How To Combat Cold Calling About Fictitious Accident Claims
Occasionally we receive an email from somebody complaining that we have cold-called them. One thing that we never do is cold call. The only people that we ever call are those that contact us first and have requested we call them back usually for advice or to start a claim, and so we decided to look at a few ways people can try to combat those that do participate in annoying and intrusive cold calling.
Before we look at how to combat cold calling about fictitious accident claims it is worth noting that not all cold calls are illegal. If you have agreed to receive marketing phone calls from a particular company they are quite within their rights to call as detailed in the agreement. The vast majority of companies will take you off their marketing list if you change your mind but there are some companies who push the boundaries and some that go way beyond the boundaries.
One type of cold calling which has been doing the rounds for some time centers around a fictitious car insurance claim amid suggestions that you or a loved one have been in an accident. As more and more people are spotting cold calls on their mobile phone and landline these companies are becoming ever more ingenious in their approach.
Getting You To Answer The Cold Call
In the marketing cold calling world once you have picked up the phone the hard part has been done and the next challenge is to keep you talking. We all recognise various numbers, various area codes and many of us will not pick up a phone call from a number we don’t know. However, many companies have found a dubious way to get around this!
Have you received a phone call recently which appeared to come from your local area (hence the local area code) yet on answering you find the company is nowhere near you? Companies are now able to redirect their phone calls via the Internet and using a system commonly in use in the cold calling industry they can pick up on your local area code and redirect their call. The reason they do this is because the vast majority of us will pick up a local dialling code number, perhaps we are concerned it is a loved one trying to get in contact or an important phone call that needs to be taken.
Spinning Dubious Stories About A Car Accident
Thousands upon thousands of people have received phone calls over the last few years regarding fictitious car accidents from which they “may be entitled to claim compensation”. As money is tight for many people, perhaps Christmas is on the way or they have bought into the compensation culture which has grown in the UK, the chance of cold hard cash can catch many people’s attention. However, when was the accident, who was involved, and what details do they have for your records?
No unknown third-party insurance company would ever contact you about a car accident involving you or a member of your family. While the cold calling company thinks they have your interest when you have picked up the phone call and listen to your potential compensation claim it is then time to turn the tables. If you haven’t already hung up the phone ask them for details, where and when, who was involved and why have they taken so long to call you?
The Story Begins To Unravel
If you start asking questions many of these companies will quote the data protection laws and perhaps suggest they are unable to confirm details at this moment. While some of these cold callers blatantly lie to get your details and never reveal who they really are there are others that are supremely confident they will talk you round, and will often give you their real contact details, once you begin to ask questions the majority will backtrack and hang-up the phone. There is no point in barring these Internet-connected phone calls because they will just use another number the next time, but take note of the company and their real contact details as they may come in very useful.
So what was the reason for the original phone call? To see if you have actually been in an accident of late and whether they can help – at this point they would focus on your real accident and dismiss the fictitious one. Compensation claims, court cases and time to build your case can lead to a handsome pay-out for the cold calling companies – although they are only doing it for you!
Knowing Your Rights
The Information Commissioner’s Office has a very interesting section on nuisance phone calls and what you should do to avoid them in the future. In summary, you have a number of rights with regards to third-party cold calling and if used correctly they can certainly reduce the problem.
Telephone Preference Service (TPS)
The TPS should be your first point of contact because by simply registering with this service you are confirming what you do not wish to receive live marketing calls. This is a central register of individuals that have opted-out which should be respected by all telephone marketing companies. If you register with the TPS you may need to wait 28 days before the system is fully up-to-date but you have (in theory) opted-out of receiving any live marketing phone calls.
Corporate Telephone Preference Service (CTPS)
The CTPS is the corporate equivalent of the TPS and covers companies and other corporate bodies who wish to opt-out from receiving live marketing calls. In an environment where wasted time equates to lost revenue, the number of work hours wasted taking marketing cold calls can become expensive and tiresome, to say the least.
Check The Small Print
As we touched on above, many marketing companies have small print hidden away in their customer agreements which allow them to cold-call customers unless advised otherwise.
