Morning Everybody - Hope all is well? - What have we got on, how are we all doing?

[Dan]

My life centres around 24/7 caring for & shielding my Wife, not much time for anything else

Depression and anxiety are my main concerns....anytime I have had to go out, I get a severe panic attack, never known anything like it. I hope when this is all over, these feelings will stop, get so paranoid, a very scary world.

Meant to be getting a letter this week for my Wife, I am 67 so hope it will come fairly soon

No work, not paid anyway retired, thank God

Use masks when answering the door, fanatic about hand gel and sanitising worktops and delivered parcels..got to do everything possible..so far so good

we have a local hardware shop that stocks just about everything, all food & meals are delivered, so rarely any need to go out, I guess we are very fortunate

Nice reply thanks matey.

You'll be alright once this is all over mate. Anxiety has increased massively recently but I bet it calms down just as quick once we're all comfy going for walks that aren't forced on us lol

 

[Reddwarf4ever]

One thing that’s increasing anxiety, for both of us, is the number of scam phone calls we get each day, currently 4-5. Set my mobile to do not disturb at night, but Have to leave the landline on, in case get hospital calls etc. Have registered with TPS, but makes little difference that I can tell. I block the numbers, but my land line phone only has a 100 blocked call limit, so soon fills up, have to delete and start again. Most calls are pretending to be Amazon, Apple Open reach, recent car accident etc. etc. I admit I do use some choice words to these callers, I do have to be careful though, as some withheld or unknown numbers are genuine, so have to wait & see if a scam or not.....the Virgin media ones are particularly convincing, discussing router issues and possible connection issues...lostened to a lot of drivel the first couple of times, but now I recognise the banter I suggested to OffCom & Virgin media that have a database of scam numbers, contributed to by customers ( an easy way of doing this could be created ) then anyone subscribing ( free ) to this service would automatically have all the numbers on this database withheld, this would cut down on a lot of nuisance calls, as the database would continually be updated, every time a scam call number was reported....Virgin could have the option to confirm the number before adding to the database.......but they JUST NOT INTERESTED.....Even wrote to my M.P. Who just suggested blocking unknown callers, well that wouldn’t work as hospital calls are always unknown as they come from a switchboard, in fact it’s now illegal to make a marketing call from a withheld number, so I think they are in the decline, the numbers used are I believe virtual numbers. I phoned One scam call number and it was a private residence who said he had no knowledge of calling anyone.....I think maybe the scam callers are now cloning normal numbers, anything’s possible I guess

may have to invest in a new cordless landline phone, found one that has a 1000 blocked call memory and can block numbers by the area code or simply beginning with 0229, so that may help....

 

[Aquarius]

One thing that’s increasing anxiety, for both of us, is the number of scam phone calls we get each day, currently 4-5. Set my mobile to do not disturb at night, but Have to leave the landline on, in case get hospital calls etc. Have registered with TPS, but makes little difference that I can tell. I block the numbers, but my land line phone only has a 100 blocked call limit, so soon fills up, have to delete and start again. Most calls are pretending to be Amazon, Apple Open reach, recent car accident etc. etc. I admit I do use some choice words to these callers, I do have to be careful though, as some withheld or unknown numbers are genuine, so have to wait & see if a scam or not..the Virgin media ones are particularly convincing, discussing router issues and possible connection issues...lostened to a lot of drivel the first couple of times, but now I recognise the banter I suggested to OffCom & Virgin media that have a database of scam numbers, contributed to by customers ( an easy way of doing this could be created ) then anyone subscribing ( free ) to this service would automatically have all the numbers on this database withheld, this would cut down on a lot of nuisance calls, as the database would continually be updated, every time a scam call number was reported....Virgin could have the option to confirm the number before adding to the database....but they JUST NOT INTERESTED..Even wrote to my M.P. Who just suggested blocking unknown callers, well that wouldn’t work as hospital calls are always unknown as they come from a switchboard, in fact it’s now illegal to make a marketing call from a withheld number, so I think they are in the decline, the numbers used are I believe virtual numbers. I phoned One scam call number and it was a private residence who said he had no knowledge of calling anyone..I think maybe the scam callers are now cloning normal numbers, anything’s possible I guess

may have to invest in a new cordless landline phone, found one that has a 1000 blocked call memory and can block numbers by the area code or simply beginning with 0229, so that may help.***

Perhaps try this?

 

[townfanjon]

This ....

 

[Old KC]

All good work wise, I'm a general builder and have an empty flat to do so no probs. Just had the usual when ripping out the old bathroom gear, why am I still shocked at how Rubbish some peoples work is after 30 years?!!
As for the 'jab', forget it, at one point I did nine months of nutrition studies, most doctors get half a day. I've read extensively, mostly testimony from doctors and scientists and this "vaccine" is basically untested especially for long term effects, the animal tests for previous MRNA vaccines ended up with lots of dead animals due to auto immune disorders, I wouldn't trust the pharmaceutical industry one bit, every company involved has been fined millions just in the past decade for malpractice and misrepresentation. The report has just been published from the Chinese doctors in Wuhan, they used intravenous vitamin C to treat covid meaning 80% less deaths and had zero cases by May last year. All this info has been shared with the government and health authorities.

