted: **Wed Jul 21, 2021 1:40 pm**

ClaretTony wrote: ↑
Wed Jul 21, 2021 1:30 pm
On Sunday I received a call on my mobile. Whoever was on the other end of the phone said he’d miss my call and was returning it.

I hadn’t phoned anyone. I was curious.

That one incident has now continued over the past three days. Today I’ve had seven to date and also a text, all from different numbers.

Is this the latest scam? Is anyone else getting them or can anyone offer any sort of explanation?

I have been getting exactly the same problem since Sunday. It sounds like some sort of scam happening here, although I have no idea what the scam might be.

Posted: **Wed Jul 21, 2021 1:43 pm**

TonbridgeClaret wrote: ↑
Wed Jul 21, 2021 1:40 pm
I have been getting exactly the same problem since Sunday. It sounds like some sort of scam happening here, although I have no idea what the scam might be.

I’m not pleased that you are getting them but relieved it’s not just me.

Posted: **Wed Jul 21, 2021 1:43 pm**

When answering the phone don't speak until they do.

Most of the scammers ring 50 numbers at once and the machine picks up any voice so their automated voices start (some are very good)

I have had loads recently but they all hang up themselves when I don't speak, then I just block the number.

Posted: **Wed Jul 21, 2021 1:44 pm**

ClaretTony wrote: ↑
Wed Jul 21, 2021 1:30 pm
On Sunday I received a call on my mobile. Whoever was on the other end of the phone said he’d miss my call and was returning it.

I hadn’t phoned anyone. I was curious.

That one incident has now continued over the past three days. Today I’ve had seven to date and also a text, all from different numbers.

Is this the latest scam? Is anyone else getting them or can anyone offer any sort of explanation?

I had two on Friday morning - I never answer a call from an unrecognised number - and I have been wondering the same as you - this was the number (since blocked) 07850 470797

Posted: **Wed Jul 21, 2021 1:47 pm**

We only ever answer numbers we know, others go to voicemail. That said our numbers have clearly been sold on by supposed trustworthy companies as nobody knows our numbers outside of friends, family, utility, water, phone, internet providers. Well they didn't.
We get several calls a week, they never leave a voicemail surprisingly.

Posted: **Wed Jul 21, 2021 1:53 pm**

I've had quite a few spam calls when the caller display shows a mobile number very close to ones who call me regularly, just a single digit different sometimes.

Posted: **Wed Jul 21, 2021 2:02 pm**

ClaretTony wrote: ↑
Wed Jul 21, 2021 1:30 pm
On Sunday I received a call on my mobile. Whoever was on the other end of the phone said he’d miss my call and was returning it.

I hadn’t phoned anyone. I was curious.

That one incident has now continued over the past three days. Today I’ve had seven to date and also a text, all from different numbers.

Is this the latest scam? Is anyone else getting them or can anyone offer any sort of explanation?

Maybe your number has been spoofed by the Scammers and using it (a bit like the spoofing of email addresses - if you pass your cursor over the email address it shows a different one underneath)

Any scam texts you can send to 7726 (spells Spam on keypad) or phone numbers to https://www.bt.com/consumer/edw/scams/
or to Action Fraud

Posted: **Wed Jul 21, 2021 2:10 pm**

“When answering the phone don't speak until they do.”

Good advice. Unfortunately these days we are seeing more and more of these scamming attempts.

Posted: **Wed Jul 21, 2021 2:15 pm**

Quickenthetempo wrote: ↑
Wed Jul 21, 2021 1:43 pm
When answering the phone don't speak until they do.

Most of the scammers ring 50 numbers at once and the machine picks up any voice so their automated voices start (some are very good)

I have had loads recently but they all hang up themselves when I don't speak, then I just block the number.

Good practice here.

You don't have to wait long. A genuine caller will say "hello?" and start speaking.

Posted: **Wed Jul 21, 2021 2:21 pm**

I act dumb (not that it takes a lot of practice) engage with them & keep them talking going around in circles with never giving any personal details or committing to anything, they actually put the phone down on you eventually annoyed it’s quite amusing when the boot is on the other foot.

Posted: **Wed Jul 21, 2021 2:22 pm**

Have you tried doing an impression of the Derek & Clive sketch "this bloke came up to me" they tend to hang up quite quick

Posted: **Wed Jul 21, 2021 2:23 pm**

BenWickes wrote: ↑
Wed Jul 21, 2021 1:47 pm
We only ever answer numbers we know, others go to voicemail. That said our numbers have clearly been sold on by supposed trustworthy companies as nobody knows our numbers outside of friends, family, utility, water, phone, internet providers. Well they didn't.
We get several calls a week, they never leave a voicemail surprisingly.

Even the police pass them on, it is a shocking violation of privacy

Posted: **Wed Jul 21, 2021 2:23 pm**

What do we think the scam is here?

