11 Plus Exams Forum

We have had a spate of phone calls - one rather rude - and I just thought I'd list the numbers below.

02538 20308
02016
02015
02003
02004
01013

There is a website, WhoCallsMe, and I wondered if it was genuine. I don't want to sign up and then find I've done something irresponsible. It has been useful in confirming that the callers are not only annoying but upsetting too. Even people registered withTPS are getting these calls.

At the moment, I am picking up the phone but not saying anything. I refuse to engage with them now and they hang up. If I they speak, I hang up.

'This number belongs to a computer scam claiming to be able to sort out a current problem on your computer. They actually just want to take it over. Ignore.'

Above quote taken from the link below when I Googled your first number!

http://www.whophonedme.co.uk/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.tellows.co.uk/num/0253820308" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

looks like the dodgy bunch claiming to be microsoft tech support ....

Telephone tech support scams: What you need to know
Cybercriminals often use publicly available phone directories so they might know your name and other personal information when they call you. They might even guess what operating system you're using.

Once they've gained your trust, they might ask for your user name and password or ask you to go to a website to install software that will let them access your computer to fix it. Once you do this, your computer and your personal information is vulnerable.

Do not trust unsolicited calls. Do not provide any personal information.

Here are some of the organizations that cybercriminals claim to be from:

Windows Helpdesk

Windows Service Center

Microsoft Tech Support

Microsoft Support

Windows Technical Department Support Group

Microsoft Research and Development Team (Microsoft R & D Team)

We've had loads of these! The last one - my husband took - he pretended to go and start the PC up (which is what they want) - and kept them hanging on the phone at their expense for over 20mins (left the phone on the table and just went back to from time to time to say hang on a bit) before they finally rang off.

No further calls - yet! May be we've been blacklisted!!!!!

Yes, that's right. When you google the first number it gives you quite specific information. With the others, you don't get as much. I suppose this is because they use a different number each time.

I was just interested in finding out if the website that gives you this information is genuine. I have found WhoCallsMe useful, but I am hesitant about posting.

I loathe calls from dodgy numbers. Usually I can't retrieve the dodgy numbers as they've been withheld.

Dh stupidly listened to a call from microsoft until they asked for £400, he refused and the caller swore at him.

When I'm told I have something wrong with my computer, I listen carefully and then tell them I don't have a computer.

If they're from Microsoft I might say I have an Apple.

ginx wrote:
If they're from Microsoft I might say I have an Apple.

Me too.
As I work from home - as a programmer - I get these calls a lot. Always from India as I have TPS, and their name is always Jane/Peter/Michael never Sunil or Atul or something more likely.
Today I had a call from someone claiming I had entered a competition so it wasn't a cold call. I don't enter competitions specifically because this bypasses TPS. Unfortunately their data was carp as they had the correct surname but someone else's firstname so that enabled me to bend their ear about data quality then hang up.

If I'm feeling in a bad mood generally (does happen!!!), I am extremely curt with such callers. If they ask for my husband which they always do, I always say he's out (he usually is), then they say "are you mrs ginx?" and I feel like saying "no" but am not quick or clever enough so have to listen to a snippet.

The call I get most is asking if I want loft insulation - we had it years ago - yes, really - so please don't bother calling again!

We get the foreign call centres too, as we are registered with TPS.
I have a deep voice for a woman, so they usually start with 'is that Mr Tinkers?"
I'm used to this and don't get annoyed by it, but they don't know that so get a grumpy sounding response of "no, it's Mrs Tinkers" to which they are very apologetic. I then repeatedly say I don't understand them when they start talking, usually because that is genuinely true, I can't. They hang up eventually.
On one occasion, they asked if I was Mrs Tinkers. I said no, so they asked if they could speak to Mrs Tinkers. Again I said no. They then asked who I was. I said 'why?'
Response, 'Because I want to talk to Mrs Tinkers, I don't want to talk to a stranger.'

My repsonse?
Why do you think I would want to talk to a stranger then?
Then I hung up.
Was quite funny at the time, hearing them got quite frustrated with me.

I won't talk to them at all now as one, 'James Parker', swore at me when I challenged him. I hung up, but he called back and started asking obscene questions. I did call the police as that is what one of the websites advises you to do, but they really are powerless. I don't want the children hearing that just because I upset one of them.