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A Guide to Deal with Spam/Scam Calls and Text

adamtemp64
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updated 17/10 2020 by @Cleoriff 

 

We are all irritated and annoyed by the constant bombardment of ppi, injury and other spam calls and text messages. Over the past year or so, they appear to be getting worse by the day. Calls about your broadband, electricity, Amazon Prime, new phone offers, etc etc etc.

 

Some of these spam calls can lead to you being scammed if you hand over personal details thinking they are genuine.

 

This guide shows various ways to report/stop them.

 

O2 have some general information here...

https://www.o2.co.uk/help/safety-and-security/unwanted-calls-and-messages 

 

Spam Texts

If you receive a spam text message, forward it to O2 by texting 7726- it's a free text

Do NOT click on any links

Other ways to report here, including Action Fraud website

https://www.o2.co.uk/help/safety-and-security/phishing-and-smishing-advice

How to block a number:

https://www.samsung.com/us/support/answer/ANS00062352/

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201229

 

Also report them to the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) using their online reporting form (survey) linked in this page https://ico.org.uk/concerns/marketing/spam-texts/

 

If you are receiving premium rate spam/scam texts from shortcodes, then head over to the regulators site and lodge a complaint there. Many people receive refunds. http://www.phonepayplus.org.uk/for-consumers/unexpected-phone-charge

Another helpful site if you have been a victim of a scam is www.payforitsucks.co.uk 

They offer great help and support regarding refunds

You can also call O2 and ask them to place a Premium rate bar on your account.

 

Spam calls

For calls, registering with the Telephone Preference Service (TPS) should stop the legitimate cold callers http://www.tpsonline.org.uk/tps/index.html but will not stop all, particularly those from international numbers. Report them, including numbers (if available) to the ICO on the form linked on this page https://ico.org.uk/concerns/marketing/telesales-calls/

 

For business numbers, use the corporate TPS here http://www.tpsonline.org.uk/ctps/what/

 

The ICO has a lot of useful info here....

Texts https://ico.org.uk/for-the-public/texts/

Calls https://ico.org.uk/for-the-public/nuisance-calls/

Or via Fax https://ico.org.uk/concerns/marketing/faxes/

 

The ICO has already handed out big fines for this and reporting will help them prosecute more and deter this type of activity.

 

If you're receiving missed calls from unusual numbers (especially an 0845/0843/09 or international number), do not call them back.

These numbers will possibly charge you a premium rate and they rely on you calling them back to work. Instead block them using your handset. 

 

Other information.

In My O2 http://www.o2.co.uk/myo2 you will find the option to set your contact/marketing preferences.

My O2 > More >Manage Your Contact Preferences.

Just untick the relevant boxes. It also helps if you check your preferences on a frequent basis!

 

This should help. It wont stop all spam calls and texts as spammers are frequently finding new ways to contact you. Constant reporting should assist regulatory bodies to deter them.

 

Stay Alert. If it sounds too good to be true, it's probably a scam.

45 Comments
Anonymous
Not applicable
Fantastic post, Adam! I'll add it to the FAQ sticky.
perksie
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Very good that Adam. slight_smile

jonsie
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Good post with all the information you could possibly need to deal with spammers.

Anonymous
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thank you for reply but tps dont register mobiles as far as I can see they only offer residential which I already have with them the house phone

adamtemp64
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this is from the tps home page The TPS can accept the registration of mobile telephone numbers, however it is important to note that this will prevent the receipt of marketing voice calls but not SMS (text) messages. If you wish to stop receiving SMS marketing messages, please send an 'opt-out' request to the company involved.

MI5
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What telephone numbers you can register with Telephone Preference Service (TPS)?
TPS accepts registration of live telephone numbers. These include all landline and mobile telephone numbers. TPS requires that the telephone number is registered by the user having made an informed decision.
Anonymous
Not applicable

many thanks for your help yesterday  re spam I did as you suggested - don't know if it is just coincidence but no calls today.  I am grateful

perksie
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It's normally about a month for it to be fully operational.

Anonymous
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thank you for your help

Anonymous
Not applicable

Thank you for giving me the number.  I knew there was a spam text number I could use to report them.  Why didn't the O2 Guru know it ?!!

perksie
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@Anonymous wrote:

Thank you for giving me the number.  I knew there was a spam text number I could use to report them.  Why didn't the O2 Guru know it ?!!


We don't know why they didn't know, but we knew, so if they don't know better come here where we know what they don't know that we know, why they don't know we don't know either! Smiley LOL

 

Perhaps someone knows?

Cleoriff
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Regarding Spam calls to landlines. TPS can only help if you can provide the numbers. Most 'cold callers' nowadays do not provide you with a number. These sort of calls will show a caller ID of the the following.... 'Withheld,  International, or Private Caller. I find myself answering all of them as they actually MAY be calls from people/organisations that need to get in touch with me. (when this happens and before I disconnect, I really wish I had a handy airhorn to blast down the phone!!)

