Phantom phone calls on a full fibre line

Looking for understanding of how this could happen:

A property is getting bills from BT for phone calls made.
HOWEVER: there is no router connected, and no telephone connected. This I know for a fact.

According to BT the voice side is now run off the FTTP fibre line. They stated yesterday that the old service over copper lines was terminated last summer.

I've just a couple of hours ago seen a list of these "phantom" calls. Most are to 123. A number are to random telephone numbers on the same exchange. Times are random, including some during the night. All calls are only a few seconds.

There's an engineer booked and coming out on Tuesday. I'm going to make sure I'm there, as this scenario intrigues me. If it was copper lines I could understand a "crossed line" issue. But I don't understand how that could happen on FTTP fibre.

Anyone more knowledgable got any ideas?

Can only think the wrong service has been built on their circuit, and someone else there's. I would expect the attending engineer will check that 1st.

123 is (as I expect you already know) the speaking clock.

You might try dialling to establish that you have the correct directory number coming over any VOIP equipment. Or that the ONT serial number matches that on record for your address … failing that, some weird remote build issue at the CP end ?

Keep us posted please

Thanks to Witchunt and Zarjaz for the replies.

There is no equipment at all connected, and no voip in use.
The property is empty right now due to illness.

This only came to light the other day when a bill was queried. The phone calls show up on the BT App.

Yes thanks Zarjaz, Speaking Clock. Been years since I last dialled that. Those calls are getting charged at 50p each!

Supplementary question: person at BT said that 123 "is the first number on the list for tests". Does anyone have any comment on that? The only test number I've ever used is 17070.

No doubt all will become clear on Tuesday.

If you look into this further you'll find that it has been happening for many years.

The last time I had the problem, there was also a call, which I did not make, made to a local takeaway at the same time.

I believe that despite being expressly told not to do so and despite there being a number that could be used without incurring a charge, engineers working at cabinets used 123 to test a line because it's a quick and easy number to dial.

On each of two occasions I challenged the bill and got the charges refunded.

Cheers Longedge, interesting.

Yes BT agreed to refund all these charges, without quibble in fact.

Is there any "working at cabinets" equivalent for full fibre lines though?
The fibre comes from a very different route from the old copper line.

Is there any "working at cabinets" equivalent for full fibre lines though?

No.

In reply to a post by witchunt:

Is there any "working at cabinets" equivalent for full fibre lines though?

No.

+1

"working at the headend" maaaaaaaaybe? 😁👀

In reply to a post by Taras:

"working at the headend" maaaaaaaaybe? 😁👀

Nah ….. dis off up to 32 other users, just to make a couple of calls to the speaking clock ? They would have a paid for company mobile which could make calls, or display the time ….