We hardly ever use our landline. We’ve actually turned the ringer off, because so many of the calls we get on it are scams and it became a real annoyance even just to go to the phone check the number of caller ID, say, I don’t recognise that number, and leave it.
To test whether this was just a perception, or based in reality, I took the numbers off our call list which has a maximum of 80. The calls were in the period February to March this year. 61 of the 80 calls logged were from numbers I didn’t know. I checked each of these number on https://who-calls.me.uk .
Most of them are clearly scams, judging by the number of queries that have been made about them, and the comments left by unfortunate recipients. I wasn’t inclined to do anything more at the time, but I took the numbers as proof that, however well the Information Commissioners Office thinks it’s doing its job, it really is failing rather badly at preventing scammers from going about their business.
I used to report scam calls to the ICO. I don’t bother any more. It’s quite an effort to do, given the number of questions you have to answer just to register a complaint, and nothing ever seems to happen. Occasionally, in the past, I have quizzed the ICO – and OFCOM who share responsibility with them - about this, and their response is always – we’re doing a great job. In the last x months we’ve done this, we’ve done that, we have investigated y complaints and closed down z lines. I’m sure they’re telling the truth, but they don’t seem to be aware of how little effect they’re having.
I re-examined my list in September, six months after the first run through. The results are at the end of the blog. I found them really dispiriting. Nearly all the numbers I’d logged six months previously were clearly still in business and still making themselves a nuisance in people’s lives six months later. And the ICO and Ofcom are clearly as much use as a chocolate teapot. (A Which investigation, with numbers in the millions, makes this even more clear. Top 10 scam calls plaguing the UK.)
As I said, I’m sure their numbers about their own activities are accurate. But they demonstrate nothing more than impotence. Whatever action Ofcom prides itself on having taken, however many cases the ICO prides itself on having dealt with, the scammers have built the occasional manoeuvres, fines and closures into their business model. They are nothing more than a minor nuisance, an insignificant cost compared to the profits that roll in daily.
Scam call prevention in this country is a complete failure.
Date | Number | Searches April | Searches Sept |
28/03/24 | 02032 82 | 80357 | 84779 |
30/03/24 | 01332 79 | 17798 | 18611 |
11/04/24 | 01733 80 | 4319 | 4609 |
19/02/24 | 02031 29 | 3339 | 25584 |
06/02/24 | 02080 50 | 2343 | 34703 |
06/02/24 | 02039 36 | 1828 | 502 |
14/03/24 | 01225 53 | 1631 | 2037 |
20/03/24 | 02045 29 | 1272 | 1520 |
18/01/24 | 02039 36 | 1191 | 1254 |
01/03/24 | 02045 71 | 984 | 1104 |
12/02/24 | 02039 36 | 939 | 1034 |
27/01/24 | 02039 36 | 801 | 842 |
26/02/24 | 07956 53 | 723 | 909 |
24/04/24 | 01217 90 | 675 | 895 |
03/02/24 | 02039 36 | 674 | 832 |
26/01/24 | 02039 36 | 664 | 706 |
27/01/24 | 02039 36 | 661 | 720 |
06/03/24 | 02045 71 | 651 | 700 |
27/01/24 | 02039 36 | 606 | 672 |
07/03/24 | 01227 91 | 595 | 676 |
10/04/24 | 01615 24 | 586 | 744 |
19/01/24 | 02039 36 | 539 | 572 |
19/01/24 | 02039 36 | 532 | 554 |
19/02/24 | 01438 90 | 449 | 798 |
31/01/24 | 02039 36 | 429 | 521 |
03/02/24 | 02039 36 | 398 | 418 |
14/02/24 | 01205 63 | 355 | 406 |
26/03/24 | 01752 54 | 265 | 356 |
23/02/24 | 01182 18 | 221 | 277 |
20/02/24 | 01969 62 | 161 | 332 |
19/02/24 | 01702 41 | 142 | 180 |
08/04/24 | 01638 60 | 53 | 104 |
20/04/24 | 01789 20 | 44 | 76 |
11/04/24 | 01488 71 | 25 | 31 |
20/02/24 | 02031 29 | 20 | 28 |
04/03/24 | 01803 87 | 15 | 16 |
13/01/24 | 02039 36 | 7 | 8 |
06/03/24 | 07769 36 | 5 | 6 |
10/01/24 | 02034 88 | 0 | 1 |
11/01/24 | 07889 36 | 0 | 1 |
18/01/24 | 07876 59 | 0 | 1 |
22/01/24 | 02039 36 | 0 | 19 |
23/01/24 | 07746 67 | 0 | 1 |
23/01/24 | 02035 14 | 0 | 3 |
25/01/24 | 01216 36 | 0 | 1 |
01/02/24 | 07748 50 | 0 | 1 |
03/02/24 | 02045 87 | 0 | 1 |
09/02/24 | 07525 35 | 0 | 1 |
16/02/24 | 01389 38 | 0 | 3 |
19/02/24 | 07986 48 | 0 | 1 |
22/02/24 | 02392 46 | 0 | 1 |
24/02/24 | 07303 82 | 0 | 1 |
29/02/24 | 01341 36 | 0 | 1 |
11/03/24 | 07472 62 | 0 | 1 |
26/03/24 | 07801 69 | 0 | 4 |
03/04/24 | 07789 33 | 0 | 2 |
04/04/24 | 07900 95 | 0 | 1 |
20/04/24 | 07943 89 | 0 | 1 |
23/04/24 | 07740 78 | 0 | 1 |
25/04/24 | 07850 98 | 0 | 1 |