Anyone know what these strange calls to my landline are?

woof woof

woof woof

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For the past few weeks my landline has started ringing which is unusual in itself as we've stopped using it as calls on it are more expensive than our mobile phones. They're usually 079 numbers. If I answer there'll be a load of crackling and occasionally a mans voice with a British accent saying "Can you hear me?" If I don't answer it'll go to the answer phone and I'll hear the crackling and then "The other person has cleared."

We haven't used this land line for years and no one calls us on it. The only time I give this number out is when a supplier asks for it, Virgin Media, banks, insurance companies etc. I'm not swamped with calls, it's not going off every 5 minutes just maybe once a day.

My first thought was that it's something to do with all these foreign call centres that we can't avoid calling as I've had to contact Virgin and HSBC recently and both seem to use call centres in India or similar judging from the voices on the line but AFAIK 079 numbers are UK mobile numbers. It's all a bit baffling to me.

I just wondered what anyone has to gain from doing this? Does anyone have any idea?

I might just pull the plug.
 
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I'm assuming it's not multiple people dialing the wrong number and all with incredibly crackly lines and that instead it's some sort of organisation or group but if it is what can they possibly get out of this?

If it carries on I'll probably just disconnect the four landline phones we have.
 
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If not using the landline why not cancel with BT/supplier as assume you are paying for a line you are not using? We haven’t had a landline for a few years
 
They won't be calling the number because they know it, they'll be calling banks of numbers, automatically, and when one is answered, the call will be transferred to a person. If I get a call from an unknown number I either let it go to answerphone, or pick up and say nothing. 99% of the time they are cold/scam callers.
 
I believe this is an established scam technique. Google "can you hear me scam calls".

The theory goes that you are almost predisposed to say "Yes". Your response is recorded and can be digitally edited into any alleged exchange. For example:

Spammer: Do you agree to these terms and conditions?
You: [edited in response] "Yes"

Your best response to any question to which you might be tempted to say "Yes" is hang up, or practise barrack's quality swearing.
 
Tringa said:
This won't give you the answer you want but if you have the full number that called you, Alan you could put it into the Who Called Me( https://who-called.co.uk/ ) website to see if anyone else has had something similar.

Dave
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I typically do a Google of such unknown numbers and the site you link to is one of a few that illustrate such reported numbers!
 
Dave Canon said:
Can you block calls! I always block such calls.

Dave
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When we were analogue voice with PlusNet and before that BT we could divert such numbers and IIRC you dial 1572 you access that function.

Now with EE and digital voice there is a similar service too.
 
nog said:
If not using the landline why not cancel with BT/supplier as assume you are paying for a line you are not using? We haven’t had a landline for a few years
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We're with Virgin and they bundle things so you can't drop something you don't want as you lose something you do. The phone is in the same package as broadband so can't just drop the phone. Can just unplug it though but I'll still be paying for it.
 
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Tringa said:
This won't give you the answer you want but if you have the full number that called you, Alan you could put it into the Who Called Me( https://who-called.co.uk/ ) website to see if anyone else has had something similar.

Dave
Click to expand...

It doesn't give anything useful for the numbers that've called. I'll keep the link though and keep trying as new numbers call. Thanks.
 
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seaodyssey said:
Reply 'No I don't want any spam today'
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I used to know a guy who used to answer in a language he thought they wouldn't understand. I only speak English and very naughty words but I do have a smattering of Thai phrases so I could use that :D
 
Dave Canon said:
Can you block calls! I always block such calls.

Dave
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I've tried that, there doesn't seem to be any block ability with the phones I have so I called Virgin about nuisance calls and they weren't interested. I got a teenager to show me how to block calls on my mobile so I'm ok that though :thumbs: :D
 
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If you do speak don’t say anything intelligent just , ceh,umm brmm etc
 
the black fox said:
If you do speak don’t say anything intelligent just , ceh,umm brmm etc
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I'll see how it goes over the coming days and I hope they just stop as I don't really want to unplug the phones just in case they are needed or if anyone genuine does call.
 
woof woof said:
We're with Virgin and they bundle things so you can't drop something you don't want as you lose something you do. The phone is in the same package as broadband so can't just drop the phone. Can just unplug it though but I'll still be paying for it.
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woof woof said:
I've tried that, there doesn't seem to be any block ability with the phones I have so I called Virgin about nuisance calls and they weren't interested. I got a teenager to show me how to block calls on my mobile so I'm ok that though :thumbs: :D
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Looking here. ...

Landline call features | Virgin Media Help

Virgin offer a plethora of landline call features. Find out how to set up call barring, 3-way calls & more, as well as troubleshoot any call feature issues.
www.virginmedia.com www.virginmedia.com

1000010994.png

It seems you(?) do have 'call divert' & 'call barring' available.
 

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Box Brownie said:
Looking here. ...

Landline call features | Virgin Media Help

Virgin offer a plethora of landline call features. Find out how to set up call barring, 3-way calls & more, as well as troubleshoot any call feature issues.
www.virginmedia.com www.virginmedia.com

View attachment 487018

It seems you(?) do have 'call divert' & 'call barring' available.
Click to expand...

Thanks but there's nothing there that'll help or that I haven't tried before. We're already registered with TPS but some organisations still seem to want a land line number and each time it's a different number calling. I was hassled by some nutter who kept calling over a period of weeks a while back and went to Virgin for help without success. All they did was point me at other organisations who also couldn't help. I eventually got him to stop by being extremely nasty. I eventually actually got him to hang up on me and he never called back. I can't do that with these calls as the majority of them don't seem to have anyone on the other end, just noise. I think they could be automated and if that's the case there's no one to swear at.

I couldn't see the point of thee calls but maybe Paul is right above. I think the answer is to wait it out and hope it stops without ever saying "Yes".
 
woof woof said:
Thanks but there's nothing there that'll help or that I haven't tried before. We're already registered with TPS but some organisations still seem to want a land line number and each time it's a different number calling. I was hassled by some nutter who kept calling over a period of weeks a while back and went to Virgin for help without success. All they did was point me at other organisations who also couldn't help. I eventually got him to stop by being extremely nasty. I eventually actually got him to hang up on me and he never called back. I can't do that with these calls as the majority of them don't seem to have anyone on the other end, just noise. I think they could be automated and if that's the case there's no one to swear at.

I couldn't see the point of thee calls but maybe Paul is right above. I think the answer is to wait it out and hope it stops without ever saying "Yes".
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FWIW

We have CLI (calling line identification) and any number we don't recognise we never answer.....on the basis of it it is important they will leave a message on the answerphone.
 
Our phones are years old and as there are four dotted around the house I'd have to replace them all or at least two to get new features and I really don't want to spend any money on what seems to be a more or less dead thing now. I'll hope it stops over the coming days and weeks and if not I might just unplug them all.
 
Often you can just put the number into google or duck duck go and it’ll come up with suggestions. From there it’s usually easy to figure out whether it’s a spam call.

We’ve still got a landline. Although it’s never used by us for calling out, sometimes an old and very technophobic neighbour calls us on it. I asked to cancel it the last time I renewed our Sky broadband contract but was told we could keep it going at no charge : we would just pay for any outgoing calls at a pound for up to 60 minutes.
 
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