 

perksie
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I agree it's very frustrating, the more recent calls want me to listen to recorded messages, no chance of that I'm afraid. Smiley Indifferent

Anonymous
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The advice in the OP is well meant, and all very well, but it misses the point: O2 should prevent this rubbish from reaching its customers.

 

Entreaties from ambulance chasing lawyers and the like are simply an annoyance. But messages designed to gull phone users into parting with confidential information, or reply to premium rate numbers - just two types of common fraud - are sadly common too and it's distressing how often people still fall for them.

 

As the provider of the phone service, 02 has both a moral obligation and a commercial self-interest in stopping text spam once and for all. The technology to do so exists and is, in the scheme of things, not hugely expensive. At the moment though O2 is getting away with the lowest-cost option - getting subscribers to do the leg-work of spotting and reporting spam.

 

I get about five or so such spam messages a month. I'd be interested to know how many others on here receive. What would be the number each month, I wonder, before people up-sticks and move to an operator that does offer protection from spam?

 

 

 

     

 

 

 

 

perksie
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@Anonymous wrote:
I get about five or so such spam messages a month. I'd be interested to know how many others on here receive. What would be the number each month, I wonder, before people up-sticks and move to an operator that does offer protection from spam?

 


Is there an operator that does that?

 

Do you really want O2 monitoring all your incoming calls and texts, not for me thank you?

Bambino
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Stillinshorts wrote:

I wonder, before people up-sticks and move to an operator that does offer protection from spam?

 


Name me an operator that offers protection from spam texts and calls and I'll move with you.

Anonymous
Not applicable

 Do you really want O2 monitoring all your incoming calls and texts, not for me thank you?



GCHQ already does. Have you tried asking them to opt out?


The system I know of is only for SMS and yes, it has been deployed by an operator, although sadly not one in this country yet. It does not *read* incoming texts - just interrogates the accompanying addressing data to determine the real point of origin. Spammers don't like to pay to send messages - it undermines their business model - so they use faked or spoofed addresses, or send from a network with no termination charge agreeement with the receiving network. Dodgy sending address = spam.


   



adamtemp64
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So until it is deployed only my advise can help.

 

Your post until implemented by at least 1 uk operator is not valid.

 

Enjoy the reality of uk mobile networks and not the goverment.

perksie
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Stillinshorts wrote: What would be the number each month, I wonder, before people up-sticks and move to an operator that does offer protection from spam?

 


As that isn't possible you will have to live wih it.

jonsie
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Terrible hardship deleting 5/6 spam texts every month but you just have to accept it I'm afraid. Even when you have covered all the above steps, spam will get through. I receive these from companies such as WilliamHill (never used their services in my life) and it would be very difficult for any network to identify such texts as spam.

Anonymous
Not applicable

I am enjoying your sense of irony - you are of course correct: it's hardly life and death for those of us with half a brain to delete/ignore spam as necessary. However, I do worry about the hard of thinking who fall for some of these text scams. I think operators owe them a duty of care and really ought to be doing more than simply pushing the problem back on subscribers.

 

Anonymous
Not applicable

Next time you get a spam call, just answer it and say the following slowly and calmly:

 

"Its done, but there's blood everywhere."

 

...and then hang up.

Anonymous
Not applicable

Adam, could you feed this back to your dev team:

 

When i get a spam text, i just hit FORWARD, enter number 7726 and hit SEND

 

I get a text back, saying "thanks for that, now can to text us the number it came from.."

On my phone this is not so simple; i have to view the contact card for the message, edit it, select the contents of the phone number field, copy, exit edit mode, exit the contact card, go back into inbox, write a new message to 7726, paste the number and send

 

 

 

Could you please have the dev team upgrade your system, so that you just search my immediate text message history for a text that has the exact body text of what I've just forwarded? (I'm thinking a database query like "SELECT number_from FROM messages_history WHERE number_to = [my number] AND message_body = [spam_message body I just forwarded] AND message_date > [3 days ago's date]") It would make my life a lot easier.. slight_smile

 

I know we send 4500 text messages every second in the uk but o2 must have access to soome pretty meaty OLAP hardware and software..

adamtemp64
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I am not o2 just another customer like you @Toby can you help the poster above please

 

Also note you can email it to o2 now http://www.o2.co.uk/help/everything-else/unwanted-calls-and-messages#qs I now do this on my iphone take a screen grab showing the information and email that to the address mailto:7726@o2.com

 

MI5
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It would be easier to incorporate into the phone software so any forwarded messages preceded with "forwarded message from **********"
jonsie
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@MI5 wrote:
It would be easier to incorporate into the phone software so any forwarded messages preceded with "forwarded message from **********"

That would be the logical way to do it. I too find the present process a little troblesome but persevere as I feel it's important to report the spammers.

Anonymous
Not applicable

The link to report to doesnt work, nor does the 7726 number...... is there an alternative ?


