Scam calls wanting to confirm my address

[ChinaThwarted]

I’ve had a sudden uptick (often two a day) in phone calls asking to confirm my address.

They always claim to be from some sort of central database.

What’s the game exactly here - they have other info on me but need my address for the scam to work?

Or is it just a starter question to see if I’ll answer them?

Same here also had one claiming to be from three mobile but the number was showing as a pub 😂

They're data harvesting. Don't confirm your address.

If you've never heard of the organisation and have never had any dealings with them then they don't need to know or confirm anything.

Don't take it personally either.

Say that you will provide it to them, but for data protection purposes they need to answer a few security questions first... 😂

Then ask the caller their full name, their date of birth, their mother's maiden name, anything you can think of really. They'll soon hang up.

I do this or I say
‘this is detective sergeant x of x police force what is the nature of your emergency please’

never ever had a scam called call me after stating the second one - they hang up very very very fast

They always ask me the wrong address I tell them it's wrong and refuse to say what it is.

Asking their company name and clarifying it slowly is another way to get rid.

But my favourite is countdown style, their script always says they'll only take a minute. "OK your minute starts Now,..... 30 sec gone,....sorry your minute is up, Goodbye"

I do this too @Rocksonabeach - I pretend to be the inspector in the control room and tell them the call is being traced by Interpol. Gets most of them off the phone quick.

Oh I need to try the police one that sounds funny.

I say ' Sure but for security purposes, I'll call you back through your customer line just to make sure, before I give out any details' (when they're pretending to be EE). They squirm like mad trying to justify why you don't need to phone them back.

Or you could say, 'can you confirm which of EEs offices you are calling from?'. Then say, that's funny it says X location on here? that catches them out fast or again its funny listening to the squirm trying to say why they can't name their location.

Or if you just can't be arsed, just hang up 😆

I don't answer the phone to unknown numbers unless I'm expecting a call. For those who do, I don't understand the purpose behind pretences and asking them questions: why not just hang up and not waste your time?

I usually say you’ve come through to the Fraud Division of Xshire police. Strange how they lose interest so suddenly.

Other people have my phone number because I've been on a number of committees over the years and other members will have it from assorted paperwork associated with the groups. I won't necessarily have their number stored in my phone.

Why not recite your own script to them?

"Thank you for calling the Telephone Scam Whistleblowers Hotline. To help us deal more efficiently with your enquiry, please choose from the following options. Press 1 to hear some cheesy music. Press 2 to listen to some more cheesy music. Press 3 if you want to speak to a real person. Never, ever Press 4. Press 5 if your favourite colour is yellow. Press 2 again for that cheesy music. Press some flowers. Press hash if you want to get stoned. Preston is a place in Lancashire. Press End to hear these options again."

None of my current contacts use my landline anymore. They always get in touch through my mobile (includes GP, general services etc.). So when the landline rings I ignore it. It's interesting that no-one ever leaves a message on that answerphone...

The DC's schools, dentists, GP, etc don't always call from the number that I have for them. Let alone all the people actually calling about me and not my DC.

Although most of them will leave messages and obviously the scammers don't.

😂😂😂

'Ah, no, sorry. You may have the wrong address. My new one is

'69 Screw You Street
Kiss My Arse On Sea
N0W 4QA
😂

I just hang up and don't even speak.
Boring I know but it's the best thing to do. Then block the number.

Give them London Zoo's address.

Outer Circle
Regents Park
London
NW1 4RY

I don’t answer unless it’s a number I recognise.

Just don't answer. If it's important they'll leave a message.

Brilliant 👏 😂

They ask me to confirm my name and I reply "who are you and why are you calling?" If they don't give me a straight answer I just put the phone down.

I ask them which property they are calling about. And then they either say the one you are living in or give up. If they say the one we are living in then I ask do they mean the town house or the country house as we live in both.... (We only have 1 house)