That is not correct. It is the same as press 1 for x 2 for y etc, it does NOT make a new call.

I have call protect and all these numbers are spoofed. OFCOM are trying to work on cutting them out via the transit ( Practically always VOIP) networks that are allowing spoofed numbers. They are starting to fine them for not passing the correct CLI / Call type etc and have even threatened to bar some operators from providing service.

The Termination charge is so low as to be close to cost some were even set at 0 at one point. This may change with Originating calls dropping steeply as you cannot lose the cost of the call control in the orig cost if there aren't many.

questioning their chances of re-incarnation as something unpleasant sometimes results in a welcome personal follow up call, another chance to discuss their family relationships.

I'm sure you are right. Many if not most victims in these scams are from an older and more trusting generation and have no more technical knowledge than I have.

At best you are confirming that you are an obedient subscriber ripe for a scam.

The current education campaign aims to avoid any interaction whatever between potential victim and the scammer. Such interaction may give the scammer the opening he needs so surely it's better to cut him dead?

Edited by Malwaremike (Wed 20-Mar-19 17:21:48)

In reply to a post by kitcat:

The Termination charge is so low as to be close to cost some were even set at 0 at one point. This may change with Originating calls dropping steeply as you cannot lose the cost of the call control in the orig cost if there aren't many.

Would you care to expand that. I don't understand the point that you are making. I would be interested to know what revenue BT receives for terminating these calls.

In reply to a post by bowdon:

If you are a BT home phone user then BT Call Protect is free to setup

But doesn't prevent them . Had 4 in 24 hours 2 weeks ago. I do press '1' & string them along but more often than not the line goes dead after I wait to hear from them.

Yeah, I try to waste the time of any of these scammers too.

So does my father; he's in his 70s and (if a call arrives when he's bored) does a very good impression of a bewildered, slightly lonely old man when the callers from "Microsoft" call to help him with his slow computer.
Which, of course, is very slow, takes 5 minutes to start up, oh, what's the password... okay, it's loading, etc... oh, wait no the battery just ran out and it's turned off, hold on whilst I go and find the charger...

He knows to stop the call just as they're asking him to download their software or go to a particular website, but getting to that point in the first place has usually taken the scammer 10-15 minutes. They don't like it when they realise they've been 'had', and he has had great fun winding them up about it. I'm sure that if enough people do this it'll become much less profitable.

Judging by the number of threads across t'internet of late there has been a major increase in these calls. Not just BT, but TalkTalk and Virgin as well. We use call screening on answerphone for all incoming calls which don't display a number known to us.

Sorry I missed this when you posted it.

The money BT gets for terminating calls is extremely low, some call types were set at 0p a couple of years ago, most are in the 0.03ppm area.

OFCOM decided that the cost of calls was all in the originating leg and that terminating was very low as you had to have all the equipment to make calls. This is a primary reason for the nuisance calls we all get, especially those from overseas IP operators who work under a different regulatory regime.

You can find costs in the BT wholesale price list but need to register. The 2016 input to an OFCOM review quotes 1/30ppm in para 21 and 22.
https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0034...

I had 3 in the space of half an hour last week, just ignored the 3rd.

Thank you. I do think more effort by the telephone companies could be put into blocking these calls. Clearly they would not lose much revenue.