• _real_ weird junk call!

    From J. P. Gilliver@G6JPG@255soft.uk to uk.telecom on Mon Jan 5 10:33:00 2026
    From Newsgroup: uk.telecom

    I've just had a _Very_ odd one (standard landline). [Around this time of
    the morning seems to be the peak time for such calls.]

    'Phone rang, and I picked it up, and as usual didn't say anything for a
    few seconds; sure enough, it rang off. So far, so normal.

    So, as usual, I rang 1471, expecting the usual "telephone number\ xxx\
    called at\ 10:20 hours this morning. To return the call ..."

    (where xxx is either an 07 number, an 000 number, or an 01 number [often
    my local area].)

    Instead, I got "telephone number\ called at\peeep" - i. e.:
    * the number was "" - nothing
    * 1471 actually rang off at the point it would normally tell me the time
    of the call.

    This is repeatable.

    Dialling 1572-1 as usual gives "last answered call, from an unknown
    caller. Sorry, this calller cannot be ...".

    [Normally, 1471 gives a number, presumably spoofed, but 1572-1 - which
    would let me add the number to a blocked list - gives "unknown". I don't
    think I've ever succesfully added a number to my blocked list.]
    --
    J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()ALIS-Ch++(p)Ar++T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

    If you help someone when they're in trouble, they will remember you when they're in trouble again.

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  • From Woody@harrogate3@ntlworld.com to uk.telecom on Mon Jan 5 12:49:08 2026
    From Newsgroup: uk.telecom

    On Mon 05/01/2026 10:33, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
    I've just had a _Very_ odd one (standard landline). [Around this time of
    the morning seems to be the peak time for such calls.]

    'Phone rang, and I picked it up, and as usual didn't say anything for a
    few seconds; sure enough, it rang off. So far, so normal.

    So, as usual, I rang 1471, expecting the usual "telephone number\ xxx\
    called at\ 10:20 hours this morning. To return the call ..."

    (where xxx is either an 07 number, an 000 number, or an 01 number [often
    my local area].)

    Instead, I got "telephone number\ called at\peeep" - i. e.:
    * the number was "" - nothing
    * 1471 actually rang off at the point it would normally tell me the time
    of the call.

    This is repeatable.

    Dialling 1572-1 as usual gives "last answered call, from an unknown
    caller. Sorry, this calller cannot be ...".

    [Normally, 1471 gives a number, presumably spoofed, but 1572-1 - which
    would let me add the number to a blocked list - gives "unknown". I don't think I've ever succesfully added a number to my blocked list.]

    PoI: 1572 will only allow you to block 50 numbers - something that they
    don't advertise - so we got a Panasonic DECT kit which can block 1000!

    The Panny only requires a caller to enter a number to get past the block
    but at least it stops all of the computer generated 'test' calls like
    you got!

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  • From J. P. Gilliver@G6JPG@255soft.uk to uk.telecom on Mon Jan 5 16:58:20 2026
    From Newsgroup: uk.telecom

    On 2026/1/5 12:49:8, Woody wrote:
    On Mon 05/01/2026 10:33, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
    I've just had a _Very_ odd one (standard landline). [Around this time of
    the morning seems to be the peak time for such calls.]

    'Phone rang, and I picked it up, and as usual didn't say anything for a
    few seconds; sure enough, it rang off. So far, so normal.

    So, as usual, I rang 1471, expecting the usual "telephone number\ xxx\
    called at\ 10:20 hours this morning. To return the call ..."

    (where xxx is either an 07 number, an 000 number, or an 01 number [often
    my local area].)

    Instead, I got "telephone number\ called at\peeep" - i. e.:
    * the number was "" - nothing
    * 1471 actually rang off at the point it would normally tell me the time
    of the call.

    This is repeatable.

    Dialling 1572-1 as usual gives "last answered call, from an unknown
    caller. Sorry, this calller cannot be ...".

