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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think calls like this should be illegal?

69 replies

listsandbudgets · 10/03/2016 11:09

I've just had a call that went along these lines

"Hello Lists, sorry to disturb you. My name is Tracey and I work for xyz company. I'm responsible for closing down the files related to your road accident and wanted to go over a few details with you before we issued the final compensation cheque"

What the hell... presumably she was going to go n to ask me all sort of questions that would allow her to steal my identity. I've never even had a road accident and god willing never will

OP posts:
AlisonWunderland · 10/03/2016 11:10

"certainly Tracey. If you can just give me the password, I can answer your questions ....."

Original poster
listsandbudgets · 10/03/2016 11:11

Oh and amusingly when I suggested that if I had had an accident it must have caused a very severe case of amnesia she agreed with me and said that the amnesia was reflected in the compensation payment Shock

OP posts:
QuiteLikely5 · 10/03/2016 11:13

It is illegal to steal someone's identity

ApocalypseSlough · 10/03/2016 11:13

I hung up on several of these calls before they got through to my son who explained they were my insurance company following up when I backed into another car parking. Blush

Oysterbabe · 10/03/2016 11:15

I don't think these are identity stealing calls, more ambulance chasers fishing for business.

CoraPirbright · 10/03/2016 11:17

Shock at the amnesia comment!

I have had lots of these recently. I really resent them - not only do they disturb me but they are all matey and call me immediately by my first name (ok, ok, I do realise I am a bit old fashioned and stick-in-the-mud about this but I don't like it).

I would love to know if they are employed by a proper company and are just fishing for business, in which case, its a shit job but a job nevertheless and so I would be polite. Or are they just con artists out to fleece old ladies?? In which case they can all go to hell!!

specialsubject · 10/03/2016 11:21

yes, they are called fraudsters and it is illegal to do what they are doing. Doesn't stop it happening, sadly.

if this is a mobile, block the number. If it is the landline, invest £20 or less in a call blocker and block it. And in both cases, report to the ICO.

if you can get the crook to give out their company name (not all are stupid enough but some are) you can raise a formal complaint and something actually gets done.

StarkyTheDirewolf · 10/03/2016 11:31

I really resent them - not only do they disturb me but they are all matey and call me immediately by my first name

I'm glad it's not just me! CoraPirbright I come over all Lady Violet Crawley and do an uppity "I am Mrs Starky of Direwolf Manor, you may call me Mrs Starky" I've only been married 5 minutes but it's one of my favourite things!

Original poster
listsandbudgets · 10/03/2016 11:33

Specialsubject it was a private number. I'm expecting a call from my solicitors (not about an accident) so I answered it expecting it to be them

OP posts:
PoohBearsHole · 10/03/2016 11:40

I have been hounded by them. And when you say you have someone dealing with it (best answer by the way) they are rude or can be. I had one particular one who told me where to go as I wouldn't use "his" company. I laughed.

Disruptive and intrusive though :(

KingJoffreyLikesJaffaCakes · 10/03/2016 11:43

The first name thing is a psychological trick.

Makes you think you've chatted before and enough times to be on first name terms.

Iliveinalighthousewiththeghost · 10/03/2016 11:44

I got a text saying. We have £4,700 for you after your accident. Yaddda yadda yadda.
I just text back saying. What accident. They must think people are stupid

MadamDeathstare · 10/03/2016 11:50

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MrsBlimey · 10/03/2016 12:02

My colleague gets s lot of these on his direct line at work and he has a range of hilarious options:

  • you've come through to a secure terrorist monitoring hot line at GCHQ - may I ask how you got this usually encrypted number? As you've called I'm going to have to send MI5 round to ensure you're cleared for speaking to me...they're on their way right now.
  • how did you know I'd had an accident? I'm in my car at the moment as some bugger smashed into me a few minutes ago. So it's not my fault, you say? Great - I'll tell the police that now - they've just turned up.... Shall I put you onto them?
  • I'll give you my details if you give me yours. Names, dob, address, bank account, mothers maiden name, national insurance number

They work every time!

