Spam/scams

[ESM]

• I have recently started getting a lot of spam or scam calls or texts. I've had the same phone number for 25 years without a problem, just the occasional spanner about once a year. Now it's numerous times per week. I block all the numbers but they seem to have an infinite supply of phone numbers at their disposal. 

I'm registered with TPS but while it does stop UK marketing calls it doesn't stop these scams getting through, and they mainly seem to be based overseas as far as I can tell. 

Does 3 have something I can put on my account to filter these out? A lot of the calls are from 03 numbers although sometimes is a regular landline or 07. Thanks! 

[PeteG]

Hello there. 

That sounds frustrating. There isn't anything that can be done account side to prevent the calls from coming through. It's best to report the numbers that you receive calls from. Some phones can do that automatically, or you can do it manually by sending the number in question in a text to the number 7726. 

If your phone has an option to reject calls from unrecognised numbers, that might also help. You'll need to remember to turn that feature off though whenever you're expecting a call from an unrecognised number. 

Pete. 

[ESM]

Thanks for the info. I will just keep reporting & blocking then but as I say, there's always another one.  I have noticed that sometimes a text is flagged as 'possible spam,' thought maybe there was something like that for calls but I guess not. From Googling some of the numbers, quite a few come from a phone network called Gamma. Never heard of them, but it seems odd and wonder if it's possible to block an entire network? 

[PeteG]

The text being marked as possible spam is something that the phone would be doing. Some phones do have the ability to do that with calls as well, but it would depend on the manufacturer. 

Blocking an entire network isn't something that can be done. I don't know if it's an option, since you've had the number so long, but just in case, you can request for a new number instead. 

Pete.