Torrevieja Forum

[heilan'lassie]

Today has been really bad with scam calls from " Microsoft " to my Spanish landline.

In the UK, I can block these numbers, but I don't think there is any way to block them from here. Is there?

I have had two calls from a number: 587965214 and another from 003282674676.

I am now not answering my landline, and hope that "Microsoft" get pleasure from speaking to my answering machine.

[jimny1]

duplicate

[jimny1]

Loud football whistle down the mouthpiece will help stop them

[strolling_minstrel]

There is an equivalent to the UK Telephone Preference Service which is called Listarobinson. https://www.listarobinson.es/
You can sign up, at no cost, and they will send you an email asking what numbers or group of numbers you want blocked. It will block landlines, mobiles, texts and SMS.

You need to provide your NIE number and you must also have a second surname or it won't let you continue. I put my wife's maiden name in that slot and it worked.

[libragirl*]

Unfortunate these Microsoft scam numbers are all different.
I have been plagued with them for years and even though I can see the number calling they are always different ( and with different country code). Drives me mad I have had as many as 5 in one day!

[freddo]

I have never had one ever in 15 years

[jimny1]

It depends where you are "advertising " your phone number , its a minefield
Internet and phone providers are renowned for selling customers phone numbers and if you enter a competition , online , instore or telephone, you can almost be certain your phone number will go to some unscrupulous company
I saw a uk watchdog program a few weeks ago showing how easily scammers can not only get your phone number but bank, passport, driving licence and many other details
If you use paypal they are one of the most profitablewhere scammers pay more to have information taken or sold from their database , but companies like booking.com, even credit card companies are also valued by them
There is a list of prices for information taken and sold from various companies the scammers pay
The more information they get the easier it is for them to use your details
These phone calls are geared to try to get some last bits of information, passwords etc to complete your profile so they can use your accounts or even clone your card , its frightening how open we all are to technology fraud

[heilan'lassie]

It depends where you are "advertising " your phone number , its a minefield
Internet and phone providers are renowned for selling customers phone numbers and if you enter a competition , online , instore or telephone, you can almost be certain your phone number will go to some unscrupulous company
I saw a uk watchdog program a few weeks ago showing how easily scammers can not only get your phone number but bank, passport, driving licence and many other details
If you use paypal they are one of the most profitablewhere scammers pay more to have information taken or sold from their database , but companies like booking.com, even credit card companies are also valued by them
There is a list of prices for information taken and sold from various companies the scammers pay
The more information they get the easier it is for them to use your details
These phone calls are geared to try to get some last bits of information, passwords etc to complete your profile so they can use your accounts or even clone your card , its frightening how open we all are to technology fraud

I am not aware of "advertising" my Spanish landline number anywhere.
I can only presume that the company who supplies my telephone service are selling my details.
Another three calls were received today.

[jimny1]

Yes H
Thats whats happening
Its not you but whichever companies you have given it too that have probably sold it on

[freddo]

Paypal would not sell on your email address nor would Ebay
Please let me know where this list is Jimmy

[heilan'lassie]

Yes H
Thats whats happening
Its not you but whichever companies you have given it too that have probably sold it on

That's what is confusing me, I haven't given my landline number to anyone, apart from family and friends.
If I buy anything online, I use a separate email address, and I even have a separate UK sim card if I need to enter a phone number.

[freddo]

Landline numbers are all listed in the Telephone Directories they just trawl through them rining number after number
There are software programs that the call centres use ro ring all numbers

[jimny1]

Fred
Perhaps i didnt convey things correctly
Its just what i saw on watchdog, they explained how your details are stolen, the phone calls are to obtain final information say to use your debit or credit cards
The list is how much the scammers pay on the black market for your information from certain companies, e bay, paypal and booking.com being worth the most to them, and they pay top money for information for these from the dark web
I didnt say paypal or e bay sell your phone numbers, its more likely internet or phone providers, but watchdog said the criminals infiltrate big companies like them and banks using the rogue employee to obtain all your information from their databases
But they do it discreetly and slowly choosing random accounts so as not to attract attention
I dont have the list , but watchdog showed it , its just some companies i reme
mbered
I will try to find a link on youtube for the programme
Here is a link to the episode that talked about it and another mentioning the dark web
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articl ... /bank-scam

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articl ... nt-reports

[strolling_minstrel]

They don't actually sit there and thumb through phone books.
They are a bit cleverer than that and have banks of computers which do it for them.
An area will be targeted in and the computers will dial the number that comes up.
Yes, if you've bought something where they have asked for your phone number then what you bought will be programmed in to give some sort of profile on you.

The computer then dials all those numbers where the profile (age, sex, what you bought, how you paid etc) matches what they are looking for.
If the number is answered, one of their "humans" comes on and starts the blurb on "I'm from Microsoft (or whoever)".
Most of the time, there will be more numbers dialled than they have people which is why you often get just a dead line.
If they do get you, just hang up. Much easier as everything they tell you will be a lie