I am receiving 2-3 spam calls daily, how do I get them to stop?

Posted by ThrowRAquietmeerkat@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 45 comments

For the last 2 months I’ve been receiving calls from mobile numbers claiming to be from O2, asking to talk about my contract with them.

When I have stated I’m not an O2 customer their response / script is, oh you must be a Tesco mobile customer then.

This was occurring 2-3 times per week, and is now happening 2-3 times a day, every time from a different mobile number.

I don’t know what the scam is, or what they hope to achieve, but for me it’s pretty damn annoying.

Ordinarily I wouldn’t pick up the phone to an unknown mobile number, however I’m going through both a home renovation and a job hunt - needless to say I’m getting lots of calls from various numbers that I don’t know.

My question, how can I get the spam calls to stop? I’m hesitant to change my number as I’ve had it for almost 20 years…

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MJ-Franklin@reddit

Threaten them.

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Sleepybeez@reddit

Block the number and report it.

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Stinkinhippy@reddit

Reporting some uk mobile number is going to do absolutely nothing. They're all spoofed and not actually coming from that number.

Way i handle it is to waste as much of their time as possible, just grunt responses and let them waffle into the next part of their script.. then block the number after they realise they're not getting anywhere. Reporting the number will only cause issues for the poor sod whose number they were spoofing at the time.

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DutchOfBurdock@reddit

The thing is it is possible to determine the source of a call. Ofcom pools numbers to telephony/VoIP/mobile networks. Each network with such facilities are both required to I.D. and be able to identify the source of calls. If the number sourcing a call is coming from a carrier it shouldn't be (ported numbers don't change this). Just, most networks are lazy and never actually put checks in place. Ofcom changed this January last year, ordering all UK networks to put this in place.

Reporting the numbers will provide a database (Hiya being the most commonly used by Apple, Samsung and Google) which Ofcom can use for a data source to see if networks are compliant.

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geeered@reddit

As I understand it, this is often done with roaming from abroad - where I presume it's harder to establish if the number calling from Poland claiming to be say a UK Vodafone number is genuinely that number roaming, or just a connection to a VOIP system in China.

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DutchOfBurdock@reddit

To be fair, it isn't a walk in the park to add filtering. However, if a fixed line or non geographic number appears to be sourcing from outside of the UK, it should automatically be treated with caution. 07 and the network roaming on, should be sending identification data and sourcing from known trunks. Unfortunately, with VoIP now being defacto replacement for PSTN the problem is harder.

Becomes even more fun when you can legitimately spoof numbers, by way of presentation numbers. Think of LTE enabled watches that share the same number as your phone. One of my PSTN trunks even allows for presentation numbers and can source my mobile number from it. This only works because the provider is a trusted trunk source to UK networks.

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pip_goes_pop@reddit

I had one yesterday but the number came up as 0344 809 0202 which is the proper O2 number. It definitely wasn’t genuine (I’m not even an O2 customer and it was the classic spiel), so it’s ridiculously easy for these scammers to fake the number.

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geeered@reddit

At some point I accidentally put the wrong outgoing number in on our VOIP PBX, I'd have expected it to be blocked as it didn't match any of the number we were paying , but for a bit phone(s) were dialing out fine using a number that couldn't exist because it didn't have enough digits.

I'm guessing if I'd also have put in the Barclays main line number, this also wouldn't have been checked - at least until a few fraud reports came in.

Though, since then it has got harder to sign up for SIP trunks etc.

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pip_goes_pop@reddit

It feels like phone number security is way behind. Take email for example, sure you can configure your SMTP server to send out from whatever address you want, but in the last few years SPF, DKIM and DMARC have become much more important and big most providers now reject any sender not properly authorised.

I'm sure I read a while back that the technology is there to stop phone number spoofing, but for some reason it's not used.

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geeered@reddit

I believe spoofed mobile numbers, which are now common, are often done claiming to be roaming, which is a bit harder for them to trace when it's coming from a foreign company claiming to have a UK number roaming - but a good start might be checking if that UK number is currently connected to a local UK cell tower.

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pwuk@reddit

It'll be a different number every time, sometimes they'll spoof a real business's number.

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techMari@reddit

The best would be not to pick up these calls at all, since scammers usually add your phone number to a list of active numbers if you do. But in your case, that's not really an option.

You can also check whether your info isn't available on any data brokers' sites. Bad actors use them to acquire contact info for scams, so removing your info from there can help reduce spam calls. Try googling yourself or run a free scan on Incogni. If it finds any of your info on these sites, you can manually opt out of them or use an automated service.

And one last tip: turn on "Screen Unknown Callers" (iPhone) or "Filter Spam Calls" (Android). This will help reduce spam a bit. Full disclosure: I'm on the team at Incogni.

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HospitalDue2983@reddit

I find making pig noises followed by manic laughter usually has them hanging up.

