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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

In thinking that these phone calls are scams?

29 replies

SolidGoldBrass · 15/02/2014 13:59

I've had two or three calls over the past couple of days from 'finance' companies who clearly have my name, landline and mobile number. One, having rung me, put me on hold for a while so I hung up. THe other one, sounding like he was reading from a script, started telling me he could get half my debts written off.

I do have debts, which are being paid off via a debt management plan. COuld the DMP company have sold my details onto someone else or soemthing? Is anyone else having this sort of thingat the moment?

OP posts:

exexpat · 15/02/2014 14:03

I have no debts and still get texts and calls from debt management companies, as well as PPI companies and people telling me I can claim for non-existent accidents etc. I would assume they are just junk marketing calls. If you already have a debt management plan in place, that should be enough, surely? I'd just ignore them.

Nomama · 15/02/2014 14:13

I now have a two word response

Piss off.

I occasionally get a call back from one who wishes to berate me for being rude. They get the full broadside... parasite workers, scaremongering, wasting my time, cold calling twonks, how would they like it if I phoned them at 2am, during teatime etc....

Once and only once I got a 2nd call back from a manager.... he got a polite request to remove my number from his database... he refused.... so he got the same speech peppered with lost of expletives.

I hate them! Actively hate, am disgusted by them, personally... I mean who would take such a job knowing how they are seen by those they call?

It is one of the small handful of things I just can't be bothered to be understanding about.

Pipbin · 15/02/2014 14:15

Rule of thumb is that anyone who phones you uninvited is somehow shifty.
Not always the case

Pipbin · 15/02/2014 14:15

but it is enough to make it not worth trusting anyone who does phone.

NewtRipley · 15/02/2014 14:33

I assume any unsolicited contact over the phone is likely to be a scam, and that any unsolicited selling at the door is either a scam or the goods aren't good value.

It's annoying because it's so personal to have someone know your details when they call. I also had a spate of calls from debt management companies and PPI mis-selling although neither are relevant to me

OTOH I had a car accident a few years ago and had a spate of calls about claiming compensation - Insurance company must have sold that info on

DonnaDishwater · 15/02/2014 14:36

Just let them do their spiel, tell them you're not interested and ask them to take you off their database. They have to do this by FSA/OFCOM regulations. Hanging up or abusing them won't stop you getting calls.

RandallFloyd · 15/02/2014 14:39

It will almost certainly be the debt management company who have sold your details. The ethics of these companies are dubious at best unfortunately. (I deal with them a lot at work)

"Getting half your debts written off" will undoubtedly be them touting IVAs.

Ignore, ignore, ignore.

MrsCosmopilite · 15/02/2014 14:47

We get lots - calls pertaining to be offering help with mortgage, debt, missold pensions, etc. I just interrupt them with 'I'm not interested thanks' and hang up.

Extremely irritating though that numbers get passed on to people/companies like this.

Original poster

SolidGoldBrass · 15/02/2014 17:42

Debt management company is Step Change which I think is one of the better ones (they have always been OK with me so far). I suppose they might have sold my details, but then again, so might some of my creditors.
Oh well. I don't want an IVA, happy enough with the DMP.

OP posts:

leftangle · 15/02/2014 17:45

I've had a lot of debt calls at work. Have also recently had car accident ones. No debt and no car accident. Could just be ringing everyone rather than knowing anything about you.

Bunbaker · 15/02/2014 17:48

If these calls are generated in the UK can't you prevent them by registering with TPS?

RandallFloyd · 15/02/2014 17:51

As long as you are happy with them and they are handling your affairs in your best interests then that's all that matters.

In all honesty all companies sell your details. Even researching credit card options will get you a million calls/texts/emails about how to manage your debt.

It's shit but there's not much you can do about it. Kicking off or ordering them to 'remove you from their database', as many people do, won't make a blind bit of difference.

The main thing is it's nothing to be worried about, just a bunch of chancers trying their luck!

RandallFloyd · 15/02/2014 17:54

The tps is utter bollocks. None of these companies give a shiney shite about being reported to them. They're totally toothless, and if the company is based outside the UK they don't even come under their jurisdiction.

SagaNorensLeatherTrousers · 15/02/2014 17:54

Ooh we get really dodgy ones on our land-line...always someone with a thick, foreign accent saying they have detected a virus on our computer. I've started telling them I don't have a computer, but they keep calling once every day or so.

ijustwanttobeme · 15/02/2014 17:57

I had a guy call me a month or so ago to tell me he could get me ££ in compensation for the accident I had recently.

I asked him to provide me all the details about my 'accident ' as as far as I could recall I hadn't had one.

We went to and fro for a bit before he conceded he didn't know if I'd had an accident but had been sold my details and ( maybe from DVLA?) so was just ringing...

moondog · 15/02/2014 17:58

Who calls me is great for finding out who it is.
I am getting tonnes from foreigners purporting to be doing one minute opinion polls.
I am having loads of fun, chatting with them and breezily ignoring all requests from me for personal info with a 'I'll answer your questions first, then I'll give you my details'. They hang up on me.

wyrdyBird · 15/02/2014 18:07

I treat all financial cold calls as scams. It's simplest ..:-)

Did you see the Barclays story - a huge amount of highly personalised data has been stolen.

You never really know if your data has been legitimately or illegitimately passed to a third party, so IMO it's best not to give the benefit of the doubt.

Bunbaker · 15/02/2014 18:10

I had a chancer on the phone the other week trying to get our bank account details. I replied saying that I would get my husband to the phone as he works for the fraud squad. The caller hung up.

Blatherskite · 15/02/2014 18:17

I like replying "No, I can't" when they ask if I can just confirm x, y or z. They tend to get fed up and hang up sooner or later :)

I will also deny having everything from an accident to a computer to a phone line

middleagedspread · 15/02/2014 18:41

I say 'I belong to the TPS and you shouldn't be phoning me, take me off your list please'. It works.

amicissimma · 15/02/2014 20:14

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

FryOneFatManic · 15/02/2014 20:22

I assume that the cold caller has simply got my details from a list. I do refuse to take part in surveys, because I firmly believe that they only use them to gather info about people for sales reasons.

I don't have any debts but find cold callers refuse to believe this. I also don't need any financial advice, life cover, etc, etc, so they always get a polite No Thanks and I put the phone down.

Caitlin17 · 15/02/2014 20:31

I have no debts, I have a bloody brilliant credit history, I have never been mis-sold insurance of any kind, I don't have any claims or injuries I could get compensation for and on top of that I'm a practising solicitor in private practice married to another solicitor (who is more than competent at suing people)

It's all a scam. Just ignore it. If it's your mobile phone and it's an Android install a call blocker app.

Lots of good advice from all posters.

deakymom · 15/02/2014 22:19

i get these calls all the time so i unplugged my landline then had it cut off i now only answer my mobile if i know the person problem solved

Olivegirl · 15/02/2014 22:31

When I answer the phone and they say

Good afternoon and how are you today?

If I have time I will reply

Well actually not very well today ,.....I've been to the doctors this morning and.......etc

Carry on a long spiel ....they always hang up

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