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106 Comments
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Alison
I have a knack for wrapping them round my finger, i’ll let them go on telling me whats wrong with my computer acting extremely thick, and just as they are about to tell me how to get rid of it. I tell them what I do for a living and what i have a degree in. I’m a web designer and have a degree in applied computing. I know more about viruses than most people. Then (providing then don’t hang up on me which they have been known to do) I will tell them all about it and how to get rid of it for free. Also with these scammers be wary as some don’t only want your bank details, they ask to install “anti virus software” remotely which isn’t what they are doing at all, they are 99% of the time planting the virus they just tried to tell you about.
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Maurice
I like that technique Alison. I use the very same technique with any nuisance call. What I do is to pretend I am thick and that I am really amazed that the help being offered by the scammer is readily available. To acentuate my stupidity I ask loads and loads of questions and act surprised after each response. Of course I apologise for asking so many questions every so often but I keep the person on the telephone for as long as I can, after all I am not paying for the call. I am happy to play along in the knowledge I am preventing the scammer from preying on some other vulnerable person. I know the scmmer needs to achieve success in scamming and therefore he/she will stay on the line talking to me if he/she believes I will eventually disclose personal details of one kind or another. Eventually the penny begins to drop and the scammer’s enthusiasm weakens when he/she realises that after 30 minutes I am giving nothing away and I am not buying anything. It works all the time for me.
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Andy
MennellI use one of those Truecall call filtering machines, which only allows people to call if I authorise their number.
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Neil Payne
I use the simple “sorry there’s someone at the door, could you hold for a moment”. Then I put the phone down where I can see it, without hanging up, and see how long they’ll wait. Best so far is 7 minutes.
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I like that, Neil. I’ve also said “can I put you on hold while I get my laptop” then played the waiting game to see how long before they give up!
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jw
Only 7 mins? Keep them on for an hour or more, that reduces their time to con someone gullible. Very easy, and little trouble. 1. Speak slowly, this makes you sound more likely to fall for it. 2. Follow their directions, but mention that the computer is in a room some distance away. They’re amazingly patient if they think they have a fish no the line! Get in a muddle, don’t always follow the directions accurately. After an hour of this, they’ll reach the point where they’ve shown you scary red warnings in your Event Viewer (which is normal) and invite you to let a technician access your PC. This is when you hang up the phone!
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Paula
ConnollyOn one call, after saying “I’m not interested” before I’d even quite finished saying it, they said someting along the lines of “yes, but” going on to tell me about the benifits. I then replied “I am absolutely, totally, utterly and completely not intersted at all. Then then was silence after which I put the phone down.
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Redwing
Once you realise it is a scam call, just put the phone down without saying another word. They don’t phone back.
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Heather
Actually, after telling them I was not interested and was going to hang up, one of them did call me back the next day (same number showing) and just shouted F*** Off at me then hung up. I counted that as a small victory :-)
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Paul Cox
I ask them to repeat the name and ask for a telephone number which they sometimes give. I tell them that I have recorded the details, am a member of The Telephone Preference Scheme and they will be reported for prosecution should they not remove the number from the database or should I receive further calls from them.
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Robin
JacobyI adopt the same technique with scam calls as for all cold callers which is to say “I don’t take unsolicited phone calls” and hang up before any further conversation can take place.
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Terence
WhiteheadLast time I got one I was not busy so I played along with the person on the other end (including the ‘I cannot understand your accent, could you repeat that” several times). After about 15 minutes they gave up and put the phone down.
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Peter
BanyardWhile I vary tactics, one which will always work is “I use a Linux set-up”, which I do amongst others. They are geared towards Windows, and will generally know nothing about Linux, which for them is very off-putting. I suspect the same would apply if Apple computers were mentioned.