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GrabbedByTheGhost@reddit

Hahahaha

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Take_a_bd_chance@reddit

i went through this exact thing, it ramps up once you accidentally “engage” even a bit. best move is to stop answering unknown numbers completely for a while and let legit callers leave a voicemail, that alone cut mine down a lot.

also worth turning on your phone’s built-in spam filter and reporting/blocking every single one, it feels pointless but it trains the system over time. if you’re in the UK you can forward the numbers to 7726 too, networks actually use that data.

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Dimac99@reddit

NHS don't leave voicemails. There are calls you really don't want to miss.

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collectedd@reddit

Some do. It depends.

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Ok_Adhesiveness_8637@reddit

Well thats a bloody stupid system.

So, im currently waiting on a ENT specialist appointment, that could take up to 12 months to get, and your telling me I have to be waiting for the call all day everyday (9-5, Monday to Friday)?

So i cant work as my phone is my buisness phone. Not sure my boss is gonna enjoy that information.

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Dimac99@reddit

My guess is because it's potentially confidential medical information. It's not worth getting disciplined or fired over for any individual worker, is it? They don't know who else has access to your, or anyone else's, voicemails.

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SnooGrapes2914@reddit

I genuinely don't know if it's a coincidence, but after the initial "hello" I say absolutely nothing, just let them talk to themselves for as long as it takes to let them get bored and hang up. I haven't had any in ages.

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RetroBoxRoom@reddit

Don't have a private message on your voicemail, indicating your name. I've left mine as stock.

When you answer the phone and say "Hello", and they reply with "Is that [yourname]?" don't just say, "Yes".

Ask who they are first. If they say they're from a company you have no use for. Don't be polite, just hang up.

Report the number to here using this website - https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/collection/phishing-scams/

I send a text to the number they provide.

I then block the number. On most modern phones there's settings to do this for you, so you don't even get the call in the first place.

I'm lucky if I get spam call or text at all most years.

The best thing you can do though, is just don't answer calls from numbers I don't have already stored.

I also use - https://who-called.co.uk/ and report numbers there if I've a little time.

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apocalypsebrow@reddit

I switched the call screening function on my Android phone, it even gives me a transcript so I can see it on screen if it's someone I want to take a call from. 99% of the time they hang up before it even gets through it's opening question.

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72dk72@reddit

I wind them up. I say thanks for calling, I now need you to pass my security checks. Please can you tell me my postcode. Then please can you tell me my 3rd and 4th digit from my passcode. By that time they have normally hung up.

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MrReadilyUnready@reddit

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diabeticoats@reddit

Scammers are well known to use the telephone preference service, of course :),

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MrReadilyUnready@reddit

Not all spam calls are scams. Legitimate companies can spam call you if you're registered to the tps.

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seriousrikk@reddit

On iPhone I turned on call screening. If it’s important they will leave a message.

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ClericalRogue@reddit

Have you registered on the Telephone Preference Register? You can register mobile numbers. Wont stop scam callers but vastly reduces the usual telemarketing and spam ones. I did it about 3 months ago as was getting 2-3 calls a day from random companies, and they've pretty much entirely stopped now.

https://www.tpsonline.org.uk/register

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sparkes1911@reddit

Best thing I've done is press screen call, so they end up talking to an AI.

Hands down the only use of AI that I advocate.

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JayR_97@reddit

Stop answering them. Answering them lets them know it's an active number and they keep calling

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DoNotf___ingDisturb@reddit

Try DNfD app if you're on Android

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SneezlesForNeezles@reddit

I had this and it happened to ramp up whilst mum was in palliative care. I got a call from the same dialling code as the hospice. I picked it up to find an O2 scam. I went ape shit at the guy. Every swear known to mankind whist telling him I thought it was the hospice calling to say mum had died. I didn't get another call for well over six months.

So if all else fails, scream obscenities at them and pretend a relative is dying.

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roxieh@reddit

Honestly I just don't answer my phone unless I recognise the caller ID or am expecting a call. Most people will leave a message if it's genuine. I've had my number for like 25 years so it's necessary for me at this point.

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K0monazmuk@reddit

I just block every one i get, its now stopped.

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Alundra828@reddit

If you're on android, download Truecaller. You can set rules to block numbers. Here is my ruleset...

I block any number that is not in my contacts, not in my area code, or I haven't picked up before according to my call history. Literally, just any fucking number that isn't in my very specific region or explicitly known to me is getting blasted.

This blocks 99% of unwarranted calls, as I too get about 2-3 spam calls a day.

If it's a legitimate call and it gets blocked, I literally don't care, if it's that important they can email me.

I've been doing this for years. I've blocked thousands of calls in that time. And I don't think it's disrupted my life one bit in terms of people trying to get hold of me, I can't think of a single instance anyway...

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