Spam Scams

[NEILL THE NOTORIOUS]

SPAM SCAMS------
I am sure that many others, as I, are suffering masses of unwanted E mails and telephone calls.
I have a "Screen" on my telephone number, which prevents anybody without a return number, from being connected.
This has worked well --- other than with friends who are Ex- Directory !
However recently, I am getting calls form "Overseas" --- with which the "Screen does not work !
My response to this is to say "Just a Moment " and leave the telephone off the hook until they ring off -- at their expense !
Rcently my E mails have been inundated with advertisements for "Male Extensions" and the like -- I am confused, for two reasons --- As a Member of the Planning Commitee, I never remember any Application for an Extension, specifying the sex of the structure. As to the second reason --- I am still confused !
Perhaps other Posters will share similar Problems ---- no delete that -- similar Experiences --- no delete that -- ---- Ah well !

[Fjgrogan]

Too true Neill. I used to get heartily sick of being offered Viagra, when I have an obviously female name!! However the thing which really puzzles me is receiving well-intentioned virus warnings, often repeats of ones that I had already been sent months before. If I were planning to try to distribute a virus, the perfect way to do so would be to attach it to a virus warning which would be instantly forwarded to everyone in my contacts list and then to their contacts etc ad nauseam. For this reason I never forward virus warnings, or anything else that threatens me with bad luck, excommunication etc unless I forward it to a dozen people in the next five minutes.

[lonelymom]

My response to this is to say "Just a Moment " and leave the telephone off the hook until they ring off -- at their expense !

I do that too! I'd like to know though, why they always say 'hello, my name is John Smith', when it so obviously isn't!! Why can't they just use their real names?

[sejintenej]

Telephone calls: contact the Telephone Preference Service (number in your telephone directory)

Emails: I use 3 addresses; 1. friends, 2. serious stuff like business and serious subscriptions and 3. competitions

2 and 3 (Yahoo and Tiscali) have good spam filters so I get very little problem. Also all three are free of charge. Just go to the web address and register; it can be hard to get an acceptable name whoich is why I gave up English and went into Swedish

It got so bad at Demon (4th site) that, although I still have an address there, every single item is spam so I don't bother any more

[NEILL THE NOTORIOUS]

I have a Spam supressor (sounds like a Sports Car Engine accessory !) but The various Weirdo Adverts, of only one sort are the only ones that seem to get through. I have interrogated my Wife, under a fierce spotlight --- but she denies all knowledge ! ! (I am relieved !)

[Fjgrogan]

We find that being registered with the Telephone Preference Service does the trick most of the time. When the occasional call still arrives I say 'Have you heard of the TPS?' and they instantly apologise, except for one indignant caller who insisted that the TPS was operated by BT who also provided their mailing list so we couldn't possibly be on it. And then there is the very occasional caller from overseas ....... However our recent concern is that the utilities companies seem to think that they are exempt from TPS regulation and my father who is 84 and just beginning to lose his short term memory seems to be persuaded every few days to change his fuel supplier, even though he is registered with the TPS. My sister who handles his bills is at her wits' end! In desperation she has been phoning utilities companies and telling them to put her name and address on their correspondence concerning Dad's flat. Dad doesn't seem to realise that it is a different company approaching him each time! And then one of them arrived on the doorstep .......... We have signed paperwork for Power of Attorney, but really don't need to invoke it yet, except for this one situation. It would be a pity for him to lose his independence yet simply because of the unscrupulous attitude of one set of salesmen.

As for e-mail scams I seem to be incredibly lucky these days; anything that is not already in my contacts address list gets routed to a spam folder which I can easily delete unopened if I don't recognise the sender.

[NEILL THE NOTORIOUS]

Ah ! Fjgrogan, I sympathise ---on 3rd April I am 81 ------ What were we talking about ? ZZZZ
However, I was fortunate enough to marry a "Child Bride" who is now approaching 70, she keeps me on the ball (To coin a phrase --- boasting again !) and insists we keep two diaries, which are co-ordinated , on the first of each month.
Being married to an ex-nurse, can have it's problems ---On waking up with a stiff, and painful knee, I complained, and was told "You are coming up 81, you have been on Insulin for 53 years, and you are complaining about a stiff knee --------
GET REAL -- and be thankful ! "--- she is, of course, absolutely right, but my "Homo Patheticus" trick doesn't seem to work after 33 years of Marriage !
Joking aside --- I DO sympathise, the problem is that we don't know that we have lost some of our facilities, and cannot understand the problems of those who care for us.---- a greater problem. perhaps, is for those who have no-one to care and pick up the pieces ! -- as an Ex- Chairman of Social Services, I know that the problem is, as always, Funding !
Neill Evans BaB35 1940- 1946

[jtaylor]

You can register with the Telephone Preference Service here:- http://www.tpsonline.org.uk/ctps/number_type.html

You can also register with the Mail Preference Service here:- http://www.mpsonline.org.uk/mpsr/mps_choosetype.html

I found that stopped the majority of junk mail which was addressed to me, but still does nothing to stop the mail-sort junk that the postie puts through the door, or those irritating plastic sacks for unwanted clothes (which don't really go to charity), nor those damn Bettaware etc. etc.
I just bin the lot now, although I might just post the whole lot back to one of them at random at some point, without a stamp on....

J

[sejintenej]

You can register with the Telephone Preference Service here:- http://www.tpsonline.org.uk/ctps/number_type.html

You can also register with the Mail Preference Service here:- http://www.mpsonline.org.uk/mpsr/mps_choosetype.html

I found that stopped the majority of junk mail which was addressed to me, but still does nothing to stop the mail-sort junk that the postie puts through the door, or those irritating plastic sacks for unwanted clothes (which don't really go to charity), nor those damn Bettaware etc. etc.
I just bin the lot now, although I might just post the whole lot back to one of them at random at some point, without a stamp on....

J

I'm not sure about the mail preference service you refer to.
The Post Office delivers brochures etc supplied by advertisers for which it charges a fee. There is, at least in theory, a system by which you opt out but which the post office never tells you about; even our postie would not admit to its existance - he used to push stuff willy nilly through the door. However, there is a Post Office address to which you can write and, if you are lucky they will send you a form which you have to fill in and return (that's two lots of postage so far). They then sent me a new form to fill in - and nothing happened. I still got junk. And I got junk on top of junk. It took nearly a year of letters "not arriving" to get the postman to stop fouling up my hall with adverts for bedroom furniture (and blow-up dolls) and heaven knows what else.

I do use the prepaid envelopes to mail junk received from other senders - after removing identifying information.

[sejintenej]

I've been having problems with my electricity supplier. I have a meter which gives 3 readings and a year or so back they paid me a huge sum in compensation because they misread my meter. They cannot supply a diagram showing how to read my meter (which is complicated).
Perhaps a years ago they decided that I would do better to have a cheaper rate for night-time - and then they cocked-up (can I use that verb here?) the readings so they were charging the daytime rate for night time useage (washing, dryer, dishwasher and other things on time switches).
When I complained the operator told me that I would do better to use the Age Concern tariffs to which I requested that they send me the data. A few days leter I start getting packages from Age Concern and after a week learn that the electrocity company (who do not supply my gas) have switched both my gas and electricity to theior own Age concern tariffs - without my permission.
I complained and they tell me that for my useage the Age Concern tariff is not the most advantageous!
What is more they refuse point blank to tell me what their tariffs are. They say I must use the internet - and I cannot use internet screen shots in court as evidence.

I don't know who supplies my gas now - but I am not paying my bills from anyone other than my original supplier. Asd for the electricity supplier I suspect that they are trying a scam, again.