Nuisance call blocker boosted
AN OLDER couple’s struggles with their phone and its digital technology risked disabling the system’s protections, leaving them vulnerable to scammers and cut off from worried loved ones.
Landline customer Peter Hunt, 89, and a carer for his disabled wife, felt trapped in no man’s land when he still got nuisance calls despite having a service where he had followed instructions and blocked the number immediately afterwards.
But then he found himself wrestling with a potentially even more serious problem when he was told, unbeknown to him, legitimate callers were met with a “Do not disturb” message rather than getting through to him.
The long-term BT customer told Crusader: “I get scam calls saying they are from ‘BT Technical’, my number has been compromised and that I should press 1, something I always ignore.
“I hang up then phone my 1572 Call Protect service and the number gets put on a blacklist. But I still get them. My daughter also finds she cannot call because of a ‘Do not disturb’ signal. I have reported these things but it still happens.”
As many know it is all too easy to slip up with all the endless number pressing that’s now required as part of our digital world and especially in telecommunications.
But after we alerted BT and asked if it could find a fix for Peter’s problems, there was much better news and peace of mind for him. The issues he had were unrelated save in the sense they both stemmed from his wrestling with his phone’s technology.
Accidentally activating the “Do not disturb” function had been a bit too easy and reversing it not so. It has now been agreed to disable this permanently.
Peter’s Call Protect service, which
Keep pace with anti-scam protection
THERE is plenty of advice about the best phones for particular needs but the main source is online – so if you aren’t a frequent internet user you can miss out. This is where family and friends can help.
If you have a gadget or need an upgrade get them to do the research and print out the guidance. Technology is always changing and that way you always keep up with improvements too.
Think about key functions that you might not need such as the “Do Not Disturb” one and learn how to disable them.
Scams and rogue calls constantly change so it pays to keep up. Never share personal and financial details. If you have the slightest doubt hang up and check the customer service number of the company supposedly asking for access to your computer or details. BT has information about the latest cons such as phishing, pensions and identity theft and how customers can protect themselves at bt.com/scams has more than two million subscribers, is also working correctly. Unfortunately, scammers are relentless and the unwanted calls he received have come from different numbers so he will continue to block them.
But there is a way for him to minimise the amount he receives by getting an extra safeguard in the shape of protection offered by BT Guardian handsets. These work alongside BT Call Protect and screen as many unwanted calls as possible with the touch of a button.
The telecoms provider is sending Peter a 4600 Premium Nuisance Call Blocker set for free (normal price £89.98 and awarded a consumer group Which? Best Buy) as a goodwill gesture.
“We’ll be contacting him again in a few weeks to ensure he is not experiencing any further issues,” a spokesperson added.
When thanking Crusader, Peter said: “It’s hard to keep up with all the gadgets, so the explanation this time has been really helpful, everyone has been most kind.”