BLOCK LANDLINE PESTS

THIEVES routinely strike fear straight

into the sanctuary of home. Armed with a story and a commanding tone, they hound people on landline phones.

Most are initially robocalls. An automated voice warns of your imminent arrest for non-payment of tax, or of your impending disconnection from the internet. You might be instructed to ‘press one’ to avoid whatever crisis is supposedly unfolding. Ultimately you are connected to a person ready to lie and steal your money.

Other calls are ‘live’ from the outset, dialled by a criminal or sales pest.

Callers imitate BT, broadband providers, and even the police — quoting rank and fictional badge numbers. They spin yarns about Amazon Prime memberships or flog dodgy pension deals.

Tens of thousands of nuisance calls are reported by the public each month. These are recorded by the Information Commissioner’s Office — the UK’s data protection watchdog. Complaints more than doubled in the first six months of 2021 compared with the same period last year.

The ICO monitors companies that break communication rules, rather than chasing fraudsters. But it’s not easy to tell the difference. Katherine Hart, from the Chartered Trading Standards Institute, warns the calls always sound urgent. She says: ‘It will put you into some sort of panic mode. Just put the phone down.’

If you are worried about whether a call is legitimate, hang up and call the organisation yourself. Use a number from a trusted online source or directory enquiries.

To contact your bank, use the number printed on the back of your debit or credit card. Consider calling from a different handset too, such as a mobile. Some landline providers offer free call-filtering tools, which block scammers.

To opt out of legitimate sales and marketing calls, register with the telephone preference service at tpsonline.org.uk.