Annoying phishing and scam calls on mobile phone

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mathepac

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Over the last three weeks or so, I've been getting calls from a British-accented lady claiming to be from the "Department of Social Security Department", informing me that my social security account is involved in fraud. In reality, it's probably an auto-dialler with a recorded message looking to get me to ring back or login somewhere to give loads of personal details so she/they can try to rob me. They have used variations of my own phone number to try to get my attention.

I have never tried this, but if I post the numbers here, maybe you can add them to your address book and immediately block them - proactive protection for you, they're all blocked on my phone and contacts.

the numbers are :

+353 89 22 684 3734
+353 89 25 305 4554
+353 89 444 8105
+353 89 444 8347
+353 89 444 8553
+353 89 444 8676
+353 89 444 8778
+353 89 444 8878
+353 89 444 8916

I rang eir (same old same old frustrating experience with calls disconnecting after selecting 97 different options to get the service I want). They claim they can do nothing to prevent these calls and their only suggestions were:

a) don't answer calls from unknown numbers (that would include the UPS guy who wants to deliver my new laptop) or
b) change my number or
c) continue what I'm doing and block the numbers on the phone when the call is received.

Anyone else getting this kind of hassle? Any more helpful phone providers?
 
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nothing you can do. Its a worldwide problem. they piggy back on number by using software to trick you into thinking its coming from a local number.

Some of those numbers you list might be 100% genuine, but will not know that their number was randomly selected to appear on the caller id.

Only solution is not to engage and end the call.

this was a great explanation in the Irish times last week
www.irishtimes.com

What is happening with the plague of scam phone calls?

Is your phone abuzz with scam calls? You are not alone, and it is getting worse
www.irishtimes.com www.irishtimes.com
 
I can also reject all unknown callers (ones that don't appear in my phone's address book) but that's a bit sledge-hammer and egg IMO.

It's like the scammers / spammers have the regulators and the comm cos over a very large barrell or more likely that the latter are fonder of revenue than they are of their private consumers.

This problem is not insoluble, no matter what cranky judges and so-called experts say.
 
I'm trying out an app on my phone that blocks patterns of numbers. Because all the ones I get follow patterns that I can easily identify.
For example +353 89 444* in the above example. Which doesn't get them all, but gets the majority of them.

Some alternative dialers also do their own database of known valid numbers. So sometimes I'll get the name and business of a new number ringing me.

This will only go one way. They will flood the phone system with so many calls it becomes unusable. So people will switch to only using things like Whatapp or similar where all the numbers are verified. Even now I know I'll only get calls from a small number of countries. I could block all calls from other countries. All friends and family abroad all use WhatsApp or similar. So I could block all calls outside of Ireland at this point.

Things like that.
 
Yeah, stuff like that.

In the US (and Canada?) it used to be possible to get access to reverse look-up directories (you know a number, you want the associated name & address). I think emergency services had them legally but they crept out to other questionable users. I think using them is now llegal. I thought auto-diallers and phone number spoofers had gone the same way.

Why don't telcos & telecomms regulators look at suspiciously large call volumes from single lines / cabinets / exchanges?
 
There are privacy issues. Also vested interested making money on the back of it.

its all in the link above.
 
My process:

Set phone so it doesn't ring if caller id is 'unknown' or 'withheld'

If mobile number & not in my contacts, reject call & send txt 'In mtg please text'

If the caller is genuine, they will text & if not I add it to my list of blocked numbers.

Delivery folks send a text message with estimated time, so that hasn't been an issue.
 
I heard (Newstalk I think) about Truecaller. I haven't used it, but it looks interesting. I periodically get a few calls from the same shower. They usually say I'm gonna be arrested or some such nonsense. Pain in the proverbial.
 
Yes for about a week I was getting calls on this phone, a Tesco mobile network phone. I answered the first one and hung up very quickly. I mostly use this phone just for the Internet so this number wouldn't be be widely known. So I disregarded the following calls and blocked the numbers.
The calls have stopped again now.
And yes a lot of the calls were coming from a number very similar to my own with only the last 4 digits differing.
 
I assume this is deliberately done so the number looks familiar subconsciously. Thus you are more likely to pick it up.
Or might just be lazy programming. They used to to use numbers from all over the world but most people don't get international calls on a regular basis so they stick out like a sore thumb as a scam/robo call.

It was interesting that as certain countries went into lockdown over covid, and offices were shut. The volume of these calls fell dramatically. So it seems the vast majority of these calls are actually only coming from a handful of countries.
 
AlbacoreA said:
There are privacy issues.
Click to expand...
How? The telcos gather call data from subscribers to calculate bills. The telcos do this whether they are retailers or wholesalers of transmission capacity. A simple analysis of call data will show those subscribers or lines that fall outside a normal distribution of call volumes. Refer those outside the norm to the regulators. Job done.
 
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From the link above....

deregulation meant anyone could become a carrier, and the FCC laws that effectively protect the privacy of you as a phone user are equally capable of protecting bad actors, as well. As a result, caller ID is meaningless yet still relied on, which makes it easy for scammers to exploit.

So, why don't the carriers just stop them?

"Carriers don't shut it down unless it's absolutely positively proven to be illegal," said Alex Quilici, the CEO of YouMail, another spam blocker app.

Carriers want to move calls around, not actively regulate the calls. The reasoning is clear: if a debt collector robocalls someone, while the recipient may consider that a nuisance, it's absolutely legal. They want to stay out of it.
Click to expand...
 
I don't see that anything posted previously negates my point. Telcos probably do these analyses anyway for sales & marketing purposes. Are those analyses illegal or just a normal part of doing business?
 
The local carrier (telco?) doesn't know the source of the call. Its coming from a gateway carrier who isn't ( I assume) always within their jurisdiction.

As per that article...its the Govt who have to take action.

they began to go after the gateway carriers that bring the calls onshore, and the individuals who make the software that enables illegal robocalling. This is where they have had considerable success lately.

Take the gateway carriers later involved when the agencies cracked down on illegal coronavirus-related telemarketing in April and May of last year. According to the FTC and FCC, the calls were promoting bogus free test kits and HVAC cleaning services, targeting desperate Americans amid the initial uncertainty of the pandemic. Those robocalls were originated, according to the agencies, by two companies called VoIPMax in The Philippines and Oberlo Peer BPO in Pakistan. Their action targeted three gateway providers — SIP Join of Virginia, Connexum of California, and VoIP Terminator of Florida — who the feds said got those calls into the US and into the phone system.
Click to expand...
 
You can get a device that only lets thru your selected 'favourite' numbers and others are directed to leave a message. Needless to say, spammers dont leave messages!
 
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