 

If it is spam text messages forward them to o2 spam line 7726 and also report them to the ico using there online reporting form (survey) https://www.snapsurveys.com/swh/surveylogin.asp?k=134674895144

 

 


 

Beenherebefore
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@Anonymous wrote:

The link to report to doesnt work, nor does the 7726 number...... is there an alternative ?


 

If it is spam text messages forward them to o2 spam line 7726 and also report them to the ico using there online reporting form (survey) https://www.snapsurveys.com/swh/surveylogin.asp?k=134674895144

 

Edit : 7726 is to forward spam texts only....it does work because it's the generic number for all UK mobile network providers.

 

 


 


Whether it's a live call or a recorded message call

 

https://www.snapsurveys.com/swh/surveylogin.asp?k=138312369469

 

 

Anonymous
Not applicable

OK let me reiterate, the text message I get is from O2s Call Alert service. So O2 must be involved in some way. If I was getting a call then a text to say I had missed the call then I could just block the number, but I don't get a call in the first place, just the message I have missed a call, which I have not.

Looking at My O2 I can see no mention of opting out of marketing calls.

MI5
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O2 call alert will alert you to any missed call from anywhere.
It doesn't have to have originated from o2.
MI5
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Opt out is under the more tab in the device page.
Cleoriff
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@Anonymous wrote:

OK let me reiterate, the text message I get is from O2s Call Alert service. So O2 must be involved in some way. If I was getting a call then a text to say I had missed the call then I could just block the number, but I don't get a call in the first place, just the message I have missed a call, which I have not.

Looking at My O2 I can see no mention of opting out of marketing calls.


Hi @Anonymous

Have a look at this link. It's about O2 call alerts. Tells you all about it and how to turn this facilty off

http://www.o2.co.uk/help/phones-and-devices/missed-call-and-abandonded-call-alerts

(Credit to Adam Temperton for providing this link)

jonsie
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Simply dial 1710 to switch off. Dial 1760 to switch off voice mail and any calls should come through depending on local connection. 

Cleoriff
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@jonsie wrote:

Simply dial 1710 to switch off. Dial 1760 to switch off voice mail and any calls should come through depending on local connection. 


Oh let them read my link @jonsie it's all in there ...and they may be very interested....LOL

jonsie
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@Cleoriff wrote:

@jonsie wrote:

Simply dial 1710 to switch off. Dial 1760 to switch off voice mail and any calls should come through depending on local connection. 


Oh let them read my link @jonsie it's all in there ...and they may be very interested....LOL


Point taken. ...I'llshut up! 

Cleoriff
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@jonsie wrote:

@Cleoriff wrote:

@jonsie wrote:

Simply dial 1710 to switch off. Dial 1760 to switch off voice mail and any calls should come through depending on local connection. 


Oh let them read my link @jonsie it's all in there ...and they may be very interested....LOL


Point taken. ...I'llshut up! 


Oh please don't do that... I need a good laugh with you in the morning...Bouncy

jonsie
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As a newlywed I know my place......Hero

Anonymous
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Thanks very much - I'll go over to the ico and have already been to report it to phonepayplus.

 

It's highly irritating to have to waste such a lot of time dealing with being scammed like this.  

 

Will

Anonymous
Not applicable
If you have barred a particular number on your telephone AND you have set your call options on O2 to advise you by text message of any missed call, then you will get one of those O2 text messages every time one of the calls is received (and blocked by your phone). This is what is happening to me daily, but your situation my be different.
I am now trying to get the caller blocked by O2.
(When I tried just now, O2's system was down, and they asked me to call back later. Seems extraordinary that they could not call me back when ready, but they alleged it was for security reasons, which I don't believe.)
pgn
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Nice to see this updated, @Cleoriff 👍

 

Just be careful not to misinterpret the official Covid-19 SMS (or e-mail), if you get one - detail here: 

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/nhs-covid-19-app-emails-and-sms-messages

 

The one for Northern Ireland is described here:

https://covid-19.hscni.net/guidance/what-does-a-close-contact-sms-look-like/

 

Marjo
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Thanks for the updates @Cleoriff ! slight_smile

Cleoriff
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Not a problem @Marjo ,

I kept all @adamtemp64's links and info but added the part about scams as a spam text or call can often lead to a scam.

Particularly in this day and age!!

Also added contact preference links and the one for payforit.  thumbsup

iliko
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The link - Report them, including numbers (if available) to the ICO on the form linked on this page https://ico.org.uk/concerns/marketing/telesales-calls/ is dead. Here is the correct link https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/nuisance-calls-and-messages/spam-texts-and-nuisance-calls/report...

pgn
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The "saving of 40%" Indian-sounding shouty lady scammer called my mobile from 02034104725 a short while ago, so watch out. You'd think a real O2 rep would know I am only just 7 months into a 2-year non-Refresh contract, wouldn't you? 🙄

Stay attentive, folks!

BigLUAP
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TPS only works if the person calling you is registered in the UK.

 

Scammers in India using computers to spoof UK numbers are not cover by this.

It is an Indusry over there, generating Millions of Pounds.

Just google "Scamming the Scammers".