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sarahscrap
smy reply is similiar to the first, short and simple “what computer? i don’t own one”
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Gretal
I have a number of strategies for dealing with unsolicited calls; for ones telling me I’m due some compensation for mis-sold PPI (which I have never taken out) I just say “well that’s fab, so if you could just put the cheque in the post for me” & then I hang up. Haven’t had one of these for a while now…
For ones that come up on the display as International Call – I’ve tried most of the above; Telephone Preference Scheme & just laying the phone down (2 days is my record) as I believe they can’t clear the line & call to bother someone else. My current strategy is simply no conversation, just a sharp burst of my sonic cat scarer which sits by the phone!-
john
mccolganIf they instigated the call, when they hang up it clears their line so that wont work I’m afraid. Sorry
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Naina
hariaSomeone I know sings “The Lion sleeps tonight” down the phone to them, when they reach “awimba, awimba, awimba…… ” the phone is normally put down by the caller, I wonder why?
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Brilliant! But could you have hit the next high note if they hadn’t? I think I sung “It started with a kiss” to a nuisance caller once until they hung up…didn’t take them long
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Penny
I have tried all these at different times but still get calls sometimes 2 or 3 times a day. Even told them I had reported them to Trading Standards even that doesn’t stop the calls. Resorted now to just hanging up as soon as they mention the word Microsoft.
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Tony Godel
Hi do join the telephone prefernece scheme Google it and once you register it should cut down those nuisance calls.It is free and I hav efound it very good. Tony
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Brian
I like the methods employed in getting rid of these damned calls. I get anything from 0 to 3 a week. I usually say >how do you know I have a computer and how do you know I have a virus?
Get lost (or stronger) and out the phone down.
I like all of the “put offs” mentioned; but how do you stop these calls in the first instance? -
toby
I just say “How interesting – which computer?” They always put the phone down – if they understand the question!
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Jean
StephensI use that one too and “my computer is a Mac”
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andy alton
I have caller display on my phone, whenever I see “International”, “Witheld” or similar I pick up the call but say nothing. In my experience they always wait to hear that you are on the line before they start speaking. 9 times out of 10 they put down in just a few seconds. A genuine caller will always say “Hello” or simiar. This also works for automated dialing systems used by unsolicited sales organisations
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whitmarsh
I have caller-display and I just don’t answer Number Withheld or International Out of Area calls. If someone witholds his number and really wants to get hold of me, he can dial 1470 before my number and that removes the withholding for that call.
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Robert
RamsayI have had about 4 of these in the last year. First time I told them I was busy and could not talk to them. They phoned back several days later and by acting as though I was interested I actually managed to get a phone number out of the chap that called me. It was 0208 thus somewhere in outer London, which I suspect was false. I have caller ID and it had come up with 0.0.0.0.0.
The third time they called I just let them ramble on without talking to them. They lasted for about 3 minutes and then hung up. Fourth time I gave them a two word reply and hung up and to date they have never phoned me again. -
Maurice
Once I have (quickly) determined it is nuisance/scam call I say “Not on the phone, send me an email” and ring off before they have a chance to possibly ask for the address. I used to add “if you found my phone number you can find my email address” but I can’t be bothered to delay any more.
I am seriously thinking of buying an air horn to point at the instrument’s microphone. The cat scarer sounds good too
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Fritz
I find an old fashioned pea whistle really does the trick – as soon they mention “Microsoft” I give it a good blast. If I can’t find the whistle (my desk is a bit of a mess), I start speaking in best British school-boy French. They give up and don’t call back
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Debbie
When asked to click on the ‘start’ icon on the screen my daughter told them there wasn’t one, (her brother was playing a game on full screen at the time so it wasn’t visible). It took quite a while for her to persuade them there really wasn’t one but in the end they hung up and the two kids had a good laugh.