There has been a change in the law over the last few years whereby customers should opt-in rather than be forced to opt-out of such arrangements but this is not always adhered to. So, you should check the fine detail of any agreement you sign with third parties and opt-out of any areas which you find unacceptable.
While many of us complain loudly about marketing cold calls, how many of us actually check the small print before we sign a purchase order or new customer agreement?
Tell The Cold Callers To Take You Off Their List
While there are services to sign-up to and small print to check, you always have the overriding option to tell any cold calling company to take you off their marketing list.
Make a note of what you told them, when you told them and keep this to hand in case they call you again (maybe even send an email where possible). If they continue to call you and ignore your wishes to be removed from their marketing list they are breaking the law and you should report them to the Information Commissioner’s Office.
Closing Thoughts
Even though many marketing cold calls are perfectly legitimate and above board, many of us have experienced nuisance phone calls on a regular basis. Now there are options to remove yourself from live marketing call lists and you can report them to the authorities who have the power to hand out fines of up to £500,000. Indeed some companies have received even greater fines for continued contempt of the law and the wishes of the general public.
Thomas Gallacher
January 29, 2021, 1:08 pmI get at least one of these calls every day. Most of the times I just tell them to “eff off” but if I’m bored I’ll string them along. My recent story has been how I was sitting in my car when all of a sudden a helicoptor landed on the roof. It then took off again without stopping to exchange details. I tell them how I got a hold of the tail number and they should be able to track the pilot from that. What’s bizarre is that some of them continue to press you with questions without even recognising the absurdity of the tale.
Silly van
January 15, 2021, 11:55 pmI just ask them what accident are you talking about I’ve had two ?
The one last week ?
Or the one I had in my pants
Boom gone !!
Stuart Holland
December 8, 2020, 2:52 pmKeep asking them if they want your car registration plate details and eventually they’ll say okay. Then tell them it’s a private plate and then read it out……..
F…*…*…K….O…F…F or what ever insulting word you can come up with.
Paul Chambers
November 25, 2020, 12:00 pmIf you have the time and want to waste their time then here’s what to do:-
You receive an automated response call, usually a female voice. It’s quite convincing these days until you ask a question, you are then redirected to an advisor who may be from another part of the country or outside of it. Give a fictitious story about an accident, start off by making it a believable story. A good story could be you were driving down a country road when suddenly a gate swung out, pushed open by the farmer of that field and cows came running out. You screeched to a halt but not quick enough. Three cows were killed as a consequence and the farmer is trying to sue you for lost earnings. The advisor may ask what damage was done to your car, you then say “none” It was the trailer you were pulling that killed the cows. When you had to stop suddenly the trailer flipped over the car and hit the cows. You can give the Farmers name as McDonald and say he’s an old man, a song was written about his grandfather, then you can sing the Old McDonald had a farm song. The longer you keep them interested the less vulnerable people they will bother
Al Archibald
November 24, 2020, 9:39 amI like the way that when you insist you haven’t had an accident, they just hang up, without a “sorry to bother you,” “we’ll adjust our records,” kiss my arse or go to hell.
Anyone that discourteous I don’t want to do business with.
Eugene Macdonald
November 12, 2020, 8:24 pmMy advice is this. Get an anti attack scream can ( the ones that woman keep in their handbag) keep the caller interested.. then blast them . Won’t hear from them for a while😂😂
Geoff
November 12, 2020, 7:55 amGood content. Has some great insights from commenters.
Christine Coburn
November 7, 2020, 8:33 pmI’ve recently had two calls from accident claims companies, but what bothers me is that in both cases the caller has sounded very much like a child – probably a girl. I know I could be mistaken, but it’s worrying me a bit. In both cases, the caller didn’t seem very confident, and sounded as though they were following a script. Am I over-reacting?
Joanna
October 30, 2020, 6:18 pmI am surprised no-one has said they just hang up. That’s what I do. I don’t have a car and have never used Gumtree but I still get these calls. It’s normally obvious from the silence at the beginning that it’s going to be an automated voice. As soon as it says something I put the phone down and block the number although I realise this might not make a difference.. Thankfully I only get these calls once every 6 weeks or so.
