Plagued by scam calls *DON'T POST PHONE NUMBERS*

c montgomery

A number of people called me today saying they are returning missed calls but I never called anyone !

They all seemed genuine, one only lived a few minutes away.

WTF

fritzelly

Regulator needs to do his job and get the phone companies (how many have actual trunks into the country?) to implement systems to prevent this

bohsfan

I have had 4 scam calls so far today. All from seemingly Irish numbers. Some left the same message about my PPS number being canceled and my assets frozen due to illegal activity associated with my PPS. I didn't call any back and blocked them.

087 991 74**
087 996 23**
087 928 96**
087 993 75**

I'm sure these numbers belong to real people and they are being piggy-backed. (That's why I left out some digits) Why can't something be done about this by the operators?

flanzer

I've had 4 today from 087-8161xxx

In a twist of irony/coincidence, my own number is 087-8161xxx

All automated voice messaging saying my PPS has been compromised

Sawduck

Had 2 today both numbers begin with 085 387 with the last four digits being different. I answered one and it was a recorded message saying my card was compromised it seemed dodgy so i hung up after a few seconds, i'm probably just going to ignore phone numbers i don't recognise from now on

MarkR

flanzer wrote: »

I've had 4 today from 087-8161xxx

In a twist of irony/coincidence, my own number is 087-8161xxx

All automated voice messaging saying my PPS has been compromised

My wife had four the same day, and only the last few digits were different from her own. Common theme I think.

tdf7187

Similar to other posters, had four today also and one left automated message on my voicemail claiming my PPS had been hacked. All Irish numbers so look like they might have been genuine (I didn't answer them even still).

Padre_Pio

tdf7187 wrote: »

Similar to other posters, had four today also and one left automated message on my voicemail claiming my PPS had been hacked. All Irish numbers so look like they might have been genuine (I didn't answer them even still).

Third missed call of the day from a new 087 number.
I called back and the lady who picked up had no idea who I was.

Saganist

I've had 6 of these calls today. Answered the first one and an automated message saying it was Social Welfare calling.

I hung up, but then received 5 more which I ignored.

All from a similar number to my own 087 937 ****

Duzzie

I wonder if you give them grief and call them out as scammers whether they are more likely to clone your number and start calling from that. Not sure how it works and whether they could do that?

Ive had 4 now. 087 89x xxxx, 087 83x xxxx, 087 84x xxxx and 087 83x xxxx. My number is 087 82x xxxx, not not really too close to the numbers.

md323

I've had 2 today, and two last friday, all very similar to my own number except the last three digits, 087- 2797***.

I rang back the first one this morning, fella who answered said he didn't ring anyone from his phone.
Very annoying as I am waiting to hear about a new job I applied for

bmc58

Got three today. Answered none.But one left a voicemail saying my PPS No had been used for criminal purposes and my Bank Acc Credit Union acc and some other financial products that I don't have would be frozen.Left a no to call and stronglt stated that I need to respond quickly as the suspension of my credit was "Time Sensitive".number was 014806496

bmc58

Duzzie wrote: »

I wonder if you give them grief and call them out as scammers whether they are more likely to clone your number and start calling from that. Not sure how it works and whether they could do that?

Ive had 4 now. 087 89x xxxx, 087 83x xxxx, 087 84x xxxx and 087 83x xxxx. My number is 087 82x xxxx, not not really too close to the numbers.

That's possible.These bast&rds are very cute and tech savvy more than most people.

ClosedAccountFuzzy

The ones I'm getting are the same.

Same area code and first 3 digits as my phone.

They're very likely now mimicking real people's phone numbers too, so I wouldn't suggest publishing the numbers as they're likely just as much a victim as you are.

I'd assume what they're doing is trying to make the call seem familiar. If this were in the US, where they don't have mobile numbers (they're all just regular landline numbers even for mobiles) then it would look familiarly local and I assume that's what they're relying on.

patnor1011

I had nothing but a peace since I actually answered one of these calls and made a fun out of them.
I think they do not want to waste their precious scamming time on people who they not get anything from so I would say that it may be the way how to stop them from bothering you.
Same thing happened with my daughter - they called her so many times she got angry and had a word with them. They do not last more than a couple of seconds anyway, as soon as they realize you are making fun out of them or that you are not likely a target who would supply them with account details or run to buy gift cards they hung up.

