Private Number calling every day

BearClaw17 · 10-09-2019 4:28pm #1

A private number has been calling me daily for weeks. They or it hangs up a few seconds after I answer. If I don't answer, there's a voicemail but no sound or message. Is there any way of unmasking a private caller in Ireland?

coylemj · 10-09-2019 6:02pm

The answer is no. Do you say anything if you anwer the phone? My policy is to answer but say nothing. Often, the call has been dialled by a robot and only when a human voice is detected do they route the call to an agent. If you answer multiple times but give them silence, they usually give up as they'll figure your landline has a modem attached or your (mobile phone) SIM is embedded in a control device which will only communicate with a service provider like an alarm company.

Xterminator · 11-09-2019 11:37am

or answer once and find out who the nuisance is, report them and get the situation resolved?

BearClaw17 · 11-09-2019 11:47am

Thanks. I've tried answering and saying hello (no response and hangs up after a few seconds), answering and staying quiet (nothing and hangs up after a few seconds), not answering at all (voicemail with nothing).

I have a pretty quiet life so can't think of a person who would be doing it. Thanks for your thoughts!

Cerco · 12-09-2019 1:22pm

Are the calls coming at the same time each day? Perhaps it is an automated service gone awry. You can report it to your service provider and let them resolve it.

Squiggle · 13-09-2019 10:33am

I block all private numbers. If it's important the caller can leave a message.

corks finest · 13-09-2019 11:19pm

BearClaw17 wrote:

Thanks. I've tried answering and saying hello (no response and hangs up after a few seconds), answering and staying quiet (nothing and hangs up after a few seconds), not answering at all (voicemail with nothing).

Referee whistle always works( don't forget to put tissue in your own ears first)

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 14-09-2019 8:38am

corks finest wrote: »

Referee whistle always works( don't forget to put tissue in your own ears first)

That hasn't worked since digital exchanges came in.

Irishphotodesk · 14-09-2019 8:46am

BearClaw17 wrote: »

A private number has been calling me daily for weeks. They or it hangs up a few seconds after I answer. If I don't answer, there's a voicemail but no sound or message. Is there any way of unmasking a private caller in Ireland?

Do you owe money or a debt to a company ? It’s possible and likely this is a debt management company , if so, you could possibly receive a call from a person to confirm your name and then ask you for your address (they want to confirm the details they have on file are correct), then you may receive a text from them saying to contact a landline with a reference number.

If you do owe a debt you can contact and pay the company who you owe money to, if you are in dispute about a debt then you are left with two options.... engage or ignore.

You can block calls from unknown numbers (not certain if it’s from your handset or service provider)

ShaShaBear · 15-09-2019 7:09pm

Irishphotodesk wrote: »

Do you owe money or a debt to a company ? It’s possible and likely this is a debt management company , if so, you could possibly receive a call from a person to confirm your name and then ask you for your address (they want to confirm the details they have on file are correct), then you may receive a text from them saying to contact a landline with a reference number.

If you do owe a debt you can contact and pay the company who you owe money to, if you are in dispute about a debt then you are left with two options.... engage or ignore.

You can block calls from unknown numbers (not certain if it’s from your handset or service provider)

Op said they are answering the calls and nobody is speaking on the other end and voicemails are blank with no sound. If it was a debt collector, surely they would speak, or leave a number to be contacted back?

On that note OP, I'm actually having the same issue. For a while I was getting 1 or 2 a day and there was silence when I answered. If I didn't, the voicemails were minutes long and absolutely silent with no background noise. I stopped answering because I was concerned it might be some sort of reverse charged call. Didn't get any for months but started getting them again this week.

corks finest · 15-09-2019 7:43pm

Warren Wide Grinder wrote:

That hasn't worked since digital exchanges came in.

Didn't know ,but years ago my mam was getting nasty ones ,whistle worked

Irishphotodesk · 16-09-2019 12:49pm

ShaShaBear wrote: »

Irishphotodesk wrote: »

Do you owe money or a debt to a company ? It’s possible and likely this is a debt management company , if so, you could possibly receive a call from a person to confirm your name and then ask you for your address (they want to confirm the details they have on file are correct), then you may receive a text from them saying to contact a landline with a reference number.

If you do owe a debt you can contact and pay the company who you owe money to, if you are in dispute about a debt then you are left with two options.... engage or ignore.

You can block calls from unknown numbers (not certain if it’s from your handset or service provider)

Op said they are answering the calls and nobody is speaking on the other end and voicemails are blank with no sound. If it was a debt collector, surely they would speak, or leave a number to be contacted back?

On that note OP, I'm actually having the same issue. For a while I was getting 1 or 2 a day and there was silence when I answered. If I didn't, the voicemails were minutes long and absolutely silent with no background noise. I stopped answering because I was concerned it might be some sort of reverse charged call. Didn't get any for months but started getting them again this week.

From experience this is sometimes a debt collection agency trying to confirm the number they were given is the person that they associate with the debt, after a while of not answering or blocking calls from private number a landline is used or a text is sent asking to contact a landline and quote a reference number.

However with debt collection agencies and GDPR I'm not certain it's a legit way to operate, I personally will not confirm anything other than my name to anyone who calls me at random and that's if they have my name to confirm.

A point to note: a person can't say all the private calls or empty voicemails are from same person/company so can't complain about harassment.

In your case of random calls... Is it possible you have a disputed debt ?

ShaShaBear · 17-09-2019 4:03pm

Irishphotodesk wrote: »

From experience this is sometimes a debt collection agency trying to confirm the number they were given is the person that they associate with the debt, after a while of not answering or blocking calls from private number a landline is used or a text is sent asking to contact a landline and quote a reference number.

However with debt collection agencies and GDPR I'm not certain it's a legit way to operate, I personally will not confirm anything other than my name to anyone who calls me at random and that's if they have my name to confirm.

A point to note: a person can't say all the private calls or empty voicemails are from same person/company so can't complain about harassment.

In your case of random calls... Is it possible you have a disputed debt ?

No disputed debt whatsoever. But regardless, it would be impossible for a debt collection agency to confirm that the person they were calling was in any way linked to a debt if they don't speak in either a call or voicemail. Otherwise, simply anyone could be answering and hanging up?

brightspark · 22-09-2019 8:26pm

I've had them too on occasion, nothing to do with any debt company unless they had a wrong number.

I suspect they are automated tests by scam companies ("microsoft technical support" etc) to see if the number is in use before they ring up to offer assistance.

Cerco · 22-09-2019 9:38pm

Perhaps now, it is someone ringing to ask him to respond to some of the posts here &#55358;&#56618;

con___manx1 · 03-10-2019 8:51pm

The garda call on private number. Could be them looking for ya.

Private Number calling every day

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