topic Re: Charges for calls I didn’t make or receive in Pay Monthly

Charges for calls I didn’t make or receive

Ian0847 — Sun, 19 Nov 2023 15:24:48 GMT

I am in the US for eight weeks. I do not use my phone for calls while in the US – only for Wifi - unless there is a family emergency. My wife’s mobile is with a different provider, and her package provides inclusive calls without charge while we are over here so we use that.

I have just received my latest O2 bill and it includes £30 for “calls made/received while abroad”, from and to an unknown number - which I did not receive or make, and which do not show up on my iPhone under “all calls” or “calls missed”.

The number is 1 44 07829736461

They have been coming in most days since they started, and last 13 seconds. The times of the calls vary and on at least one day there are multiple calls. The charges indicate that the incoming call is responded to by an outgoing call from my phone also for 13 seconds. These are not made by me and again do not show up on my iPhone calls list.

As the calls do not ring or show up on my phone I have no way of blocking the offending number. I have also searched it on Google with no success. I do not wish to call it back as I suspect I will be hit with a very high charge.

I have called O2 help, They have kindly credited back the charges, but have told me there is no way of blocking the number or tracing who is making the calls. Apparently the only thing I can do is set my phone to Airplane Mode while I am abroad.

Alternatively I was recommended to buy the Travel Bolt On, but that would simply cause a £6 charge to be implemented every time one of these unwanted calls was automatically responded to. That would result in paying even more than I am currently suffering!

so…… questions:

1. has anyone else had this problem?

2. does anyone know how to stop it?

3. does anyone know how to block the number, which, as I said, does not show up on my calls list?

Thank you.

Re: Charges for calls I didn’t make or receive

Enlli — Sun, 19 Nov 2023 15:30:55 GMT

I suspect the incoming calls are going out to your phone and then being sent back to your voicemail.

Do you have 4G Calling Turned on as without that the call would be rejected and hence the return leg to answerphone.

Re: Charges for calls I didn’t make or receive

Ian0847 — Sun, 19 Nov 2023 15:46:48 GMT

PS I have of course realised I can block the number by setting it up as a contact first, then blocking it.

Re: Charges for calls I didn’t make or receive

Ian0847 — Sun, 19 Nov 2023 15:59:11 GMT

Many thanks - I have checked voicemail and have no messages showing/waiting there, but you are right, it might be trying and cutting off when the automated reply starts.

Re: Charges for calls I didn’t make or receive

Enlli — Sun, 19 Nov 2023 16:03:03 GMT

Only a guess. But it's based on my experience in the past.

Is 4G Calling (VoLTE) switched on in your phone settings

Re: Charges for calls I didn’t make or receive

MI5 — Sun, 19 Nov 2023 16:09:58 GMT

I'm struggling to see how that number is connected to voicemail.

I'd keep looking elsewhere

Re: Charges for calls I didn’t make or receive

Enlli — Sun, 19 Nov 2023 16:26:07 GMT

That's the number trying to ring him. For which he is being charged as an incoming call

Re: Charges for calls I didn’t make or receive

MI5 — Sun, 19 Nov 2023 16:28:43 GMT

The charges indicate that the incoming call is responded to by an outgoing call from my phone also for 13 seconds.

Re: Charges for calls I didn’t make or receive

jonsie — Sun, 19 Nov 2023 17:24:29 GMT

If the outgoing calls are all registered at 13 seconds it would seem they are connecting to an international operator stating it cannot connect to that number - same spiel, same timing

Re: Charges for calls I didn’t make or receive

gmarkj — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 10:16:11 GMT

Does visual voicemail/iMessaging just register using a text or could it be that?

Re: Charges for calls I didn’t make or receive

MI5 — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 11:24:36 GMT

SMS

Re: Charges for calls I didn’t make or receive

gmarkj — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 12:37:13 GMT

Won't be that then!

Re: Charges for calls I didn’t make or receive

Ian0847 — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 15:32:24 GMT

Thanks for all the responses. Hopefully the problem has ceased for the moment as there have been no charges in the past few days.

That however leaves the question of how and why O2’s systems are charging me for “calls while abroad”, which I have never made nor received – or even cause my phone to ring – and which do not show up in the recent calls section on my iPhone.

My only recourse seems to be to check my billing details every day when I am abroad, but even then I am dependent on the goodwill of O2 to credit back any charges which occur for the mystery calls.

O2 themselves can offer no solution.

Very unsatisfactory!

Re: Charges for calls I didn’t make or receive

Enlli — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 16:09:23 GMT

The number is listed as Jersey. So I got someone with international calling to test it. Coming back as unrecognised.

Re: Charges for calls I didn’t make or receive

MI5 — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 16:14:10 GMT

Most likely scammers with a spoofed number then.

Re: Charges for calls I didn’t make or receive

jonsie — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 16:25:47 GMT

That's why I think it's an automatic reply which won't go through your phone logs

The operator taking 13 seconds to tell you it's an incorrect number

Did you make a contact for it and then block it?

Re: Charges for calls I didn’t make or receive

Ian0847 — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 17:05:29 GMT

Yes I did thanks.

Re: Charges for calls I didn’t make or receive

Geoff8 — Fri, 15 Dec 2023 06:07:59 GMT

I had the same problem, only difference is some of the calls I can identify as customers but they don’t appear as missed calls. They only appear on my bill as incoming lasting seconds. 02’s solution is put the phone on flight mode for the whole time I’m overseas!
another forum suggested turning off voice mail.. I hope this will work. The strange thing is my wife’s phone, also 02 didn’t have the same issue, she had missed calls and voice mail and no charges against them.
Ive sent a complaint to 02 because I’m not satisfied with their response and solution.

Re: Charges for calls I didn’t make or receive

Oxonian — Fri, 15 Dec 2023 20:11:19 GMT

@Geoff8

My personal opinion is that your complaint will not resolve the matter to your satisfaction.

However, do please keep us updated on developments.