Today's scam...

[andyoxon]

'From Homecare.  Your washing machine cover has ended, would you like to renew?' 
Yep, it's a scam.
Passed on the 'senior supervisor'.
I let them go through all options, as I ramble on about forgeting where I bought the w/m etc.
Later, senior supervisor... 'so would you like the cover or not'  in an annoyed voice...   
Me.  'No thanks'.  They hang up before I finished speaking.

The only people who phone on the land line these days are scammers, and our parents.   I suppose it makes a change from the 'PC Eventviewer' scam.

[giropaul]

The current biggest issue for me is that Covid jab booking calls come from numbers I don’t recognise- so I’m more likely to answer until #2 is booked.
Yesterday’s scam was a promised refund for my solar panels. I told him I was delighted with them, they were so unobtrusive I couldn’t actually see them.
I have a friend who runs a charity whose current entertainment is stringing scammers along.

[rogerzilla]

My dad loves the ones where they tell you they need to install a patch on your computer.  He waits until they get to the critical bit and then asks if it works on Linux.

[nuttycyclist]

My dad loves the ones where they tell you they need to install a patch on your computer.  He waits until they get to the critical bit and then asks if it works on Linux.

I held one on the line for ten minutes while "my computer" turned on (it was an interesting TV programme I was watching).  He then asked me what operating system it was, so I said Windows 95.  He put me on hold for 15 minutes before coming back and apologising that he didn't have a patch for me. 

[ravenbait]

My dad loves the ones where they tell you they need to install a patch on your computer.  He waits until they get to the critical bit and then asks if it works on Linux.

I held one on the line for ten minutes while "my computer" turned on (it was an interesting TV programme I was watching).  He then asked me what operating system it was, so I said Windows 95.  He put me on hold for 15 minutes before coming back and apologising that he didn't have a patch for me.

I did that once but said Windows 3.1 and they hung up.

Sam

[Mr Larrington]

Robo-Amazon says I've spent £400 on a JesusPhone 7.  I wish I could afford to spend £400 on an obsolete JesusPhone, so then I wouldn’t.

Then there was A Real Person who wanted to talk to me about my washing machine insewerants, of which I have none.  Sadly he hung up before I could tell him to [“go away” – The Invigilator]

[Bledlow]

I've had several phone calls recently about the manufacturer's warranties on my washing machine & fridge having ended.

Both are new, the first bought in late February.

The scammers can't tell me what make, model or who I bought them from, of course.

[De Sisti]

Which? magazine are on the case of some appliance scams.

[De Sisti]

If I get a phone call on my landline I say nothing, until a real person responds. I suspect
scammers have voice-activated software. If you don't say anything, after about 15 seconds
you'll receive the following automated message: "The other person has cleared". When I get
these I dial 1471 to get the number and add it to action fraud.

[Jaded]

I do the same in not speaking. If it is a recorded "This the blah blah office" I give them a continuous selection of key presses.

It was more fun in the old days with real people. I think I've reported here being asked if I knew Bill Gates, what with me using a version of Windows that isn't even out yet. (3.1, natch).

[Mr Larrington]

Which? magazine are on the case of some appliance scams.

Lt. Col. Larrington (retd.) has had a handful of “Dyson” e-mails but they go into the bit bucket pretty sharpish.

[Jurek]

I've had a several of calls purporting to be from Amazon, to my landline.
They're a recorded message, inevitably to do with some item I have recently purchased, which has been recalled and I am entitled to a full refund (or some such yarn) if only I press '1'.
As Amazon don't have and have never had my landline number, I decline their generous invitation and hang up.
In fact, because of the large number of calls like this to my landline, I've taken to not answering it.
I can always 1471-it, and it is easy enough to subsequently check whether it is a number that is known to me.

[Peter]

Huh, you're no fun snd I'm not ringing you anymore - even to tell you about the lottery win that's here waiting only for you to tell me your bank details.  Your loss not mine.

[rafletcher]

We’re very grateful for our call blocking phone on the landline. Any number not “white listed” need the caller to respond and announce themselves. We don’t get nuisance calls.

[Jurek]

I have TPS on my phone.
Unfortunately it doesn't cover overseas numbers or (what looks like) mobile numbers - which is what all of the recent scam calls have been.
I'd like to think that in the absence of an answered call, the scammers will go looking (calling) elsewhere.

I used to receive an inordinate number of scam calls to my mobile - the numbers of which I would duly block.
I don't think I've had  scam call to my mobile for at least a couple of years, probably longer.

[robgul]

I often ask if we can cut to the chase and give them my bank details to save time!

[andyoxon]

Jim Browning's 'Spying on the Scammers' is worth a watch if you've not seen it before...   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=le71yVPh4uk

[Adam]

On my work number, a few times a month I get an automated message saying my Amazon Prime is due to renew for £39.99 and I need to press 1 to confirm.

What moron sets up a scam when they can't even get the price even vaguely similar to what it should be? 

[MikeFromLFE]

We’re very grateful for our call blocking phone on the landline. Any number not “white listed” need the caller to respond and announce themselves. We don’t get nuisance calls.

We've had a Trucall unit on our landline for a number of years. I occasionally look at the control panel to see if im getting any unwanted calls - and its down to a few a month. This leads me to the suggestion that unanswered / blocked numbers get added to some sort of scammers database and dont generally get called, except by the random number machines.

[The Family Cyclist]

We have the BT call guardian which I got after my wife was caught out. Thankfully she rang me on her mobile and checked so we didn't loose anything but had to deliver laptop to a friend to have trojan /monitoring software removed.

The call guardian is great but the allowed list doesn't seem to work but that may be as don't think we pay for caller ID or whatever it is

We don't get any dodgy calls on the landlines now....apart from ones for a dental practice with the exact same number except the last digit of the area code who appear to have miss printed something as get a fair amount of calls for them including one bloke I rang back as left an answer phone message swearing as couldn't get through

[chrisbainbridge]

I am getting a few mobile to mobile calls about my HMRC offence and how I will be arrested if I do not give my details.

[Jurek]

I am getting a few mobile to mobile calls about my HMRC offence and how I will be arrested if I do not give my details.

I think they got a proper actor in to do that one. He does a convincing version of a person who is really angry with you because you offended.

[Polar Bear]

It's bizarre isn't it how they have your phone number but apparently no other details.  How did they know to ring that particular phone I wonder ... 🤔

[rafletcher]

It's bizarre isn't it how they have your phone number but apparently no other details.  How did they know to ring that particular phone I wonder ... 🤔

There's no mystery to that, an autodialler.

[Davef]

I have definitely noticed an increase recently. Facebook has kindly provided my phone number, dob, name etc  along with 500 million others to any criminal that wants them.