Steve
October 20, 2020, 11:56 amI regard these calls as good sport. Also, the longer I can keep them on the phone, the fewer vulnerable people they will reach. I am sometimes moved to tell the first caller that they are working for a criminal organisation or at least an unethical business and tell them I’m really sorry that they have to do work like this. I think they often do not realise this as the employer has been dishonest towards them about the legitimacy of the business model. Today I was put through to a second person, who I sensed had bought in to the unethical nature of the business, and I managed to string him along until he lost his cool, insulted me and hung up. Success! (It is, however, very depressing that it is considered fair game to lie for financial gain. I blame the Thatcher/Reagan phenomenon for starting the rot 40 years ago. There will be dishonest and unethical people whatever happens, but the Thatcher/Reagan phenomenon gave tacit permission for such people to do what they do, and peer pressure has swelled their ranks. And where has it got us? It has got us to what you see around you today.)
Bungle
October 12, 2020, 6:06 pmI get at least two calls a week or more frequently if i post a advert on gumtree. Makes no difference if i ask to removed from their suckers list
Dave
September 23, 2020, 12:12 pmAs annoying as these are, I would like to know whether they “suffer” more if you actually end up being put through to someone, like if they begin a human conversation with you do they lose commission or something if the call ends without any success? If so, I am more than happy to string them a long each time and make it as time-wasting as possible for them as they are for me – especially if the outcome is a satisfying as knowing they had just “lost business”.
If anybody knows please pray tell …
Bianca Gabriele Schmitz-Culbert
October 5, 2020, 12:40 pmwe always wind them up which usually ends up with us being called names…
Peter
August 24, 2020, 10:28 amThese scammers use Gumtree to get your phone and number. As soon as you post car sale advert you WILL received cold callers (fake accident calls) telling they are from Liverpool Victoria, Road Traffic Management, and various solicitors. Almost 90% of the callers are actually based in Asia and simply using UK phone numbers. They simply collect more of your details and them sell them to accident management companies for 500-700 per valid lead.
anne
June 23, 2020, 5:44 pmI went on compare the market to get car insurance and I had to tell them I had a claim for an accident at the end of march last year. Two days later I received a call from a firm of solicitors . They knew the date of the accident and the reg no and make of my car. I assumed that the insurance company had given them this information but now I think it was compare the market because my insurance company told me that they do not give peoples details out to other companies.
Johno4521
May 9, 2020, 11:16 amIt’s pointless listing all the numbers these cold calls are “from” as they are totally fake numbers generated randomly to get past any call barring equipment you may have.
S. Meliora
March 30, 2020, 1:06 pmAs soon as I realise it’s a cold call, I pretend I am a poor auld lonely soul, delighted to hear their friendly voice, and would they like to hear a song, Obviously I don’t wait for an answer I start with Old Scots Mother Mine; Annie Laurie; etc funnily enough after attempting to interrupt my singing without success, they give up and hang up! Go through YOUR song or hymn list, a joyous experience to frustrate these callers!
o
June 16, 2020, 4:53 pmBrilliant…! I always try to see how long I can keep them on the phone for. I go along with their questions giving them a story to the point where it’s so ridiculous that a child would think it’s BS. Play them at their own game. I’ll be using your one next time and sing them a bit of chas and dave
Peter
August 24, 2020, 10:29 amSame here – sometimes i start singing or use angry german accent. Or start asking where are they located (company) as none of them even know where the actual company is based that they are pretending to call from.
M
October 26, 2020, 12:51 pmA friend of mine answered hers with, she better tell her parent, so they don’t get worried, because she didn’t know she had that accident herself. 😀 Needless to say they didn’t stay on the phone very long.
Singing a tune sounds fun though. I need to try that. Better than asking them to take me off their list, which doesn’t seem to help. Ignoring any unknown number seems to be a better way to go, at least for about 2-3 months. They leave you alone, if they don’t get through a certain number of times.
John
February 29, 2020, 9:08 pmMy elderly father had phoned the AA to report an accident. I got involved and using my mobile I phoned up the AA to check how long it would be before assistance would arrive, within half an hour of making that call I received a cold call advising me I’d been involved in an accident. You can imagine what I now think of the AA.
