mysterious calls

[Gareth]

I registered with TPS a few months back, and the number of cold calls we receive from telesales people has reduced drastically. However, we still get the odd call every now and again. Does anyone know if there's any legal obligation on telesales companies to respect not calling TPS-listed numbers?

[altis]

They risk a fine of (I think) £2000 for each offence.

Relevant Statutory Instrument here:
http://www.hmso.gov.uk/si/si2003/20032426.htm

In the past I have submitted a complaint to the FPS but nothing ever came of it. I suggest you contact Trading Standards instead.

This thread seems an appropriate place to add this (unless there was another thread that I couldn't find when searching!)

I've just had a call that, when I picked up, started a recorded message saying "I'm Jasmine Clarke from" (something like the Las Vegas company) "you've just won a prize, press 9 to continue".

Now I had always thought these were a complete myth (ie hooking you to a £20 a minute premium rate number) but it seems they do happen.

Of course I didn't press 9 and hung up, although it took a minute or so before the line actually dropped and cut the call off.

Anyone know anything more about these?

PS 1471 said "we do not have the number".

[soneill]

I have had similar calls - The part that is the myth is the "hooking you to a £20 a minute premium rate number".

The calls do say press 9 to continue but, given that I have never done that, I haven't got a clue what actually happens then

[Toto]

Originally Posted by Graham

This thread seems an appropriate place to add this (unless there was another thread that I couldn't find when searching!)

I've just had a call that, when I picked up, started a recorded message saying "I'm Jasmine Clarke from" (something like the Las Vegas company) "you've just won a prize, press 9 to continue".

Now I had always thought these were a complete myth (ie hooking you to a £20 a minute premium rate number) but it seems they do happen.

Of course I didn't press 9 and hung up, although it took a minute or so before the line actually dropped and cut the call off.

Anyone know anything more about these?

PS 1471 said "we do not have the number".

Yup, a spam call, and by pressing 9 you will be directed to a premium service, costing you £ÃÆ ’‚£Ãà¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…¡Ãƒâ€šÃ‚£Ãƒââ‚ ¬Å¡Ãƒâ€šÃ‚£Ãƒâ€š £'s

You can protect yourself from such unsolicited calls, but the system only works for UK based cold callers, it does not cover calls outside the UK.

OK, should have checked this thread carefully, many good answers already given

[ian@huth]

You see a lot of talk on forums all over the place about this "press 9" scam and the consensus is that it is a urban myth although everyone has said that they don't press 9 but hang up. What puzzles me is why so many calls are made if it is a myth. Someone must be paying for the calls I would have thought. If someone calls you the call remains connected for quite a time if you hang up but the caller doesn't, which fits in with what a number of people who have received these call report. Could it be that the caller has found a way of transmitting data along with the call that is triggered when the tone that 9 being pressed is heard. Inaudible data has to be sent with every telephone call for billing purposes including both numbers, time and duration. Has someone discovered what this data is and injected false billing data in with the call that charges the number being called as having phoned a premium rate number that the scammer owns? Anyone with an in depth knowledge of telephony that could say if this is possible?

[sherer]

we've had this won a holiday call a few times since the weekend even though we bar all withheld dumbers through NTL, even though it means i can't call home from work

we are also on the TPS as well

we've never pressed 9 either and just hang up... maybe we should just leave the msg playing and then they will get charged but we won't ever press 9 and maybe get a huge phone bill

[soneill]

At a guess if you press 9 you get transferred to a "real" operator who then tries to sell you something - which will be where they make their money.

I don't know about the technical side of what "might" be possible other than that but the premium rate side of the rumour is *DEFINATELY* a myth.

See these links for details:

http://www.icstis.org.uk/icstis2002/default.asp?node=-1 (the "£2 0 PER MINUTE AND £50 PER MINUTE TELEPHONE 'SCAMS' - URBAN MYTHS" heading part way down the page)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/12...is_phone_hoax/

If ICSTIS say it isn't true they are the ones who should know!

[ian@huth]

The £20 a minute is definately a myth but a £1.50 a minute scam may be possible. Say that when you answer the call agenuine inaudible data stream is triggered saying that 01xx xxxxxx initiated a call to 01yy yyyyyy at 09:45:03 . If you do press 9 the scammer could have a computer connected to the call which on hearing the tone injects a fake data stream onto the line saying call from 01xx xxxxxx to 01yy yyyyyy terminated at 09:45:48, followed by a further stream saying 01yy yyyyyy initiated a call to 09zz zzzzzz at 09:45:50 followed several minutes later by another fake data stream saying 01yy yyyyyy terminated the call to 09zz zzzzzz at 09:59:50. Is this possible to do because if it is you could be charged for those minutes at £1.50 per minute, most of which ends up in the scammers pocket. I know that it is possible to clone any number into the telephone system using VOIP to make it appear that the call has come from someone other than you but much more may be possible if you have the know how.

[GTD]

For clarity, when you make a phone call the telephone exchanges in the UK will communicate using a C7 messaging system to set up the call. Once the call is connected the C7 link is dropped and the exchange sets up a voice circuit to carry the voice traffic to call completion (or Data traffic etc). Also, a timer begins on the originating callers exchange detailing time call commenced, originating and dialled number as well as some additional header info (the timer and info creates a Call Data Record - CDR which is linked to the retail billing systems to create the customer bill).
It is not possible on these exchanges to use the signalling system to inject any false data streams and corrupt the billing records being created for the call.
Also bear in mind that you need to be the call originator to incur a billing charge.

[Strzelecki]

On a similar note I've had 4 calls today where I've picked up, said hello and then the lines hung up. It's from a witheld number and getting very annoying. Is BT able to trace back calls even if they're witheld? I'm registered with TPS too.

[poolking]

Originally Posted by Strzelecki

On a similar note I've had 4 calls today where I've picked up, said hello and then the lines hung up. It's from a witheld number and getting very annoying. Is BT able to trace back calls even if they're witheld? I'm registered with TPS too.

I think it is possible. I think the number is just witheld from the exchange to recipient of the call.

[Strzelecki]

Ah right thanks, wonder if I'd be able to persuade BT to look up the number next time it happens.

[GTD]

BT can trace the number even if CLI is withheld as it is still captured by the signalling traffic initially (may be an issue if it originated internationally of course..).
You cannot however get details of the calling number from BT.You would need to report it to BT as a 'Nusience Call' and they could/would logically follow their tried and tested process for identifying the callers and where prudent they may require you to escalate with the police also (Data Protections prevents BT from identifying the number and passing it onto you directly..). The Police or BT themselves would deal with the calling party on your behalf.

[Scrubbs]

I did a search and this was the closest thread I could get to the annoying problem I am getting with the "There's nobody there" phone call. " 2 in 10 minutes
did a 1471 and got 000920220
tried googling it but got a chinese page?

any idea what it is?