Posted: **Wed Jul 21, 2021 2:23 pm**

We have to be on our guard much more before picking the phone up nowadays unfortunately as the scammers change their tactics on a regular basis.

Posted: **Wed Jul 21, 2021 2:29 pm**

I constantly get SMS messages telling me I have a new voice mail and to click on the link. Good job my phone tells me when I have a new voicemail without help from the scammers! I've blocked 5 different originators of these messages but still get similar from another number, seems they have a stock of numbers they use.

Be careful out there

Posted: **Wed Jul 21, 2021 2:31 pm**

martin_p wrote: ↑
Wed Jul 21, 2021 2:23 pm
What do we think the scam is here?

That's a good question. It's not even about having an accident recently that wasn't my fault.

Posted: **Wed Jul 21, 2021 2:35 pm**

martin_p wrote: ↑
Wed Jul 21, 2021 2:23 pm
What do we think the scam is here?

Alan Nixon trying to get exclusives for his rag?

Posted: **Wed Jul 21, 2021 2:35 pm**

martin_p wrote: ↑
Wed Jul 21, 2021 2:23 pm
What do we think the scam is here?

Preliminary testing that the microchips they've been installing in us are activated and working

Posted: **Wed Jul 21, 2021 2:36 pm**

ClaretTony wrote: ↑
Wed Jul 21, 2021 2:31 pm
That's a good question. It's not even about having an accident recently that wasn't my fault.

My only thought is that perhaps they’re looking for you not to answer then a message is left to say they’re returning a missed call then you phone the number the call is from and end up being stung by some expensive call charges.

Posted: **Wed Jul 21, 2021 2:37 pm**

Devils_Advocate wrote: ↑
Wed Jul 21, 2021 2:35 pm
Preliminary testing that the microchips they've been installing in us are activated and working

I’ve defended the government on something this week so they’ve worked on me!

Posted: **Wed Jul 21, 2021 2:41 pm**

Bosscat wrote: ↑
Wed Jul 21, 2021 2:02 pm
Maybe your number has been spoofed by the Scammers and using it (a bit like the spoofing of email addresses - if you pass your cursor over the email address it shows a different one underneath)

Any scam texts you can send to 7726 (spells Spam on keypad) or phone numbers to https://www.bt.com/consumer/edw/scams/
or to Action Fraud

I'd agree with this. When one of the crooks that ring to tell you that your NIC number is about to be cut off, they rig it so dialling 1471 gets you a different number from the one they ring from. I reckon they are using your number as the sham number, and people are dialling 1471 and ringing back.

Posted: **Wed Jul 21, 2021 2:41 pm**

It’s a problem across networks at the moment. I had a few where the number was the same as mine, save for the last 3 digits

Posted: **Wed Jul 21, 2021 2:46 pm**

8 automated calls this week saying amounts varying between £600 & £900 had been taken from our Mastercard ... no such amounts taken ... just treat everything as a scam and report ......

Posted: **Wed Jul 21, 2021 2:58 pm**

Probably the Chinese.

Have you ordered a takeaway recently?

Posted: **Wed Jul 21, 2021 5:54 pm**

I received A couple of calls, in fact both had similar numbers to my own. On one occasion I returned the call and spoke to a young lady Who confirmed it was her number and that she worked for a computer company. She was as perplexed as I was, equally surprised and she said she would report it to her manager. It seems that scammers are cloning genuine Numbers presumably to make them look realistic. They are getting more and more sophisticated with the scams now.

Posted: **Wed Jul 21, 2021 6:10 pm**

I’ve had another four since starting this thread. Just let all four ring.

Posted: **Wed Jul 21, 2021 6:18 pm**

I had 4 the other day all from what looked like mobile numbers. Checked didn't know any of the numbers so didn't reply of course. B..... pests.

Posted: **Wed Jul 21, 2021 6:18 pm**

ClaretTony wrote: ↑
Wed Jul 21, 2021 6:10 pm
I’ve had another four since starting this thread. Just let all four ring.

It might be a long line of Decorators responding to your 2 year search? Or a Beautiful Admirer

Posted: **Wed Jul 21, 2021 6:55 pm**

Jakubclaret wrote: ↑
Wed Jul 21, 2021 2:21 pm
I act dumb (not that it takes a lot of practice) engage with them & keep them talking going around in circles with never giving any personal details or committing to anything, they actually put the phone down on you eventually annoyed it’s quite amusing when the boot is on the other foot.

.. And they'll be so peed off with you, they'll either keep ringing back, or pass your number on to other spammers...

