Yes, I agree but then the scammers realised it hid their location, allowing them to have an even easier time with their appalling scamming. Other than the scammers, those at fault are the companies that sell these numbers to the scammers. They are cheap at about £3 a month but I doubt there is any follow-up as to the type of ‘businesses’ buying these 020 3 numbers or the use of them. I believe there should be but as usual it’s all down to the same old problem, money, money, money – greed!
Yes, that’s proved in that there are less and less calls, just 32 in the last three months or so where there used to be six or more daily. This is because if not answered or an answering machine is being used then to the scammers it’s a ‘dead’ number and not worth their time, suits me though.
I only have a landline for the broadband now and I believe it’s possible also to disconnect the phone itself too. Not too sure that would be a good idea, hence the answering machine as that not only dissuades scammers, it also gives an option for anyone who doesn’t either have or know that my regular contact number is now my mobile.
I think the scammer idea is false alarm.
BT rent out these numbers to start-ups: fair play.
I have to disagree with you there d00d. My own experience with calls going to the answer machine and being able to check them out using 1471, shows that I have had many calls from 020 3 numbers. I don’t know anyone in London and no messages are ever left. The call I had this morning was from a 020 3 number and so were many of the few calls I now receive through not answering the phone nowadays.
BT might rent out those numbers believing they are start-ups, that is fair play and I do agree with that. However, I wonder if BT actually checks to see if they are start-ups or possible scammers. I don’t know for sure but I don’t believe they would. It’s as I said previously money, money, money – greed!
If anyone can come up with proof either way then I am only too willing to listen to or read that, until then I stick to what I believe, as above.
We have briefly mentioned this elsewhere regarding “spoof” numbers.
There is a legitimate reason for allowing this for example a business that has many lines but only one number (ie when you dial the call finds the first free line). These businesses for obvious reasons want their main number to appear when they make calls on any of their outgoing lines. This is quite legitimate.
Unfortunately the same process allows scammers to basically use any number they like to appear as the calling number.
Ironically I have to answer “Number Unknown” calls because at least two of my kids work in defence establishments where an outgoing call doesn’t show a number for obvious reasons (mobile phone have to be turned off and left outside or in a secure box apparently)
No problem with that at all. Nothing wrong with doing that to perhaps portray a prestigious central London location. It’s the way these 020 3 numbers seem to be so easily obtainable and used by the ‘no-goods’, the scammers, that’s where the problem is.
Yes, and there lies the problem I reckon.
It is like a lot of these things; to stop the scammers would involve penalising a bigger majority of legitimate businesses for no good reason. There is always someone to exploit any loophole, that’s life.
Yes, there is always someone wishing to exploit any loophole but just how much of an effort is made to ensure those who want one of these 020 3 numbers uses it for legitimate purposes? Probably no efforts at all as there is money involved. If there was perhaps a way of monitoring what calls are being made and if they are scam calls then that 020 3 number could be terminated.
That is very much like the scammers who are based in another country, their calls have to come through our existing telephone providers but it seems nobody monitors those with a view to stopping them, money again I believe.
We see here on OFC how everything can be monitored, look at what this software can do in that way. There is far more sophisticated software around that could be used against scammers but it seems nobody does this. They are quite satisfied to make £ millions or even £ billions. leaving scammers untouched and people being regularly scammed simply because they have a telephone.
You’re probably right, dOOd.
I remember a couple of years back I rang TPS about these calls and they told me people can ‘buy’ false numbers to appear to ring from. It apparently gives these scammers the opportunity to appear to be calling from a respectable area rather than from some unknown foreign phone number.
TPS can’t stop foreign numbers pestering us.
Surely this should be totally illegal? Why are there false numbers available in the first place, and who sells them?
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As mentioned before there are legitimate reasons for doing this, anybody can string 10 numbers together to make a phone number which may or may not belong to a phone line. To make it illegal would cause more problems than it solves.
I’m now wondering about those in lockdown, working from home, they might be able to phone a client and have their office number displayed on the incoming call.
I always have fun with them. When they ask my name I say “It’s really long have you got your pen ready?” “Yes” “Are you sure because it’s really long?” “Yes I’m ready?” “Then what are you waiting on I’ve told you twice It’s LONG L-O-N-G!” Sheesh! 
I do something similar in that it wastes their time and the outcome amuses me. Often they start by saying they have noticed my computer is having problems, they work for big companies like BT (British Telecom), Microsoft and others so are able to sort my current problems out. I then lead them on, making out I am someone who knows nothing about computers. Then they continue again, mentioning Microsoft and Windows, to the point of trying to get me to hand over control of my computer online for them to fix. Next I ask them which of my three computers is the one causing problems? There’s a pause, then I say that I am asking that as I have three Apple Macs. Immediately the call is ended!
All good fun, plus the time I keep them talking is less time for them to try and scam someone else.
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Just because it is an 0203 doesn’t actually mean in was generated from London. You can get BT to give you what is called an “out of area number” . for example you could be in any part of the country and still have a london number
That is exactly what the scammers are doing, fooling those who may even have devices that display the caller’s number into answering the call. Plus these scammers cannot be traced either. They have exploited the 020 3 area code and all this is legitimate as someone, somewhere is being paid to supply these ‘false’ telephone numbers. There is more information about all this on the link I supplied.
You can hire a “virtual office” where you obtain a “proper” business address to collect your mail from, and also make/take calls using the “office” number. Rates vary depending on how posh the areas is, but in Glasgow they can be as little as £50 a month…Edinburgh is more expensive. Not bad for a professional look to your business, eh? 
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I used to find the quickest way to to make them end the call was to ask for the computer’s IP address as i have several lines so I can discover which computer it was. Since putting my “landline” on an answering machine that source of enjoyment is lost to me.
The above.
To add: The thing is though I don’t want to make them end the call, I am intent on wasting as much of their time as possible. That means someone else, possibly a person who is more vulnerable to scams, is prevented from being contacted by these appalling scammers. The longer I can keep them on the phone the better for that reason.
I too put my landline onto an answer machine, sometimes though I do answer it, then the fun begins. Since putting the answering machine on it though the number of calls has dropped dramatically, from something like six a day down to probably two or three a week, if that. That proves it pays not to answer the landline but to use an answering machine as an intercept, to the scammer that is a ‘dead’ number so not worth their time calling it. My mobile number is now my regular contact number for all who know me.
Why should we have to do all this though just to have a telephone, it’s a complete waste of time?
Also for many who are older it’s wasting very valuable time, in effect it’s our lives!
This really annoys me.
Today I received an SMS from the United Australia Party (UAP), the party is home for the nutcase element of Australian politics like Craig Kelly (he even managed to get thrown out of the Liberal Party the natural home of right wing nutters)
What really annoys me is that I can’t reply with a “F**k off” message, nor can I complain about the breach of privacy because politicians are exempt from the legislation.
(I know this is a bit off topic but I feel this topic has run out of steam and this is sort of related. Forgive me.)