No Name
February 12, 2020, 9:55 amI put my car on for sale on Gumtree & Facebook Marketplace last night, and so far this morning i’ve had 4 calls from accident claims management firms. Coincidence? I think not
Stan
February 29, 2020, 3:47 pmYou’re right man ,
I just added 2 different ads on Gumtree and 5 minutes after I got 2 different calls for someone telling me about a car accident 2 years ago . Say them to go to Hell.
Brunel
February 6, 2020, 3:46 pmI always help cold callers asking about my motor accident by giving them a load of totally fictitious details. Longest call was 19 minutes. I told them in a broad West Country accent that it ‘weren’t just me, it were “my woife and pregnant daughter what got it worse nor what Oi did”. I tell them in great detail about all our injuries, including which toe on which foot was removed in surgery following the accident, and frequently break off to “ask moi woife a bit more details”. I finally said it had been a pleasure telling them about “moi little troubles” but I had to go as the taxi had come to take me to the hospital, and I put the phone down.
Donald's Rump
November 11, 2020, 2:45 pmBrilliant! If scam baiting were an olympic sport you’d be on the podium!
Shell
January 31, 2020, 6:35 pmI’ve had 4 persistent calls on my mobile
020 8328 5248
020 8365 4125
020 8625 8125
And cos I blocked all 3 I got phoned from
071285818584 12 digits??
All 4 kept persistently saying I’d had a car crash in the last 2 years but saying it wasn’t my fault and that I was hit from the side. I said no I haven’t had any accident and the women said “ maybe you was hit from behind or the side” I said what car was it? What reg? And she couldn’t answer.
I’m Sick of these calls!….
Lyon
May 11, 2020, 12:46 pmI also received a call just now, and the situation she described is exactly the same as yours. But I already sold my car last year, when i asked her could she tell me the the specific time which the accident happened and she hung up the phone.
btw the phone number is 02081470720
Lona
February 7, 2021, 8:36 pmWell all of u guys here do not understand the nature of the call and what uninsured losses are.
Basically no one is scamming you. No one asks u for any bank details, the agencies just confirm if u where injured and have you claimed, if it’s a no to all, you are transferred to senior advisors for compensation and documenting that is sent to your home address. No bank details asked, payment done on check service.
Ricardo
February 9, 2021, 12:24 pmYou sound like you may have worked for one of these companies, in which case can you say why they call every day and insist the case has just landed on their desk this morning?
If you were actually a successful claimant, congrats. No need to answer the above question.
Tony
January 28, 2020, 2:57 pmJust had a car scam phone call from 01237 122543
How can we easily register such numbers, and would anuyone pay these folks avisit to stop them?
Ilkin Jamalli
January 23, 2020, 3:01 pmThe article is useless as it doesn’t say what to do if you already opted out of calls but still receive a robocalls followed by real people claiming to be from Accident Management Company. It would be good if a recording of my conversion where I supposedly play along and pretend to have had accident until they expose real AMC company name which can be passed to ICO for prosecution then it would be useful. Until that there is no point of even picking the phone up. I use apps “TrueCaller” & “Should I Answer” which helps to identify and report this numbers.
Johno4521
May 9, 2020, 11:29 amPretend to be interested to obtain the caller’s details first, eg Company name, geographical address, website. Then tell them you are going to report them to the ICO (Information Commissioner s Office) as these people are usually breaking the law on 3 counts;
1. They must have a list of people who have not opted in to receive cold calls or are in the TPS to refer to before calling them.
2. Companies who call you must by law transmit a WORKING telephone number ie one you can ring them back on.
3. It is illegal to cold call using a recorded or robot voice which gives, or attempts to give, the impression you are talking to a real person.
Jan
August 12, 2020, 6:46 pmHi – two numbers have called my daughters phone, I answered and when I asked where they got my number from, she said the accident bureau, after which I told her this was false as my daughter is too young to drive let alone have a car, at that point they hung up. Our numbers are with TPS.
Steve
January 17, 2020, 3:19 pmJust say you need to go and check something, put the phone down and then switch your radio on! Alternatively, my mother-in-law keeps a very loud whistle by her phone to use with cold callers!!!!!