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mccolganI have had scam calls from “BT” threatening to disconnect my service unless I make payment now either by direct debit or by credit card. They will try and convince you that they can disconnect you by asking you to hang up and then try to dial out. (what they do is keep the call open and don’ speak so when you pick up to dial out you don’t get a dial tone) After a few minutes they call you back. If you are not aware of the fact that you cannot cut off an incoming call this could very well convince you that the call is indeed from BT. IT IS NOT IT’ A SCAM. Now for the good bit. What I do is cry and plead with them not to disconnect me. I cry and cry and sob for ages, then through my sobs I ask if I can pay by credit card. What to do now is make up a 16 digit number, expiry date and 3 digit check number. This will then have them waste even more time trying to get money from a fake account
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Anthony
DuffyEither my wife or myself on receiving scam calls ask the caller if they believe Jesus is their saviour and can we pray together whilst we record the call for the enlightenment of our prayer circle of fellow believers in Christ. Click and gone…….never fails
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LES
If I’ve got the time, play along with them, then eventually they need my credit card number.
It is 1234 5678 9000 0000.
Then they hang up! -
JD
I have tried them all but nothing works long term…….
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Ian
For me the issue is not how to respond – but how to stop them.
I am currently being hassled by phone calls to conduct a ‘Home Energy Survey’.
After asking to be removed from the list I continued to get calls.
I today said that I would report the calls – the person said ‘go ahead’.
The reason for this is, although the calls have a UK number, I believe they are coming from India, so reporting them would have no effect whatsoever.
So, it seems if we cannot get removed from these lists – how do we stop the calls?
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Geo
Haven’t received one of these calls so far, but do get other phishing calls occasionally.
3 tactics to use -
Ignore “international / out of area” calls,
Hang up without speaking,
If you feel you need cheering up, be rude then hang up. -
Mary
My record for keeping them on the phone was about 10 minutes. I was stood in my kitchen nowhere near my PC, when asked ‘what can you see?’ I was tempted to say ‘my cooker’, I kept them going until I got bored, then I said ‘Oh I’ve got the blue screen of death’. I was then passed over to a second person, I ended the call shortly after that.
With the last 2 calls I just said ‘And you’re going to tell me I’ve got a problem with my PC, Goodbye’ or ‘You’re speaking to an IT expert, Goodbye’ and put the phone down, (I worked in IT but not looking after PCs). -
Keith
I have caller display and when I see “International” I answer with “Microsoft help desk”. There is an instant response – the line goes dead. If I have the time then I have tried to engage them in conversation mainly to waste their time and to save someone getting caught.
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HeidiA shrill blast on a metal old school ref’s whistle seems to work. Wonder how it affects their eardrum?
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Martin
1. Ask them where they got your phone number from. Persist. It seems to throw them.
2. (I can’t claim originality for this one). Tell them you are a bit busy, but if they give you their home phone number you’ll call them back at home later. When they say they can’t do this say: “Why not? Don’t you like strange people calling you at home?”
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phillip
When I get a caller who says “and how are you today”.I reply in a very pained voice “Well, my piles are giving me hell,I’ve got an upset stomach and I’ve got a toothache otherwise I’m fine.Thankyou for asking”and I put the phone down.
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Gill
I love it, wish I’d thought of this……I normally start conversing in Welsh, this completely throws them and THEY hang up.
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bill
I’m on the telephone preference scheme so any unexpected callers need to rapidly explain their call and who they are before they get cut off. Generally I usually say “wrong number” and I can hear them still talking as I promptly hang up. However in future I’m thinking of wasting their time as they do mine by hanging up while I’m talking making it look like there’s a fault. Let them ring back, apologise for the ‘fault’ and keep repeating the process. It will be interesting to see at what point they give up.
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peter
shadwellI had a series of persistent Microsoft Support scam telephone calls. First time it was actually quite convincing and despite the fact I consider myself “scam aware” I nearly fell for it. The scammer’s technique is to move things along quickly so you don’t have much time to think about what is actually happening. First time I was only saved by my wireless router going down otherwise I would have installed their scam software. Once I had had time to think then it was obvious that the call was a scam. However I only got rid of them after their fifth call to my mobile. I told them that I knew these calls were scams and I was putting the phone down on them. No more calls after that. My tip: if you have even the slightest suspicion about a call – especially if it is unsolicited – don’t care about being rude, just terminate the call – do not enter into a dialogue were they can use their highly convincing scam techniques on you.
