Payment Protection Insurance - Telephone Scam Warning

We're ex-directory but by 10.40 yesterday morning I'd had 3 'PPI' messages!

Unfortunately, the Telephone Preference Service can't do anything about calls either from overseas or those dialled automatically by computer.

Since I've not had any loans (nor any accidents), I just answer the call then lay the handset down beside the phone for a few minutes before replacing it. It's not me that's paying for the call! I did have one from a 'human' who started going on about my non-existent accident however when I said, very politely 'I think the words we're looking for here are 'ambulance' and 'chasers' - she hung up! QED?

The ones I like are those which say 'Hello. This is a free call from .....' I've never stuck around long enough to find out who this 'free call' is from but you know it's a load of tripe since, so far as I'm aware, I've never actually paid to receive a call in any event.

 

I wonder can some one explain that one?

Its said that if you get a call from XYZ it asks you a question and you push a button on your phone is response. Its said that when you push this button (or combination of numbers) you then get charged something silly for the call lets say £20 / min.

For me that is where it falls down.

They called you. You answered. You did not make any outgoing call at all.

How can you be charged for anything if you did not initiate the call? The person calling you gets charged since they have control over the line.

Speaking of control over the line there is a known scam where by they phone you and tell you they will cut you off unless you pay them (by credit card?) You say go away or similar, and 5 ins later you pick the phone up and its dead, so you hang up, within seconds of you hanging up a 2nd time it rings its the same person telling you it was them that made your line dead and that's why you must pay.

It works because they called you, all they do is "put you on hold" thereby keeping the line open, but because you can't hear anything the line appears to be dead.


So my question is: Has anyone here ACTUALLY been charged for either a call they did NOT initiate or a call that cost £5 a minute (Even some adult lines only cost £1.50 / min (so I am told)

 

Had a brilliant one the other day about my pc after I had finished winding him up I put steve on the line and he accused him of doing rude things to me his mother!! I think he was just a tad wound up! Then I told him the police were tracing this call could he hang on a bit longer.