HackdOrf
December 6, 2019, 1:28 pmIf I ever find out where one of these companies is based I will chain their doors shut and torch the place with EVERYONE in it!
Simon
January 8, 2020, 11:37 am…until you realise that many of the operatives are often the desperately poor from third world countries, who have no other choice but to cold call us Westerners in order to receive a pittance to try to support their families. Some of them may have already had their homes torched.
kevin
May 7, 2020, 3:11 am@ Simon i very much doubt that when they call from a call center generating £50k a month and only paying them £70 per claim on top of there basic, the money from these claims isn’t going to the customer they are KEEPING THE MONEY for themselves.. Iv investigated further and found out they have more than a few companies under their belt. including phone house company (fake Chinese mobile phone’s at extortionate prices) and the new company THE TYCOON generating from you guessed it Rawalpindi Pakistan.
Helena B
November 21, 2020, 3:34 pmThey sound very British to me!! Nothing but young,,British scammers.
Nm
November 25, 2019, 11:17 pmI received a phonecall about an accident. They told me the third party contacted them and told them. They where wasting my time so i started to waste theirs, i said yes i was in a crash cant remember the reg plates of my car or theirs. They actually told me the reg plate of my car and the reg plate of the third partys. Dont have a clue whos they are but they are someone’s as i checked an app on my phone. They also told me what date it happened and everything.
Nanjay
January 25, 2020, 10:25 ammy daughter is on my insurance had a slight touch in my car last February. My front number plate had a slight crack, no damage to other car, but she notified the insurers as we are bound to do. The calls started within 2 weeks and were unremitting. They called themselves First Response Legal. These parasites use a bank of different telephone numbers so you don’t realise until you pick up the phone. It should be made illegal. I was told by my insurers that in the wake of the “crash for cash” scams they are required by law to last all notified accidents on a national database and this is where these people get the information from. Hundreds of people have complained on loads of websites, Martin Lewis, who called me, etc.if you google First Response Legal, there is a link to a YouTube video by an actor calling himself Ben Beltane which is actually a recording of a conversation he had with them,it’s hilarious.
Desmond Abraham
November 11, 2019, 11:02 amWas recieving phone calls about so called accident I never had when will these organisations who were ringing stop their nonsense
Chris Gosling
February 25, 2020, 8:39 pmBeen receiving many of these accident claim companies. After the initial preamble I told the caller I was dead to which he repluued “may you rest in peace”. Rather funny I thought.
Finne
August 26, 2020, 5:27 pmThat’s really funny!
Bp
November 6, 2019, 12:59 pmDespite tps 01993096014 rang my number saying that I had an accident. I replied i don’t drive where did you obtain my number they went on to ask about trips and slips. Again question where was my number obtained from answer road traffic accident division my reply rubbish and repeated query promptly caused the person to hang up
Lindsey
November 7, 2019, 11:11 ami’ve had a fair amount of calls, all sounding weird and when i challenge them, they just hang up! I can’t call back or match their number to any business!
Fred
November 6, 2019, 12:23 pmIf it is a real person, I reply using a diferent language. The language need not be live or real Klingon, Sumerian etc. – or you can make something up. The stunned silence is worth the effort of learning a few phrases. I don’t get repeat calls
Mary
November 4, 2019, 10:39 amIn the space of an hour this morning I had three calls one from 001445551133611 a known scam number from Ottawa Canada. Another from 07035334570, a call centre in India and the third from 01246094782 a Chesterfield number. I didn’t answer the first two which cut off when the answerphone kicked in. I did answer the Chesterfield call as I know someone from that area. It was a young female voice who said the National Accident Centre has reported to them that I had been involved in an accident, saying “Is that right?” I told them I was registered with the TPS, to take me off their calling list and she was talking bo**ocks. I disconnected the call. I have had a few of these calls over the past month or so, they come from a UK number, often with an area code that is familiar to you to encourage you to answer the phone. The caller always ends with “Is that right?” Iagree with the other comments that something should be done to stop UK numbers being used from overseas call centres.