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Des
I just say i’ll get my daddy and put the phone next to the radio and then wait to hear the tone to say thay have hung up.
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Re terminating the call: once years ago, when these calls came from Britain rather than abroad, I put the phone down and the girl called me back and bawled me out for being impolite! Nice :-)
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David
Scammer: Hello, I’m calling from a Microsoft-approved…
Me: Which ISP are you working for?
Scammer: We work for… a long list of ISPs
Me: And which one am I with?
Normally stops there.I did have one call me back twice to protest after I explained he was a criminal before puttng the phone down.
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Elaine
I have tried this one. When they have given me a long list I say sorry my provider isn’t on it. There is silence then they normally hang up
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Stuart
I have tried the “sorry, I don’t have a computer” line, but recently I have added “I don’t even have a telephone!” That seems to confuse them!
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Pam
I usually ask them if they think my head zips up the back, then I hang up.
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John Dwane
I simply say, “No thank you”, and hang up. They don’t usually call back.
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John
Robins“I’m a pensioner and I’ve got no money” – it never fails.
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Chris
Useful technique for dealing with callers who know your surname:-
Hello, can I speak to Mr M……..
Me “Which one?” (Genuine question; my husband and 2 sons live here).
Rogue callers usually hang up. If its a genuine call the caller knows the christian name as well, and is quite happy to answer my next question “who is calling please?” or “what is it concerning?”.-
Cliff
Most of my scam callers HAVE known my first name, which they must get from public lists. However I never confirm that it’s me.Then it goes:
ME: “Who wants to know?”
CALLER: “Microsoft support” (or similar)
ME: “Why?”
CALLER: “(Guff about virus etc)”
ME: “How many users is this affecting?”
CALLER: “(Usually many thousands)”
ME: “Wow! How long will it take you to phone all of them?”
CALLER: (unless they’ve al;ready given up) “Oh, there’s lots of us doing it”
ME: “Is that why I keep getting so many calls about it?”I can keep this going for ages, but when I get bored I just finish with something like “Anyway, I’m not the person you asked for” or “Well, I think you’re one of those scammers, and this call has been traced and recorded. Now go away and prepare for a visit from your local Police”
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Spike
I just say “Not you again” and put the phone down.
It normally lasts for about 2 weeks before they call again. It is always a voice with an Indian accent. -
Michael
ParkesInvite them for a sexy passionate night.
Works for doorstep callers and canvassers too.
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john
I usually ask them if they have a god and suggest that they go and say a prayer to ask for salvation for their sins for trying to rip off a poor old pensioner.
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G Morgan
I suggested to my mother, who was bothered by such calls, to speak to them in Welsh. She enjoyed their attempt at working out which language she was speaking! I guess it will work with many non-English languages. I also recommend spending about 15 minutes playing with them as you appear to set up the computer, then saying I’ve got BBC News on now, thanks for helping me get my digital TV set up properly. Keep them on the line, waste their time, and you could be saving someone more gullible from the scam.
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Gillian
LowesI tell them I hope they will rot in hell.
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Brian
ClementsApart from calls at odd times (family in New Zealand) or when I am waiting for a call, I allow all calls to go to the Answerphone. Family and friends know it takes me a while to get to the phone and will identify themselves, upon which I pick up. Genuine callers leave a message but most hang up before the beep, though I do get a fair number of recordings of background office noise.
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David
GrahamIf the caller id is withheld say ^ I do not speak to calls from withheld numbers. If the id is NOT withheld then say ^ Your call is being recorded, please provide your company name and telephone number.
