Telephone calls from "Computer Support" in India

[ragged]

I know it's a big scam, but why do I get so MANY calls from them?

Sometimes I play stupid and say I don't even have a computer (sigh).

They ask for us by our surname, sometimes my first name, too.

I've had 2 today, normally a few every week. Is there a reason why I'm getting so many? Should I shriek at them that I know it's a scam? I've read there are a lot of these con artist call centres, so it might be several different ones phoning each week, so no point in shrieking at just one.

Is it possible to block my phone from receiving any phonecalls from India, where most of them are based (and they all seem to have subcontinent accents)??
Sigh.

I don't know if it depends on whether you are in the phone book, or whether numbers get called at random anyway. I've been unlisted since getting this line with BT and was unlisted at all times in the past 20 years when I've had a landline. I have had small numbers of marketing calls, and (when one of my numbers was a digit different to a GP surgery in town, had calls all night from people needing an ambulance rather than their GP, so got that number changed).

Unfortunately if you seem to be getting higher numbers of calls than others in your circle it may be down to which companies /banks you use - there have been reports of customer data being removed from call centres.

If it was some other scam it may have been that you were a target based on income or level of savings, but in this case it seems just bad luck as I believe they are after a hundred or less, rather than trying to grab thousands.

Surname starts with end alphabet letters (so presumably not a factor). They are asking for us by surname, so I think you're right, they've hacked some database (grrrrrr).

I dunno about others in my circle, I haven't thought to ask around in real life! I don't think about it except in the 30 seconds after I get a call. Will try to remember to ask around, though. It's getting very persistant. I have tried answering back only in foreign language, giving phone to my inarticulate 6yo, saying "Yah" in a Norweigian accent to every question -- they might ring off there and then but they seem to always phone back later.

I've just started getting these, several a day for a week but nothing for a few days. I've been playing around with them too, pretending to go along with it and then telling them I know its a scam, or pretending not to speak english, or whatever. I put my 3 year old on last time.

Dunno how to stop it though.

You might want to try officially opting out of these calls using TPS. It may not stop them but it should help.

I went through a phrase of getting loads of these. I used to just say I am hard of hearing and cant undersand you (which is true I particulary struggle with accents or when they is background noise but it is a get excuse) then say bye and put the phone. Not sure if thats why they stopped or not

TPS only applies within the UK.

Have you got caller id? Use it if you have. I no longer pick up 'unavailable' or 'withheld' numbers, on the basis that if it's important they'll leave an answerphone message.