Bruce Stewart
October 28, 2019, 3:29 pmSo I’ve done ex directory, I’ve done TPS, I’ve reported companies to the Information Commissioners Office and you want to know the truth? It makes not one bit of difference. Someone bumped my car in a carpark, someone else (either from the insurance company or repairers) sold my contact details. Once those details are out there it’s like a virus. They get sold from one company to the next. When I ask where they got the information I’m told ‘The Road Traffic Accidents Department.’ That department doesn’t exist. And I get calls, not for weeks , not for months but for YEARS! It’s happened to me twice. Until people are jailed for this activity it won’t stop.
Johno4521
May 9, 2020, 11:35 amIf they’re not ringing from the UK, they’re not going to be worried about UK laws!
Richard
October 25, 2019, 2:29 pmI just tell them to f*** off and hang up, my theory being that I want to make their experience as unpleasant as possoble. Though if I had the time and patience I would spin out the call for as long as possible, wasting their time (as others have suggested).
Csaba
October 24, 2019, 11:12 amThese calls never going to stop. Unfortunately. But there is one thing everybody can do. You can waste their time.
This is not my method, but one of my friend’s. Tell them they are right, you have been in an accident. Then they will ask for any details regarding the accident. Then you tell them you need to find the papers with the details. Ask them to wait, then you just put the phone down and enjoy the show. Usually they wait around 10-15 minutes before they realise what is going on… 🙂
C Sellers
June 24, 2020, 9:46 pmAbsoulotely keep them waiting lwaiated for the supervisor for a while to keep them on line. When he asked me about my accident I said “ an ice cream lorrry. Hit me and nearly drowned me,! He hung up. Have some fun with these scammers !,
Richard Laughton
October 13, 2019, 2:00 amI phoned Admiral Insurance to update my payment details ready for renewal. Less than 10 minutes later I had a cold call from a company asking if I had just had a no fault accident. It was an English female, the number was 01842103414. It would seem that the numbers I am calling, or some numbers, are being logged somehow and triggering these unsolicited calls.
Simon
October 10, 2019, 6:26 pmTel number 01406 119684 called me about an accident that wasn’t my fault today.. please add to your list of nuisance numbers, Thank you
Phil Sharp
October 10, 2019, 2:12 pmyou can add this one to the list of cold callers, 01615196909 they called me this morning about accident that was not my fault, When i asked what accident they went on about national accident database as if it was gospel. I asked again which accident, wanting details since the only accident i had was over 10 years ago. The phone went dead when i wouldnt bite and give them personal details.
Daniel
August 28, 2019, 12:31 pmThe Government needs to just force ISPs to ban incoming VOIP internet-telephone calls from any international organisation. Make it so that only legitimate organisations can contact the UK and force through some legislation to make the company recognisable (i.e. not allowing fake phone numbers to be shown).
Steve
August 9, 2019, 7:36 pmPut my car for sale on gumtree 4 days ago and so far had 8 calls from these scammers, all from apparent UK numbers but from call centres in India/Pakistan. Thats 8 more calls than I have had asking about the car for sale. Do gumtree just sell these on as a matter of course or do these scammers parse the web picking up the phone numbers.??
Keith
September 13, 2019, 12:34 pmSame problem. East Europeans and Asians constantly calling. Stating various companies. All sorts of numbers, mobiles, Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds. Only happening since I advertised a car on Gumtree.
Georgia Collier
September 23, 2019, 4:21 pmSame – Gumtree advert and I have had three calls.
sue
October 24, 2019, 12:16 pmSAME!!
Never received these kind of calls before until I posted my car on Gumtree – now this is the 4th call today and it not even mid-day yet!
Emese
January 7, 2020, 4:11 pmSame here for 10 minutes at least 70calls from various companies and no they don’t understand that you never had an accident. Almost made me go crazy then I switched to Hungarian language. I think I am deleted from the system 😀
AA
August 5, 2019, 9:48 pmI keep getting these phone calls every 2-3 weeks. I told them to take me off the list. They didn’t. I told them under GDPR they have no right to have my phone number or any details in their database as I din’t gave them my consent. No effect. Told them that I’m registered with TPS so they have no right to call me. No effect. I told them I’m recording the conversation and reporting it to ICO and ActionFraud. No effect. Actually I keep reporting them to ICO, but it’s a different company name and phone number every single time, so it’s all in vain to block the numbers on my phone… I disabled (using TrueCaller) calls from unknown (withheld/private) numbers, but they mostly don’t use number blocking so they get through. If I ask them to talk to their manager, or repeat the name of their company they just hang up… So annoying.
anon
December 1, 2019, 1:56 am@AA – If you have call screening technology and a call blocker on your phone, you should be able to select ‘calls from people on your contact list only’. This blocks ALL foreign numbers that are not included on your phones contact list, (they don’t even get to ring through). You want to check your settings.
