Is anyone getting International phone calls with Indian sounding people who call themselves Jennifer, John James etc. They are claiming to be calling from the UK but International shows up on the phone. This is happening several times a day. I can't ignore ATM as my friend in Portugal is about to become a Grandma & will be letting me know when the baby arrives. I think there's a number to contact but can't remember who they are ::).
Sadly, there isn't an awful lot you can do to stop them. Late last year for a few weeks, I was getting obscene calls 4 or 5 times a day from 'John' in that part of the world. I contacted the Telephone Preference Service, BT (my landline provider), OFCOM who regulate them and the Police who referred me back to BT. Call made from overseas are outside their jurisdiction. The calls can't be traced or blocked. BT's only suggestion was to give me a new phone number.
The advice on dealing with the calls is to not respond at all to the caller. Don't speak, yell at them, play music, loud noises or anything else. Put the handset down (without hanging up) and walk away. After 15 minutes hang up. Or keep the phone on the answermachine - nuisance callers won't leave messages - tell your friend you're having to screen calls and to leave a message and you'll get back to her ASAP.
They will stop after a period when they're not getting a response. Unfortunately, you just have to tough it out in the meantime.
Edited to add:
I forgot about this:
http://www.truecall.co.uk/ (http://www.truecall.co.uk/)
It's the machine that was on Dragons' Den, a bit pricy but worth considering if you get a lot of international nuisance calls.
Thank you Ceres. I'll give that a go. I ignore it 4 times on Friday & daughter was calling to let us know she had arrived in Barcelona ::).
They send me nuts. Especially when they say they are not selling anything.
Sorry to say I have now taken to being very impolite especially if they wake me from my afternoon ziz. I now tell them to B** O** and this has reduced the number of calls considerably. I do not think I have had one for several days now, down from four or five a day.
I use the answering maching to screen calls. In fact, the message says something to that effect, people understand that's how it is these days. Then it's delete delete delete. But it is such a pain I agree.