Nuisance calls

PLEASE NOTE: Hoax and Nuisance 999/112 calls can cost lives. This is an offence and can result in service being suspended or ended.

• Keep calm: Most malicious callers gain pleasure from upsetting the person they call. So, by keeping calm and showing no emotion, you may put them off.
  
• Don't give out your mobile phone number: When you answer, just say "Hello" rather than giving your name and number. This can stop a caller who dials your number at random from remembering it and calling again. If a caller asks you to confirm your number ask them what number they want and then tell them whether they are right or wrong.
  
• Let callers identify themselves first if their number is not displayed on your mobile phone and consider rejecting calls with an unrecognisable number or withheld number.
  
• Be careful not to leave your name or contact number on your mailbox greeting.
  
• If, after following these general precautions, the phone rings again, don't say anything when you answer it. A genuine caller will speak first.
  
• Don't talk to malicious callers and don’t reply to unfamiliar text messages. Some malicious callers may want nothing more than to have a conversation. You should put the mobile phone down calmly and ignore it for a few minutes before ending the call or switching it off. This can often deter the caller particularly when they realise they're wasting their time and money. Some people may randomly send text messages to get a response from you, don’t reply to the message if you don’t know the number who has sent the message.
  
• Remember malicious callers use the phone to hide behind, because most would be too frightened to say the same things to your face.
  

If you have tried some of the advice above and you are still continuing to receive Nuisance Calls or text then you may wish to consider changing your number. This can be done by contacting the number on your bill (please call 100 if you do not know this) or in the case of Pre-pay by contacting Pre-pay customer service.

If you have the number making the calls or sending the text messages and wish to prosecute the offender(s) then you may wish to contact the police to begin criminal proceedings against them. In cases such as these you will need to supply the police with all the information to support your case including any evidence of offending numbers from calls or text messages.

In cases where the number is withheld or unavailable and you wish to prosecute the offender please contact your Customer Service number or in the case of Pre-pay please contact Pre-pay customer service who will request the Nuisance Call Bureau to trace the offending calls.

You may from time to time receive unwanted sales and marketing calls.These can usually be stopped by registering on the Telephone Preference Service. After a short period of time the calls should stop and you should not receive further unrequested marketing calls. If the calls are silent and cause you distress you may wish to contact the company and ask them to remove your number from further contact. If the number is withheld or unavailable please contact your customer service centre who will offer further advice and if necessary request our Nuisance Call Bureau to investigate the matter further.

These are unsolicited, non chargeable text messages that are used by companies as a form of advertising. They usually include a premium/ high rate number to call back or short code to text. You should not respond unless you are sure it is a genuine message. If you believe this to be SPAM we would like to know about it. The message can be forwarded to 7726 where we can investigate the message and take the necessary action to prevent our customers from any fraudulant activity. Messages that contain premium rate numbers can also be brought to the attention of PhonepayPlus (Premium Rate Regulator) who will also investigate their content, promotion and overall operation.