Sue
July 19, 2019, 1:59 pmI’ve started having these calls again a few hours after advertising a motor bike on Gumtree but what I wonder is, how do they make money from the calls? They ask if I’ve received my cheque for compensation from this fictitious accident so are they acting as agents for a “no win no claim” company here or do they ask for payment to release the compensation cheque or ask for your bank details. I’ve never engaged them long enough to find out, presumably one person a week falling for the scam would earn them enough to pay all their phone operators, but what is the scam?
anon
December 1, 2019, 2:03 am@Sue – I think a lot of these companies are phishing scam fronts, in that they simply want peoples details like name and address (to go with phone numbers their software generates)- they sell these details onto other unscrupulous companies. It does not really cost them money to call you, only the cost of one web subscription. They phone victims via VOIP.
C Sellers
June 25, 2020, 9:35 amAbsoulotely keep them waiting lwaiated for the supervisor for a while to keep them on line. When he asked me about my accident I said “ an ice cream lorrry. Hit me and nearly drowned me,! He hung up. Have some fun with these scammers !,
Merv
July 18, 2019, 3:18 pmI like to get past the cold calling robots to get through to a real person and let them say their bit. Once they’ve finished and ask the details of the accident, I tell them I was sat at my desk and didn’t make it to the toilet it on time. I then explain how dirty and ashamed I am.
I then go silent until they twig and put the phone down. I’m sure I’ve managed to get a laugh out of one or two of them.
Richard Yeo
July 25, 2019, 2:07 pmI had a call a moment ago. Once I said yes to the robot, the guy started talking. I said “go on then” as though to allow him an opportunity to continue. He took offence to the “go on then” remark and started arguing with me. I told him I would hunt him down and knock him out and then he almost started crying and said I was the rudest person he had ever spoken to!
Simon
July 31, 2019, 12:10 pmI just had a call myself and he was insistent that he was just confirming details at this stage, he took offense when I asked him where he was and listed a couple of Indian cities his tone when he told me he was from Pakistan made me smile!
So, I decided to comply and give him some of the details “Well if you are sure I am eligible for compensation then I would be foolish not to go ahead. So, the guy was busy waving his hands at me so he was too slow to get out of the way and I ran him over, OK I had to swerve to make sure I got him, but he really shouldn’t have been on the road. He made a real mess, I am still quite distressed thinking about it, I mean the blood is still drying on the bonnet now. I was just getting a wet cloth when you called.” He interrupted me, but I still manged to keep him on the line for over 6 minutes. He said he will call me back, bet he doesnt!
Anons
December 1, 2019, 2:12 am@Merv Y’know, people say they ‘do this and that’ when cold called… but y’know what? The employees of these dodgy companies use software to generate hundreds of calls an hour. They are literally sat there with a headset for 6 hour shifts. You think they haven’t heard every conceivable thing before? There are people on youtube regularly generating revenue through comedy vids, wasting these callers time. They dont care. While it might make you feel better, it bores them. They just want your details and are onto the next call seconds later… wasting their time is part/parcel of the job. Needs to be gov legislation against this once and for all
Dorin
July 6, 2019, 11:11 amMy problem is a little different from the rest, I’ve been involved in a real accident, it was a small accident and it wasn’t my fault. I just wanted to repair my car, the third party insurance gave me money to repair my car because they considered is no use to repair it. I repaired the car on my own, everything is fine now, but I started to received calls from solicitors to make a claim because they say that the law tells if you had an accident with more than 5 miles per hour and the cost of repairs is more than 500 pounds then you can claim money due to medical condition such like disconfort. I don’t want to harm anyone, I don’t want the insurance price for the other driver to explode and I told them that I don’t have any sort of pain from this accident but they keep going that I am entitled to make a claim and this won’t affect anyone, in fact they told me the other driver is already charged for this and if I don’t make the claim for this money, my insurance company will get this money after 1 year and a half and they will use it for marketing purpose. I need this money but I don’t want to harm anyone, could you please tell me if what they told me is true and should I go on with it or back out of this wierd situation? Thank you
admin
July 6, 2019, 2:19 pmHello Dorin, it doesn’t really matter what yarn they’re trying to spin, if you haven’t been injured then please don’t try to claim compensation for an injury because it would be fraudulent.
