...to be so pissed off with bogus phone scammers calling my Granny that I could cry?

[CountessVonKnackerstein]

Can anyone help?
My gran (86) is getting phone calls from this bloke who is adamant she has won a prize on a European prize draw.
He rang yesterday, and the day before and he's told her he will ring again tomorrow. He has told her to keep it between them. I'm terrified he's going to con her.
She's been sending money off to various charities for years, but I think they've sold on her details to this unscrupulous bloke! My gran is so lovely but is getting increasingly confused and forgetful.
What can I do to help? My mum thinks she is in control of her bank account, (Internet banking only) though gran can still write cheques and withdraw money. So I don't quite see how my mum is in control but that's another story!
Would it be terrible if I hid my gran's chequebook?

Thank you. Parents are with BT.
It costs £4 a month to stop withheld numbers from ringing you, but strangely, not if the call originates from overseas? (I think that's right) anyway, I'm going to suggest this to them.

Might be abit drastic but have your parents thought about changing their phone number?

There is a way of stopping incoming calls but i'm not sure how it works. assume BT set it up. I only know cos I have had to ring parents (i'm a teacher) and when they have this set i can't get round it

Could you ask your Gran if she has entered any competitions and if she says no point out she can't have won? I hate people that prey on the elderly like this .

my friend was getting silent calls from a withheld number and BT provided a service (for a fee) where you dialled a code number straight after receiving one of these calls and it bars that number from calling you again - they might still do this?

Mutt - that was a fair question, not meaning to be rude! Calm down...

Dial 1471 after receiving the nuisance call, to get their number (assuming they haven't with held it). If this person keeps calling from the same number, BT can bar all calls from the number.

huffythethreadseller what happened when you reported it? My aunt is 69 and she got the exact same phone call, saying about insurance for her sky box. they refused to tell her how much it was for until she gave them her details and that her sky would be cut off if she didn't pay them there and then. she was firm with them and told them to leave her alone and that she would phone them back after she got her neice solicitor to check her contract. they then became really rude to her thank god though that she stuck to her guns, but clearly they are targeting elderly people and coning them. they are the lowest form of scum trying to take money off elderly people.

there needs to be a proper way of reporting these bastards and stopping them.