Guard your phone – like your home!
As a free call-blocking service is launched, experts warn that a ‘multi-layered’ security approach is vital to combat nuisance calls
VICTIMS of nuisance phone calls have a new weapon in their armoury – but experts believe it still does not go far enough to beat the conmen. Last week, phone giant BT began offering a free service – ‘call protect’ – to enable its customers to block unwanted phone calls.
It filters out calls from a blacklist of numbers that BT holds on a database. It also enables customers to block numbers used by nuisance callers.
This latest measure is just one of many that phone users can employ to combat some of the eight billion unwanted calls made in Britain every year. On average, eight out of ten households receive at least two nuisance calls every week.
These can be from fraudulent companies inviting people to access their pension early and claims management companies promising to win you compensation – either for past mis-selling of payment protection insurance or a potential whiplash claim.
Late last year, The Mail on Sunday launched a ‘Stop The Scammers’ campaign to help prevent people falling victim of nuisance callers and other financial fraudsters.
BT’s call protect may be free but it will only be available to some ten million BT customers who still use a fixed line phone. More than 26million people nationwide have one.
Experts also believe the service will fail to stop all phone pests.
Graeme Batsman is a consultant with online security firm Data Security Expert. He says: ‘While this new measure from BT to combat nuisance calls is welcome, it will not stop people being pestered. As with all new software there is bound to be a chink in the armour – and conmen will find it.’
HE SAYS people should look at combating unwanted calls in the same way a maximum security facility is built to prevent prisoners from escaping. He explains: ‘With a building you might use spy cameras, barbed wire, guard dogs and locks. You should follow the same multi-layered approach to nuisance calls.’
Many nuisance calls, he says, come from firms trawling the internet in search of contact numbers. So you should never disclose your phone number in online correspondence with anyone as it is likely to be picked up and added to a database. Batsman adds: ‘It is also key you do not tick a box when buying goods or services online which then gives companies carte blanche to contact you. You should also make sure you sign up to the Telephone Preference Service, a free service that stops sales calls from many companies.’
The TPS is a register of more than 950 companies which are members of the Direct Marketing Association. It can request that members do not pester you with any marketing calls. Unfortunately, calls from nonmembers and foreign companies will still get through.
BT is guarded about the precise technology behind call protect but it involves computer software that weeds out phone calls from known unwanted salespeople. The telecoms giant will make money through selling other nuisance call blocking technology. This includes ‘advanced call blocker’ handsets for £50 that can be used whether you are a BT customer or not. These phones are advertised as being able to ‘block up to 100 per cent nuisance calls’.
BT also offers a ‘choose to refuse’ service for £4.75 a month and an ‘anonymous call rejection’ service for £5.80 a month. ‘Choose to refuse’ lets you block specific numbers while ‘anonymous call rejection’ blocks withheld numbers. Freddy Carter, 69, from Kelso in Roxburghshire, is not convinced by the new nuisance call blocking offer from BT. He fears that once customers sign up to the service, it may at some point start charging. For the last year, the retired hotelier has been plagued by calls from payment protection insurance claims specialist Action Direct (UK). He says: ‘The problem is with the outfits making these calls in the first place. I fear for the elderly and vulnerable who these callers prey on.’ Freddy was first contacted by Action Direct early last year and told them they were wasting their time. Despite this, they have refused to leave him alone. Payment protection insurance callers currently account for 9 per cent of all nuisance calls. But the biggest rogues are accident claims companies, accounting for 39 per cent. Computer scams make up 9 per cent. John Petter, head of BT’s consumer division, says: ‘With our call protect technology we can tackle up to 30million nuisance calls a week.’ On Friday, Action Direct said it takes complaints ‘seriously’ and investigates them thoroughly.