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pgb8000
When ‘Microsoft’ called earlier this week, I told they guy he was a thief who conned poor elderly people out of their life savings. I then asked him how he managed to sleep at night, and how he would feel if someone was calling his mother trying to con them in this way. I woul have been quite happy to continue the conversation at length, but unfortunately, he hung up.
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Her
IndoorsThe answer phone is always on !
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Snowdin
Firstly I try to keep one step ahead reading selected financial and computing web sites to be aware of current scams. These calls invariably arrive between 4.30 and 6pm at our house. I have tried most of the above without apparent lessening of calls so I regret to say I am now rather abusive, when I recognise the scam, in the hope that they will blacklist me. Very occasionally they phone back when my wife will answer the question “is your husband always so rude ” with “only to time wasters like you.” If there is a blacklist I don’t seem to have qualified for it yet.
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Geoff
CoverdaleI ask them where they got my number and tell them i’m in the middle of a murder inquiry and i am the offer in charge believe my it works every time and i never get them call my number again
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Nik S
I had one from Microsoft phone the other day. The person said that I had a problem with my computer – I said to her in a very sad, tearful tone ‘ my computer died’ ‘ it died’ ‘ …sobbing… ‘ it died’ ‘ I had to bury it in the garden coz it died !’ at this point she hung up. Shame really.
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paul
I ask, is this call being recorded for training purposes and if they say yes i reply, f@#k off stop calling me, and everyone else then.
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8oro
I tell them they’re an evil person and put the phone down.
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Richard
Our telephone system has caller number display and is set up with four classes of callers, each with it’s own easily recognisable ring tone. 1. Family 2. Friends 3. Other people we know. Everyone else get the default ring tone and as we always leave the answering machine on, we simply ignore calls from those which include those with withheld numbers, out of area, international etc etc. If they are genuine they will leave a message and we will call them back. Very few do!
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Peter
As a regular recipient of the MS calls I generally string them along for as long as possible
and at the point I get bored say “I can’t understand any of this this I have an Apple Mac”
Gone …..
I was also chastised once for letting my vocabulary get away from me ;-)
Recently they called Rory Cellan-Jones The BBC Technology correspondent!! -
stevie-bab
yI’ve day-dreamed along the lines of:
‘Hello, I’m calling from Microsoft, my name’s Alex..’
‘What’s your real name?’ (repeat several times)
‘My real name is Safir.’
‘Ah, so you were lying then? Why should I believe anything else you say?’ -
Pam Camp
The calls I’ve had usually tell me they’re calling from Windows – and I have an error…..
but before they finish I say something like “Oh windows – yes – I’ve 8 in my house and they are all double glazed” – they then try to tell me it’s not those sort of windows, so I tell them the conservatory is double glazed as well. The best reaction I had was when one caller got very cross and told ME I was wasting HIS time.
BUT I usually just use the line mentioned above -and say I don ‘t have a computer!
THAT works a treat !! -
Aisha
One that works for me is: when the caller starts reeling off the script, reply with; “I am so glad you called, if you have a few moments to answer some quick questions, it will only take a moment of your time, question one…. Stick to the question and if they don’t answer it, move on to question two!
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Nick
MartinIT is quite amusing if one has a few minutes to say that you are following all their directions when they get to the bit where the you are supposed to see a screen showing a string of files ( actually the computers own internal log files), and they tell you try to delete them ( they won’t delete by the delete key) say “oh yes they have all gone”. It is satisying to listen to the person’s bemused comments and to know that you have wasted a good few minutes of their time.
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Peter
ArgyleI’m amazed how patient and good-natured other commenters can be. I pay for Caller ID and let all International, Withheld and Unavailable numbers go to the answer machine, when most pest callers hang up. If I am unlucky enough to pick up the phone on live pests, they get a two-word answer, the second of which is “off”, the first depends how I feel that day. The trouble is, it’s wasted on pre-recorded rubbish calls telling me I’ve won this, that or the other. We need action to stop pest calls altogether, even if not criminal they just waste network time.