 

[Reddwarf4ever]

Funny

 

[Amarka]

One thing that’s increasing anxiety, for both of us, is the number of scam phone calls we get each day, currently 4-5. Set my mobile to do not disturb at night, but Have to leave the landline on, in case get hospital calls etc. Have registered with TPS, but makes little difference that I can tell. I block the numbers, but my land line phone only has a 100 blocked call limit, so soon fills up, have to delete and start again. Most calls are pretending to be Amazon, Apple Open reach, recent car accident etc. etc. I admit I do use some choice words to these callers, I do have to be careful though, as some withheld or unknown numbers are genuine, so have to wait & see if a scam or not..the Virgin media ones are particularly convincing, discussing router issues and possible connection issues...lostened to a lot of drivel the first couple of times, but now I recognise the banter I suggested to OffCom & Virgin media that have a database of scam numbers, contributed to by customers ( an easy way of doing this could be created ) then anyone subscribing ( free ) to this service would automatically have all the numbers on this database withheld, this would cut down on a lot of nuisance calls, as the database would continually be updated, every time a scam call number was reported....Virgin could have the option to confirm the number before adding to the database....but they JUST NOT INTERESTED..Even wrote to my M.P. Who just suggested blocking unknown callers, well that wouldn’t work as hospital calls are always unknown as they come from a switchboard, in fact it’s now illegal to make a marketing call from a withheld number, so I think they are in the decline, the numbers used are I believe virtual numbers. I phoned One scam call number and it was a private residence who said he had no knowledge of calling anyone..I think maybe the scam callers are now cloning normal numbers, anything’s possible I guess

may have to invest in a new cordless landline phone, found one that has a 1000 blocked call memory and can block numbers by the area code or simply beginning with 0229, so that may help.***

SOrry to hear your plight. There isn’t much you can do with these scammers. Just as quick as you block one number, they’ll call again using a different number. Speak to your phone provider. They should already know some of these numbers. I think BT offer a service where only those that part of your friends and family list will be able to call you. All other numbers are automatically barred - could work? If you’ve got a mobile, maybe get F&F to call on that first to let you know they’ll then call on your house phone. Another option - if you are not expecting any calls whatsoever, put the house phone on silent. This way you will not be woken up and have to get up unnecessarily. I told my parents and in-laws to do this and they find it works. Anyone important like a doctor etc rtc will try you home phone but will then try your mobile - you’ll know it’s legit.

 

[Aquarius]

@Reddwarf4ever Im not sure how it’s done, but some of our customer’s have a service whereby calls are screened, so you have to state who you are 1st, might be worth looking into?

 

[Lou]

I think he's a guest @Dan

How are people with the storm? I hope nobody has flooding.

Could you change your number and then forward calls to the new number?

 

[Roy_66]

One thing that’s increasing anxiety, for both of us, is the number of scam phone calls we get each day, currently 4-5. Set my mobile to do not disturb at night, but Have to leave the landline on, in case get hospital calls etc. Have registered with TPS, but makes little difference that I can tell. I block the numbers, but my land line phone only has a 100 blocked call limit, so soon fills up, have to delete and start again. Most calls are pretending to be Amazon, Apple Open reach, recent car accident etc. etc. I admit I do use some choice words to these callers, I do have to be careful though, as some withheld or unknown numbers are genuine, so have to wait & see if a scam or not..the Virgin media ones are particularly convincing, discussing router issues and possible connection issues...lostened to a lot of drivel the first couple of times, but now I recognise the banter I suggested to OffCom & Virgin media that have a database of scam numbers, contributed to by customers ( an easy way of doing this could be created ) then anyone subscribing ( free ) to this service would automatically have all the numbers on this database withheld, this would cut down on a lot of nuisance calls, as the database would continually be updated, every time a scam call number was reported....Virgin could have the option to confirm the number before adding to the database....but they JUST NOT INTERESTED..Even wrote to my M.P. Who just suggested blocking unknown callers, well that wouldn’t work as hospital calls are always unknown as they come from a switchboard, in fact it’s now illegal to make a marketing call from a withheld number, so I think they are in the decline, the numbers used are I believe virtual numbers. I phoned One scam call number and it was a private residence who said he had no knowledge of calling anyone..I think maybe the scam callers are now cloning normal numbers, anything’s possible I guess

may have to invest in a new cordless landline phone, found one that has a 1000 blocked call memory and can block numbers by the area code or simply beginning with 0229, so that may help.***

Just a silly thought. Is your landline an answerphone. That seems to help a bit.

Also if you want a bit of fun to make you feel better, then for computer type scams ask them what their IP address is, something like "yes I'll just connect and show you, can you give me your IP address please". Most will put the phone down very quickly and run away.

And for anybody not following, NEVER give any cold caller any info, and never any info on your computer like it's IP address . . .so if they ask you to open a command prompt or whatever via whatever method, terminate the call.

The law should be changed to trace scammers, wherever they are on the planet and block their connections. It's really not rocket science. Of course big business is at stake . . .

Cheers,

Roy