MrsBlimey · 10/03/2016 12:10

Another one this colleague uses is (puts on serious automatic type voice) "This call is being traced by government security agents. If the call cannot be connected, it is because it has been flagged as having been made from a suspect telephonic device. That device will be tracked and destroyed by anti-terrorist security agents within the next 24 hrs. Any suspected users of the aforementioned device may be subject to arrest."

Puerile but it works. So far. Confused

OliviaStabler · 10/03/2016 12:10

I simply put the phone down on these calls.

Dancergirl · 10/03/2016 12:14

Me too olivia I don't know why they bother people so much. I just say no thank you and hang up.

PigletJohn · 10/03/2016 12:16

what do you mean by "a private number?"

ThumbWitchesAbroad · 10/03/2016 12:20

Twice I've had cold calls and seriously guilted the caller.

The first one was BT - calling about my internet. Very chatty, very informal and jokey, asking about my children and woudl I like to make sure that my internet was secure for them - so I pointed out that I had no children and how dared he assume that I did, and how dared he talk like that - what if I had been trying to have children and couldn't? Or had lost one? He was falling-over-himself apologetic and couldn't get off the phone fast enough.

The second one was equally informal and chatty - calling about life insurance - on the day of my mother's funeral. He didn't last beyond me telling him that either - said "Oh God I'm so sorry, this is totally inappropriate" and rang off.

pointyshoes · 10/03/2016 12:23

if its a landlane affected, buy a BT8500 Advanced call blocker phone/answering machine. Programme in numbers you want to hear from (friends/family etc). Can also programme numbers you want to be blocked but I haven't bothered. Any other numbers are "unrecognised" and are intercepted before the phone rings at home. The caller is greeted by an automated message asking them to leave their name/company details etc. The phone then rings in your house and you see "announced call" flash up on the phone. When you answer, you hear the recorded name and then you can either accept the call as usual, block it (in which case the caller hears a automated message saying they are blocked) or sent it straight to answer phone. Unwanted calls never get through, and anyone legit is happy to say who they are in advance. We got one in August and I never get any of these calls anymore. But I can see how many are still trying to get through from the call record. The beauty is that the phone doesn't even ring initially before the calls are filtered

mrsmortis · 10/03/2016 12:23

Have you seen the counter scripts? I like this one but it's more appropriate if they are trying to sell you something:

egbg.home.xs4all.nl/counterscript.html

The best I've ever seen is the mother of a friend of mine whose response to timeshare sales call trying to convince her that she'd won a holiday was to explain that it was against her religion. And then she spent about 20 mins explaining this ficticious religion to the telemarketer and trying to convert her.

Oliversmumsarmy · 10/03/2016 12:23

Dd has been getting these type of calls since she was 14. no matter that she isn't old enough to drive they still insist she has had an accident.

JanetOfTheApes · 10/03/2016 12:30

Fraud is already illegal. So if thats what they were doing, what new law would you like?

skinoncustard · 10/03/2016 12:33

if its a landlane affected, buy a BT8500 Advanced call blocker phone/answering machine. Programme in numbers you want to hear from (friends/family etc). Can also programme numbers you want to be blocked but I haven't bothered. Any other numbers are "unrecognised" and are intercepted before the phone rings at home. The caller is greeted by an automated message asking them to leave their name/company details etc. The phone then rings in your house and you see "announced call" flash up on the phone. When you answer, you hear the recorded name and then you can either accept the call as usual, block it (in which case the caller hears a automated message saying they are blocked) or sent it straight to answer phone. Unwanted calls never get through, and anyone legit is happy to say who they are in advance. We got one in August and I never get any of these calls anymore. But I can see how many are still trying to get through from the call record. The beauty is that the phone doesn't even ring initially before the calls are filtered

Couldn't agree more - best £50 I've ever spent , I smile every time I look at the list of calls blocked.

DrDreReturns · 10/03/2016 12:34

When I get a call that starts 'We are calling you about an accident you had recently..' I always ask them to tell me when the accident happened. I say something like 'you said I had an accident so you must know when it happened.' It usually gets rid of them quickly.
I don't think anything can be done about a lot of them as they originate from abroad.

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