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Elvin
DerrickWhen they ask for you by name say “Just hold on, I’ll get him.” Then put the phone next to the nearest loudspeaker and play music very loudly. Old ZZ Top works well.
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Ian Dupuy
They targetted my retired parents. My latest enjoyment is the fonejacker app on my phone. The best is using the responses for Charlie Wong hitting them with you want by DVD. Playing back the recording is awesome.
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Kevin
I have answered upwards of 40 of these calls. Probably that many again when someone else has answered.
Recently, I just tell them that, then hang up.
But a couple of times I let them go on for quite a while. After about 25 mins The Indian guy started swearing and insulting ME. He then passed the phone to his “boss” who then blamed me for insulting his colleague. I corrected him and he then apologised to me and said something along the lines of “you are right, he is abusing you still.”
Made my day. -
Brian
HughesIn my experience most nuisance calls are from India. There are a few PPI, Accident calls from the Uk that slip through the net. I have tried all the remedies suggested my usual response is why are you phoning me – I have not asked you to call. But they are extremely persistent and eventually call back. I usually let the answerphone connect, but they just keep trying.
I beleive Which? should start a campaign to get the British Government to persuade the Indian Government to curtail such calls and lenable the UK telephone preference service to be equally effective against overseas calls. Perhaps there are many British citizens with Asian connections who suffer even more from such unsolicited calls. It is time the Government stuck up for its own citizens and cracked down on these issues. -
John
I ask them to hang on while I get my partner who uses the computer and then forget them for 5 mins.
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Pete
BarnardOn hearing the start their patter, I said firmly, Thanks but no thanks and promply put the phone down. The phone rung again and on answering it a voice shouted Ignorant Bars—d down the line at me and then hung up
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HARRY
BARKERMy wife is fluent in French and when she answers she speaks French to them and they think they have a wrong number and hang up. I on the other hand lead them on, and eventually tell them I have an Applemac, which I do not have, and that too usually gets them off the line. I also tell them that their phone number has accidentally come up and I am going to report them to the police. Once, however, when I told them to get off the line, and hung up, they phoned me back immediately and told me I was rude to them, and that the call was recorded and they knew from the phone directory where I lived. I told them my 31kg dog, which does exist, would make short work of them if they dared to turn up.
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Automella
Great fun! Shall note down some for futuer use.
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Niemand
I must admit to being somewhat surprised that people engage in lengthy conversations with these people at all. Or even leave the other party hanging on. During the call your phone is engaged to genuine incoming calls: some may be important, at the very least, they inconvenience the genuine caller. Close down the call as quickly as possible with “I’m not interested”, then hang up.
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John
I enjoy taking the micky out of these people, I do not seem to get many now but I did put on the doddery pensioner act with one chap and pretended to do what he said and kept him on the line for over 20 mins. When it came to credit card time – still using the doddery old pensioner act I started to go through security checks with him as you do if you ring your bank. He was so into helping me he got as far as spelling out his name and his date of birth before the line went dead!
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Wardley
lassI don’t have caller ID, but these people usually ring a group of numbers at the same time and then speak to the one that is answered first. This means that when you pick up the phone there is a short silence before the caller speaks. If no-one answers immediately I put the phone down there and then. This also protects from the scam where the call is diverted to an overseas premium numberwhich is then charged to your account.
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Graham
PedleyMy favourite response is ‘ Listen sunshine, I’ve been working with computers for the last 30 years [I bought my first pc in 1981] and if there was anything wrong with it, I would know’.
I am rarely so polite with such callers!
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James
I ask them their name, address, home telephone number as they know all about me. Guess what, they put the phone down.
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Jenni
I was at my dad’s when I took a call he received from a computer scammer. The man told me I had a problem with my computer (my dad does not own one) and that he could help me fix it so I advised him to phone me back once my computer was on. He did ring back and after I pretended to follow his instructions I thanked him very much for calling again as it gave the authorities time to trace the call. He hung up pretty sharp-ish!!