Only one got somewhat obsessed or angry with me she used to call me quite often most likely out of spite as she could not make me "invest" in their get rich quick scheme. Here I would just answer a call and put phone on a table near tv or radio speaker. She stopped too after just few times of this.

I would guess that if you do have time then try to hold them on the line for as long as you can. That way you will waste their time and stop them from scamming some poor sod who may not realize it is a scam. And there is a bit of entertainment included if you do not have anything else to do when they call.

kingstevii

c montgomery wrote: »

A number of people called me today saying they are returning missed calls but I never called anyone !

They all seemed genuine, one only lived a few minutes away.

WTF

They've cloned your number and are using it to robocall other people. I rang a fella back today who swore he had'nt rang me!
I've had nine calls today

patnor1011

patnor1011 wrote: »

I had nothing but a peace since I actually answered one of these calls and made a fun out of them.
I think they do not want to waste their precious scamming time on people who they not get anything from so I would say that it may be the way how to stop them from bothering you.

I concur. I answered the first call I got from them, and it was the only call I got.

Cunning Stunt

This is mad, I just happened across this thread but I have the very same thing going on for about a week now. Multiple calls per day, Irish mobile no's, UK numbers, even 2 from Rwanda... Am living in Denmark so have not registered with HSE or anything, as one poster suspected, so I dont think its that. But yeah definitelly a huge wave of calls hitting me at the mo, on my Irish sim.
Am tempted to answer but are you sure they cant get any info from your phone if you answer, or they cant plant some software etc? Maybe a stupid qs to you tech savvy peeps but anyway...

L1011

They need you to give them info, just answering does nothing (except possibly cause them to call back)

Jim_Hodge

Cunning Stunt wrote: »

This is mad, I just happened across this thread but I have the very same thing going on for about a week now. Multiple calls per day, Irish mobile no's, UK numbers, even 2 from Rwanda... Am living in Denmark so have not registered with HSE or anything, as one poster suspected, so I dont think its that. But yeah definitelly a huge wave of calls hitting me at the mo, on my Irish sim.
Am tempted to answer but are you sure they cant get any info from your phone if you answer? Maybe a stupid qs for you tech savvy peeps but anyway...

They're just blitzing random phone numbers. By answering and stringing them along you're giving no information to them.

jos28

5 more calls today - same format as before. They are using the first 6 digits of my number. I presume this is cloning to make them look authentic. I also got one with the prefix 00216

.42.

Got 2 calls from a 083 number

When you call it you get the message that "the number you have called is not recognised"

L1011

The numbers that are "calling" you are faked. Don't ring them back, it either won't exist or will be someone completely unaware that their number was used as the faked one.

bmc58

jos28 wrote: »

5 more calls today - same format as before. They are using the first 6 digits of my number. I presume this is cloning to make them look authentic. I also got one with the prefix 00216

Block them all as they come.

ClosedAccountFuzzy

bmc58 wrote: »

Block them all as they come.

As above, that’s also not really going to help as they’re not really coming from those numbers. The caller ID is fake and could be someone’s real number that has no connection to this at all.

Cunning Stunt

bmc58 wrote: »

Block them all as they come.

For me it has never been the same number twice so this wont help unfortunately

patnor1011

bmc58 wrote: »

Block them all as they come.

It will not help you much. I had at one stage blocked over 40 numbers from just one company. Girl got somehow obsessed and kept calling. She got tired eventually.
This new scam all it took for me was talking to them once and they stopped. They will not want to waste time calling someone who they get nothing from.

rb1993

I've gotten a bunch from different 083 numbers this morning and yesterday. The phone doesn't even ring, just the missed calls appear. Strange.

ClosedAccountFuzzy

I’m increasingly convinced this isn’t random.

I’m now getting calls on my mobile displaying fake landline numbers (too many digits) but from my local area code.

The only way they could be targeting that is if they have my address, as my mobile number has no geographic information.

This uptick in call volumes (I’d received very very few of these before) also seems to coincide with the HSE data beech.

If the volume stays this high, I’ll have to change my mobile number, which is a total pain in the rear.

I can’t really deal with 1 spam call an hour though, which is what I’m getting. My phone is currently permanently diverted to voicemail to avoid them.

KaneToad

5 to my landline yesterday. 3 to the work phone. None to the personal phone.

All were:

"Your internet bill is unpaid" recorded message.