Posted: **Wed Jul 21, 2021 6:57 pm**

Chester Perry wrote: ↑
Wed Jul 21, 2021 2:23 pm
Even the police pass them on, it is a shocking violation of privacy

Really? If you've proof you should pass it to the information commissioner

Posted: **Wed Jul 21, 2021 6:59 pm**

When I get a call on my mobile I don't recognise....it comes up as Suspected Spam...it just gets ignored.

Posted: **Wed Jul 21, 2021 7:32 pm**

Steve1956 wrote: ↑
Wed Jul 21, 2021 6:59 pm
When I get a call on my mobile I don't recognise....it comes up as Suspected Spam...it just gets ignored.

Posted: **Wed Jul 21, 2021 8:00 pm**

tim_noone wrote: ↑
Wed Jul 21, 2021 7:32 pm

My phone is clever Tim..it decides who speaks with me...does yours not

: Screenshot_20210721-194643_Phone.jpg (144.92 KiB) Viewed 2864 times

Posted: **Wed Jul 21, 2021 8:04 pm**

I don't answer unless I know the caller.
Anyone genuine will leave a message.

Posted: **Wed Jul 21, 2021 8:27 pm**

Steve1956 wrote: ↑
Wed Jul 21, 2021 8:00 pm
My phone is clever Tim..it decides who speaks with me...does yours not

Screenshot_20210721-194643_Phone.jpg

No..... I Decided Who Speaks With Me Steven...

Posted: **Wed Jul 21, 2021 8:32 pm**

Steve1956 wrote: ↑
Wed Jul 21, 2021 6:59 pm
When I get a call on my mobile I don't recognise....it comes up as Suspected Spam...it just gets ignored.

Snap .... I have had to change my m8 Fred Spam's name in my contacts because the phone kept rejecting him

Posted: **Wed Jul 21, 2021 8:50 pm**

tim_noone wrote: ↑
Wed Jul 21, 2021 8:27 pm
No..... I Decided Who Speaks With Me Steven...

It's PH Tom!!

Posted: **Wed Jul 21, 2021 8:55 pm**

Worth checking you have the correct settings turned on - for iPhone but assume will be similar for android…

https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT207099

Posted: **Wed Jul 21, 2021 8:57 pm**

Steve1956 wrote: ↑
Wed Jul 21, 2021 8:50 pm
It's PH Tom!!

I bet you have security cameras...

Posted: **Wed Jul 21, 2021 9:13 pm**

tim_noone wrote: ↑
Wed Jul 21, 2021 8:57 pm
I bet you have security cameras...

I bet you have one of these....

: 1667.jpg (106.99 KiB) Viewed 2701 times

Posted: **Wed Jul 21, 2021 9:18 pm**

Not read the thread so may have already been mentioned, but there is an app you can get on your phone where if it is a spam/scamming number it alerts you when a call is coming through, very helpful to then block the numbers.

Posted: **Wed Jul 21, 2021 9:19 pm**

Steve1956 wrote: ↑
Wed Jul 21, 2021 9:13 pm
I bet you have one of these....

1667.jpg

I wish I had tbh.

Posted: **Wed Jul 21, 2021 10:59 pm**

https://twitter.com/daraobriain/status/ ... 85154?s=19

Turns out you're not the only one getting these calls

Posted: **Wed Jul 21, 2021 11:31 pm**

Grumps wrote: ↑
Wed Jul 21, 2021 6:55 pm
.. And they'll be so peed off with you, they'll either keep ringing back, or pass your number on to other spammers...

It doesn’t bother me, more the merrier & i must be doing something right i hardly get any nuisance calls, but I must admit scam text messages have been arriving about parcels that need paying for because the sender didn’t pay the correct amount of postage & it’s my responsibility to pay to receive the parcel. That’s been the latest 1 & previous to that a few regarding inland revenue.

Posted: **Thu Jul 22, 2021 12:47 am**

Some of the scammers over here(USA),somehow have the ability to appropriate numbers, at least temporarily. I have called back a couple of actual businesses,whos numbers have appeared on my mobile.No one from that number has called.Similarly, I have had someone call me and tell me they missed my call, when I did not make that call. Not sure how they do it.The number is never the same one.Always a scam though. Most originate in India,from what I am reading about them.

Posted: **Thu Jul 22, 2021 11:09 am**

martin_p wrote: ↑
Wed Jul 21, 2021 2:37 pm
I’ve defended the government on something this week so they’ve worked on me!

Be centre right before you know it

Posted: **Thu Jul 22, 2021 11:15 am**

I received a message on Whatsapp..so they clearly had my phone number that was seemingly from a wacky activist group asking me to watch a video. So i left the group that i had unwittingly and unknowingly been added to. I then received another message asking why i had left the group. So realising that leaving wasn't enough I blocked the number the person messaged from. It may have been a mistake but best way to be is to think unusual things are dodgy. Take no risks.

Anyone getting strange returned calls?

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