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Mr R F
DrewAny 08 number is ignored. If it is important, the message answering system cuts in and a message may be left. Only “messages”, so far, are either silence or the cacophony of a call centre. Sometimes I get the end of a recorded announcement, which is of no interest.
This saves a lot of time messing with unimportant matters, which most 08 numbers seem to be all about. -
Humphrey
ChandlerI always ask how they got this number
they usally ask why
so I tell them I want to know whitch company they work for the telephone number and there name
they then ask why iwant to know
I tell them this is an unlisted number and I wish to report them to trading standarts for
harestment
they depart very fast and i havent had any repeats
if they try to check they will find its been unlisted for 35 years -
Chris S
We have landline phones in three rooms that allow calls to be transfered – during the process, the caller hears a tinny tune. When I get a nusance call, I simply say, “just a moment, I’ll transfer you”, press ‘transfer call’ but don’t select another room. The caller then hears the tinny tune until they hang up – and I get on with doing something else.
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Mary
I usually put the handset down quietly and wait for them to give up. I fancy trying the one about asking them to repeat things because I can’t understand the accent though. I also take the view that wasting their time might save a gullible person.
I have an interesting angle with the name because I changed my name recently, and anyone who validly has my phone number knows that.
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Tony
EllisonI tell them that they have phoned a well know telecoms company on a line used to trap companies making scam phone calls. Their line is being traced to their location and they should ramain in the building until the police arrive. They tend to not ring back again!
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Bill
I long ago gave up answering the phone directly it rings. I leave the answer machine volume loud enough to hear who’s calling and pick up if I want to. If the caller doesn’t leave a message, it can’t have been important enough for me to bother about. People who know me know to speak to the machine and I will pick up. Simples!
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paul
When i am cold called i always listen for a while then tell them that i charge for the use of my phone line for advertising products. If the company forwards me £25 I will agree to listen to them and then decide whether I am interested. No company has yet offered me money. Its great fun try it.
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R.M
PhillipsWhilst staying at my fathers (who does not have a computer) I answered the phone and it turned out to be one of these scammers saying they were from Microsoft and my father had a virus on his computer. ‘ Does He?’ i replied, all concerned. ‘What do we do now? ‘I asked, at which point the woman with a foreign accent asked me what was on the screen.( I think at this point she thought she had scored) I said “It says the person on the phone is part of a scam” at which point she went into orbit muttering about ‘not all viruses are the same’ and ‘you don’t understand’ etc At this point I put the phone down but I wish now I had said ‘ …..and during this call we have traced your number and know where you are- Thanks’
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Claudine
TPS registration does not seem to be very effective! I do not answer Private numbers or 0845 numbers. If it is important they have the opportunity to leave a message, and I can then ring back.
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Joe Lavery
Claudine,
The TPS will help in blocking your number from further cold callers/nuisence callers etc, however the organisations that already have details are unaffected in a lot of cases, appropriate vigilance in screening calls yourself as you do is effective!
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derek
turnerHi folks
At the moment our phone has caller display,so make a note all annoying calls, they are usually machines once you have a list it is easy to see they are all made up No’s or withheld.
then as the phone rings a quick glance at your list and then just don’t answer it
it may take a week or so but eventually the phone calls that are rubbish stop calling -
Hal Davis
I deal with unsolicited junk calls in two ways:
1) I stay silent till they stop talking, and then say ‘Do please carry on – I’m doing research on callers like you for Which magazine, and I’m recording everything you’re saying’.
2) I interrupt them with ‘I’m glad you phoned; I’d like to sell you my car, so please give me your email address for me to forward you the details right away’. That tends to put them off pretty quickly.
Or alternatively, you put the phone down away from your ear, make yourself a cup of coffee and read your newspaper until the caller gets tired and goes away. And if you feel especially kind, you can rest your handset next to the radio, and play the caller some music – the louder the better.