    [Normally, 1471 gives a number, presumably spoofed, but 1572-1 - which
    would let me add the number to a blocked list - gives "unknown". I don't
    think I've ever succesfully added a number to my blocked list.]

    PoI: 1572 will only allow you to block 50 numbers - something that they

    Not, in practice, of great concern to me: I don't think I've managed to
    block _one_ number yet!

    As I've said before, the fact that 1471 "shows" a number (presumably CLI-showing 'phones would too) but 1572-1 says "unknown", should make
    the automatic detection (and thus blocking) of such calls a fairly
    trivial matter, but no telco was going to expend the necessary effort
    unless compelled to do so - even _before_ end-of-POTS came over the
    horizon. (I imagine _no_ improvements to POTS will happen now, in fact
    probably not even repairs.)

    don't advertise - so we got a Panasonic DECT kit which can block 1000!

    Presumably that _would_ work on "last number that called", using the
    (faked) CLI. (I don't know if they re-use the faked numbers, so not sure
    it'd actually do much.)

    The Panny only requires a caller to enter a number to get past the block
    but at least it stops all of the computer generated 'test' calls like
    you got!

    I find a few seconds of not saying anything usually suffices.
    --
    J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()ALIS-Ch++(p)Ar++T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

    As for cooking, what a bore that is. It's such a faff, thinking of what
    to have, buying it and cooking it and clearing up, then all you do is
    eat it - and have to start all over again next day.
    Hunter Davies, RT 2017/2/4-10
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  • From Davey@davey@example.invalid to uk.telecom on Mon Jan 5 17:03:21 2026
    From Newsgroup: uk.telecom

    On Mon, 5 Jan 2026 16:58:20 +0000
    "J. P. Gilliver" <G6JPG@255soft.uk> wrote:

    On 2026/1/5 12:49:8, Woody wrote:
    On Mon 05/01/2026 10:33, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
    I've just had a _Very_ odd one (standard landline). [Around this
    time of the morning seems to be the peak time for such calls.]

    'Phone rang, and I picked it up, and as usual didn't say anything
    for a few seconds; sure enough, it rang off. So far, so normal.

    So, as usual, I rang 1471, expecting the usual "telephone number\
    xxx\ called at\ 10:20 hours this morning. To return the call ..."

    (where xxx is either an 07 number, an 000 number, or an 01 number
    [often my local area].)

    Instead, I got "telephone number\ called at\peeep" - i. e.:
    * the number was "" - nothing
    * 1471 actually rang off at the point it would normally tell me
    the time of the call.

    This is repeatable.

    Dialling 1572-1 as usual gives "last answered call, from an unknown
    caller. Sorry, this calller cannot be ...".

    [Normally, 1471 gives a number, presumably spoofed, but 1572-1 -
    which would let me add the number to a blocked list - gives
    "unknown". I don't think I've ever succesfully added a number to
    my blocked list.]

    PoI: 1572 will only allow you to block 50 numbers - something that
    they

    Not, in practice, of great concern to me: I don't think I've managed
    to block _one_ number yet!

    As I've said before, the fact that 1471 "shows" a number (presumably CLI-showing 'phones would too) but 1572-1 says "unknown", should make
    the automatic detection (and thus blocking) of such calls a fairly
    trivial matter, but no telco was going to expend the necessary effort
    unless compelled to do so - even _before_ end-of-POTS came over the
    horizon. (I imagine _no_ improvements to POTS will happen now, in fact probably not even repairs.)

    don't advertise - so we got a Panasonic DECT kit which can block
    1000!

    Presumably that _would_ work on "last number that called", using the
    (faked) CLI. (I don't know if they re-use the faked numbers, so not
    sure it'd actually do much.)

    The Panny only requires a caller to enter a number to get past the
    block but at least it stops all of the computer generated 'test'
    calls like you got!

    I find a few seconds of not saying anything usually suffices.


    The answering message usually causes the call to be dropped.
    --
    Davey.

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