We need action to cut off fake phone numbers

Just had a call come direct through my BT Call Guardian (8500) phones showing it’s number as “0700017”. Answered it, only to find it was yet another call from the scum at “Microsoft support”!!!
So, two issues here :
1) Why did VirginMedia (my line supplier) allow this clearly FAKE number to even call me?
2) Why did BT Call Guardian let it through without having to announce themselves??
Mainly to highlight this to others, but obviously if anyone has any suggested answers….. 🙂

Thanks Duncan. I’ll certainly pursue it with Virginmedia. until I lose the will to live, again . So far they’ve done little more than say “It’s probably a computer-generated call, and nothing we can do except record it’s happened (so it may be blocked next time) – please report it to the TPS!” You’re right, this functionality should be included within the phone system (as BT have done recently) but this is more basic than that – it’s not that the scammers have spoofed a valid number – they’ve used a number which could not POSSIBLY have been genuine, and yet VM were happy to connect it! Yet another example of Virginmedia missing the point entirely 🙁
Not sure I understood all you were meaning, though – The caller identity is provided by the network, and then CallGuardian kit applies it’s own logic to it (nothing VM have to do with it from that point). However even if Call Guardian is not directly manufactured by BT, it’s certainly ‘their product’, and they were happy to receive feedback on it when I spoke to their support desk. They, like me, were surprised to hear this had happened once the call got as far as their kit, and were going to pass on to their techies to try to replicate. They also were puzzled by VMs response.

So far today , just like any other day I have received recorded messages about a replacement boiler for people on benefits. The number is alway one digit less than expected. These numbers today>>>
0178547452
0194567225
0144422838
0137557837
0167597438
All meaningless … so how do we find out where they originate from

I get “spoofed number” calls daily with a recorded message “Oil, electric, LPG and gas – don’t miss out on this offer, press 2 to contact an advisor or press 9 to be removed”. There is at least one of these calls on my answering machine every day when I get home. Of course, I DON’T press any buttons having read tales of calls being forwarded to India and other countries etc. It’s from a different number every time which is a fake number having only 10 digits, so nothing can be done about it. It’s just something I’ll have to live with I suppose.

I’ve set up telephone systems for small businesses…. Basically, the technology is there to “block” numbers. I can’t presume what Virgin or BT run, but why would they have worse, less capable tech hardware than the average small startup?

“Blocking” is perhaps the wrong term; the call needs to come in to identify it (before it reaches the destination) – that means to VM first and not YOU, they ARE handling it at that stage no matter what they say – think about it. You have a VM phone line, so it goes to them first – it just isn’t answered, but it will be logged and it CAN be scrutinised (it’s just extra work, or money, hence why they don’t bother)

I basically protected one business from these calls by blacklisting a whole range of numbers and routing them to… nothing. So it rings out forever; if they called again so what?

And of course, I could retrieve any records on the small chance a genuine number was filtered. Withhelds were the most common. Some people who shouldn’t, actually withhold their number, getting themselves lumped in with scammers, which is another argument a business like VM might use (“Oh, how would we know we aren’t blocking legitimate calls? You’d blame us then!”)

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I’ve managed to track certain calls to pay as you go SIM cards from Orange. I reported them to ActionFraud, who… couldn’t take action as the callers were abroad (it wasn’t spelt out further than “unable to pursue this lead”), but did look into it.

Orange refused to own the problem when I called them, though they did confirm the numbers I captured were theirs.

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What also happens is.. a call centre can buy a load of SIM Cards and load it into the router to dial off those numbers, via the main telephony system. Orange didn’t care, I assume, as they made their money from topups.

This is also a valid technique for backup in outbound callcentres, but like with any tech, it can be misused. Sadly, it’s “how” you use it, don’t blame the tech!

Rubbish isn’t it? I sincerely recommend Which? contact ALL the big SIM card issuers and ask them why they allow such calls through their SIM cards. (The numbers can be disguised but sometimes a company is too lazy / stupid / forgets etc.)

Which? – if you want, email me and I am happy to give you any findings I have or further explanation. Sometimes I think I’m the only one looking deeply at it with a technical mindset!

I believe BT has the technology but not the will to find out who is behind the false numbers. The government and GCHQ seems to be able to monitor everyone’s phone calls so why not put that skill to good use in tracing these people? If someone is taking steps to hide their identity, you can be sure they are doing something immoral or illegal and don’t want to get caught. A few more nice big fines, will stop them, and if not, will at least give *me* the satisfaction of knowing they they are hurting.

In recent days, usually about mid-day, I’ve received calls that my handset shows as “International” but which is using a UK number, in this case a Leeds number. I felt it was suspicious, probably a scam number, and blocked it.