Such phone callers are easy to spot within microseconds, and when they ask for me by name I’ve sometimes already decided to tell them that it’s my brother they want, and he’s currently incommunicado in the Amazonian rain forest. I don’t know if they believe me, but it seems to be effective.
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Alastair
When I receive such a call, the first question I ask them is ‘which of my computers is it that has the problem?’. That usually puzzles them so I try to be helpful, and say ‘if you can tell me the IP address of the problem computer, I will know which one it is’. They usually try and talk round that, so I finish by saying ‘If your equipment cannot tell me what the IP address of the problem computer is, then I have no confidence in your solution either. Good-bye’. It works for at least an hour, but I have to confess to having had up to three of these calls in a day.
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Steve GS
If I’m not busy, I string them along by clacking at the keyboard when prompted and asking them what the weather’s like where they are, etc. Then, finally I tell them I have an Atari ST. If I’m busy and they ask to speak to me by name I either say ‘Mr. GS does not accept call from India’, or ‘I’ll get him’ and leave the phone off the hook. I have caller display, but that’s not much use if you’re not within sight of the display. A phone that rings differently for international and withheld numbers would be really helpful – it should be easy to implement but I’ve never come across one.
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Tony
EdwardsSuggestions for playing with unwanted callers are fine if you happen to be in a gamesome mood. If you are not up for a bit of righteous amusement you might just as well put the phone down. Accompanying expletives are optional but will also depend upon your level of irritation and inclination towards self-control.
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Mary
PhippsI have tried various methods listed above. but I insisted I had a degree in I.T. and told them when they knew as much as me to come back. one ” indian” man insisted on asking me what degree I held. he didnt like the reply and I haven.t (fingers crossed) had anymore calls.
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Benny
If you get a call from someone purporting to be from Microsoft, tell them that you use the Linux operating system. Better still, start using Linux – you’ll find that it sidesteps other Microsoft issues as well.
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I am on the Which? Computing Helpline trial at the moment, the amount of calls we are receiving from un-suspecting customers who indeed fall for it and allow access is a huge worry for me! Credit where due, you have to admit that the people carrying out these scams are very good at what they do – the main worry! None the less, I do very much enjoy playing the ‘long call game’ with these scammers!
As some have said, there are little joys in seeing how long we can keep them on the phone. I like the gullible approach and giving the impression of completing their requests – then getting worried that I’ve done it wrong… Ending by letting them know I am completely aware of their true nature!
Let’s make the predator the prey and see if we can educate our friends and family to the presence of these parasites and try to deter them from even bothering!!!
I am however very glad to see how many of you are wise to these ‘artists’.
Keep it up!
All the best,
Joe.
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Helpdesk challenge – how do YOU get rid of scam callers?
With no end yet in sight for the Microsoft support scam phone calls, it can be more frustrating than ever to hear the phone ring while you’re in the middle of dinner. So if you suspect a scammer, what’s your favourite way of ending the call?
‘Hello, sir, I’m calling from a Microsoft-approved service provider as we suspect your computer has been infected with malware…’
Oh really? And for just £39 a year I can enjoy peace of mind, right after handing over the keys to my laptop and letting the voice on the end of the line remotely access my files? No thanks.
Hanging up on scammers for good
Receiving a call like this can be a nuisance, but there’s a more serious side to these calls as well. Which? Computing has heard from members who’ve been conned out of as much as £2,400 after giving over their bank details.
Hearing someone tell me they know my computer is affected with problems would raise my suspicions immediately, and anyone calling to say as much would get short shrift from me. But what are the most effective ways of ending a scam phone call?
Which? Computing reader Dave Summers got in touch with some of his suggestions:
I think Dave has some great suggestions there, but what are your favourite ways to end a nuisance call? We’re working to see the entire practice put to bed for good, but in the meantime, share your tips on slamming the phone on the scammers.
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