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Nuisance Phone Call - What should I do?

  • 10-05-2025 11:05PM
    #1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,282 ✭✭✭


    Mods, not sure if this is the correct place but it is somewhat related to consumer issue. Feel free to move accordingly if there is a more appropriate category.

    ***********

    OK a bit of a long one but bear with me. It is not a scam (I think) but at the same time don't know how to properly resolve either..

    Ever since end of last year, I have been getting calls on and off from a fella call Denise (female name but male sounding voice) looking for his son Conor. If I have to guess, he may be in the elderly category. Sometimes he calls from the mobile but often I get calls from what seems to be various shops/services around the city looking for his son Conor. Even if I tried to block his mobile, it is of no use as various shops/services would just get through anyway (I can't block all the shops they go to).

    I did speak to him one time at length few months ago, he explained that Vodafone have messed up and the number his son has, was incorrectly given/assigned to me (I know this is impossible because I have my number for more than 2 decades). He said he had previously made a complaint to Vodafone before and got some credit compensation before. Basically he is going to go to Vodafone to complain again (Doesn't seem like he has because he still calls and tell me about it whenever I said I am not Conor).

    I previously proposed a solution for him to try. The solution was for getting his son to call me on my second mobile number whenever he manage to get hold him. My number is the same except just a different prefix (example: one number is 087-1234567 and the second one is 086-1234567). Back in the day before consumer get to keep their number when porting to another provider, different provider would try to entice people to move to their network and you get to keep your number but get to change to their prefix, this is how I have two of the same number on two different prefix for clarity.

    The solution proposed was simple, just get his son to call me on the second number (since technically if his son have my same number, he can't dial himself). That way I can verify for sure what number he has. He refused and said he pays for his phone credit and that he has no credit. We left it at that.

    I managed to get a surname when one of the shop called and ask for him in full name. I also managed to pinpoint roughly the area Denise is at (Rathmines/Ranelagh area) based on searching the phone number of the shops that he asked the shop to call me from.

    I am starting to think that he may have Alzheimer or dementia of some form. While that is a tragic event if it is true but at the same time it would help if I don't keep getting calls once or twice a week looking for Conor. So internet, what do you think I should do to resolve this?

    West Dublin, ☀️ 7.83kWp ⚡5.66 kWp South West, ⚡2.18 kWp North East



Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 72,857 ✭✭✭✭L1011


    Unfortunately the only reliable thing would be to change your own number



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 14,380 ✭✭✭✭Flinty997


    Odds are its the same handful of numbers. If its always a random number, then block unknown numbers for a month and see what happens.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 18,136 ✭✭✭✭fritzelly


    Nuisance call is probably a bit strong - pass the number on to the garda and see if they can follow up with it, doesn't sound in any way nefarious and as you say may just have dementia.

    Or if called from a shop again call the shop back and ask them if they know him/her..



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 18,136 ✭✭✭✭fritzelly


    Straight out of ChatGPT…and user banned



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 121 ✭✭eronayne


    hey OP, it does sound quite like dementia.

    My Mother was quite similar in her last few years. She used to ring my number thinking it was her childhood friend (Ignoring the fact when she was a child they didnt have phones, nevermind mobiles). She wouldnt have a clue who I was when I answered the phone. eventually I started saying "She is not here at the moment, but ill get her to call you later." and she would end the call happy out.



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 549 ✭✭✭Murt2024


    bit over the top, just block any number he rings you on. not your problem.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,822 ✭✭✭Deeec


    Has similar happen. An elderly guy used to ring my phone looking for Christy. I told him many many times that he had the wrong number but the calls kept coming. He wasn't doing it to be annoying he just had the wrong number written down. He sometimes would get upset that he couldn't talk to Christy. I blocked his number and stopped answering numbers I didn't recognise - problem solved.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,282 ✭✭✭lau1247


    Yeah, this is not going to work, after having the number for more than 2 decades.. thanks for the suggestion

    West Dublin, ☀️ 7.83kWp ⚡5.66 kWp South West, ⚡2.18 kWp North East



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,282 ✭✭✭lau1247


    Will give this a go and see how I get on. What I have started to do is add it to contact and ignore the ones that has called before.

    West Dublin, ☀️ 7.83kWp ⚡5.66 kWp South West, ⚡2.18 kWp North East



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,282 ✭✭✭lau1247


    I agree, it doesn't seem to be nefarious. It is a bit of nuisance though as it is regular and a few times late at night.

    I might drop in to Rathmines/Ranelagh garda station and ask. Also good idea to call back the shop, I'll give that a try next time.

    West Dublin, ☀️ 7.83kWp ⚡5.66 kWp South West, ⚡2.18 kWp North East



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,282 ✭✭✭lau1247


    West Dublin, ☀️ 7.83kWp ⚡5.66 kWp South West, ⚡2.18 kWp North East



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,282 ✭✭✭lau1247


    As mentioned, it can be hard to block as he is getting different shops to ring on his behalf.. I'll try one of the suggestion earlier next time to call back the shop and ask if they know him and see where that goes.

    West Dublin, ☀️ 7.83kWp ⚡5.66 kWp South West, ⚡2.18 kWp North East



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,822 ✭✭✭Deeec


    Just don't answer numbers you don't recognise it's as simple as that - no need to block the shops numbers! . If it's an urgent call relating to yourself they will leave a voicemail so you are not going to miss out on anything. Trust me this is the easiest thing to do - no need to go to gardai or block good intentioned callers who are acting on the info supplied to them by this old guy.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,360 ✭✭✭Raichų


    I hope this doesn’t sound like a stupid question OP- but have you tried just hanging up as soon as it’s clear who’s calling and explain they’ve got the wrong number?

    “Hi this is John from Vodafone”

    “Sorry John, you have a wrong number”


    surely they’ll get bored eventually?



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,822 ✭✭✭Deeec


    Im not the op but I tried your approach with my caller. He would acknowledge he was wrong and apologise that he must have pressed a wrong digit and then call me again. The problem was he had my number written down as his mate Christy's number and forget that this number was wrong so would keep calling. He could have had dementia I don't know. I gave up trying to explain and help him. It's not simple with elderly people sometimes.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,360 ✭✭✭Raichų




  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,822 ✭✭✭Deeec


    Yeah I did feel bad for them. I tried to help by asking to speak to their son/daughter and explain the situation. Maybe they could have got the correct number for him. Never got to speak to anyone else though. I guess he was living on his own.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 18,136 ✭✭✭✭fritzelly


    someone posted a wall of text from chatgpt or similar as a response



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 14,380 ✭✭✭✭Flinty997


    The caller is likely going to the same few shops and they probably know him. I mean how many shops would let someone use their phone. That's really unusual.

    How many unknown callers from land lines do people get?



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