With call blocking phones installed how do you actually know that it has stopped any spam calls directed to your phone number? The fact that you may not have received any unwanted calls could also mean that no scammer has used your number!

I know this wasn't aimed at me but all i know is before we started using CallSafe we were getting a lot of nuisance calls and as soon as we switched CallSafe on we stopped getting them.

Personally I find that most nuisance callers (and SMS spam) is now aimed squarely at our mobile numbers rather than landlines. The emphasis very much shifted a few years ago, as our landline usage fell away.

I made it a habit many years ago never to give my mobile number to anyone unless it was totally necessary i have had a couple of calls from numbers i don't recognise and i simply blocked them using the built in blocker on the phone.

Edited by Jack_Hackett (Mon 30-Aug-21 16:05:40)

A phone like this: https://shop.bt.com/products/bt-advanced-phone---one...

As others above have said, they have a whitelist to fast-track trusted numbers through (they can be your address book contacts, so it's not a chore) and anyone not on the list has to speak their name and hit the * button. Then the phone rings for you and you hear their recording and can choose to answer the call, block the call, permanently block the number or whitelist the number and answer the call.

Usually for scammers, they're using a system which wont connect the operator when it hits a system like that, so your phone simply never rings.

I can vouch for Sky's Talk Shield service.

The day I switched it on, I was receiving a scam call claiming to be from Sky every approximately 5 minutes - I phoned Sky, they switched it on, I've never received one since.

It performs similar to what others have described with the handsets - if an unknown caller rings, they get asked to leave a short message asking who they are. My phone then rings, if I want to accept the call once I press 1, if I want them to add them to the whitelist, I press * and they get straight through next time.

It's also completely free, you just have to ask for it.

In reply to a post by Jack_Hackett:

I know this wasn't aimed at me but all i know is before we started using CallSafe we were getting a lot of nuisance calls and as soon as we switched CallSafe on we stopped getting them.

Same. Automated diallers don't know how to "press 6", and human scammers don't want to do that either, or speak their name to an IVR.

In reply to a post by Skie:

A phone like this: https://shop.bt.com/products/bt-advanced-phone---one...

As others above have said, they have a whitelist to fast-track trusted numbers through (they can be your address book contacts, so it's not a chore) and anyone not on the list has to speak their name and hit the * button. Then the phone rings for you and you hear their recording and can choose to answer the call, block the call, permanently block the number or whitelist the number and answer the call.

Usually for scammers, they're using a system which wont connect the operator when it hits a system like that, so your phone simply never rings.

That is a good price and the system is very similar to the TT one -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flyOHEEesz4

In reply to a post by Skie:

A phone like this: https://shop.bt.com/products/bt-advanced-phone---one...

The problem with house-based systems is that they must be the only phone connected to the house wiring. I'm sure there are still people with corded phones attached in addition to their cordless base stations.

I don't think they randomly dial numbers as such. They must have a list of number ranges they dial between. I think this because having had two Sipgate landline numbers for a decade or more, I've not once received an unsolicited call on those numbers. It seems because they are completely different 6 digit numbers, i.e. normal area code but the number starts 8 and 9 where none of the local numbers on the same area code start with an 8 or 9, they are out of the normal range and so left alone.

Hi @paulb100,

IMPO, if you want to stop spam calls one option could be to remove his landline entirely and just have him use a mobile phone for incoming/outgoing calls. This is what I do and I RARELY have any spam calls. It would also be easier to block any numbers that do come in on the actual phone. He could also choose to not answer any calls that originate from UNKOWN NUMBER or numbers that aren't in his contacts list.

HTH,

In reply to a post by mking90031:

Hi @paulb100,

IMPO, if you want to stop spam calls one option could be to remove his landline entirely and just have him use a mobile phone for incoming/outgoing calls. This is what I do and I RARELY have any spam calls. It would also be easier to block any numbers that do come in on the actual phone. He could also choose to not answer any calls that originate from UNKOWN NUMBER or numbers that aren't in his contacts list.

HTH,

I too haven't had a landline for years. Just mobile and the number of spam calls/spam sms I've had over the years can be counted on one hand. As you say, numbers are easily blocked on the phone now. Smartphones come with extras too, internet (if you want to use it out and about) and sms. Cheap for the usage too.