Dorin
July 6, 2019, 3:51 pmThat’s what I’ve told them, but it seems to get worse…on my last call I told them I will sign the papers if they add my statment “After the accident I haven’t had any sort of physical injuries or disconfort.” it seems that they calmed down for the moment…I’m a religious person with a fear of God and I don’t want to take advantage of something that it’s not true. Thank you for your answer and I hope they won’t bother me again..
Alison
August 11, 2019, 6:20 pmMy friend fell for a cold call exactly like this after they rang about 20 times. He has ended up with a bill for £2300 – please don’t believe what they tell you. It’s immoral that they prey on vulnerable people.
Pete
October 16, 2019, 8:58 pmI alternate between a high pitched scream to p••• off and asking why it took them so long to get in touch and launching into a l o n g story about travelling down the High Street in awful weather and when I came to the Zebra crossing got such a fright when a car nearly hit me and I scratched my walking stick when it fell. It’s good timing how long they stay on the line.
Sims
October 30, 2019, 11:45 pmYes you are in your right, it’s from the third party insurer and it’s your uninsured losses payment which is legally put aside in the UK whenever you are involved in an RTA, dependent on the damage to the vehicle you can claim up to 1000-5000 pounds
GUMTREE ADVERTS
July 5, 2019, 1:04 pmAll the calls i received are from posting vehicles on Gumtree i know the exact location of the call centre and also who runs it, it feels brilliant when you tell them what call centre they are calling from and then they seem to get very nervous an want to end the call, they started the company in 2012 called KAREEMIYA technologies in Rawalpindi Pakistan now there is a rival company called ACE BPO all the calls are from these call centres.
admin
July 6, 2019, 2:24 pmThanks for the insight and after doing a quick search found this review for Gumtree on Trust Pilot stating the same. https://uk.trustpilot.com/users/5b883ef34de5666d34697606
Mark
December 23, 2019, 1:06 amHi Admin after doing my own research I can now tell you they use a number spoofing app to obtain your details for the fictitious car accidents they phish (scan) on gumtree as soon as a advert shows online they pounce and bombard the caller with questions about a accident, if you swear or annoy them they will call back on your own number or ring other gumtree prospects with your number showing as person called. If you decide to get emails only on gumtree they still have accounts an will request your number to bombard you with calls (clever lil bas***ds).
https://en-gb.facebook.com/AceBPO/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Media/Kareemiya-Bpo-100252058022073/
these are the 2 main companies calling every person in the uk about a car accident and now they also call offering the latest mobile phones for a certain fee scam please be aware i don’t endorse these companies im just making the public aware about where the calls are coming from.
I have called and emailed Gumtree who don’t seem to be bothered in the slightest about what happens to their users so use at your own risk the UK public shout make a stand to get gumtree to do something about this and block people from Pakistan or India viewing the market place or place a premium number service which will cost them dearly if called from abroad.
William
March 16, 2020, 1:13 pmAs i see the review its true that call are coming from the call center based in Pakistan,Bangladesh,India and Philippines.These center are in contract with the law firms of UK.They cold call and find the people who had accident and they get commission from solicitors.As i search more about it i get software’s named as eye-beam,VoIP,X ten.They use these software and dial the numbers.They didn’t receive the data from any department they just pick random number from different selling products sites and dial them.How i get these details? I put add on gum tree of my car and i receive calls like other people i had accident but i don’t want to make claim they call me again and again one day i decided to make claim then i give my accident detail to one of the caller he is very good with me one day i asked from him how he get my number then he told me all the things.
Barbara Ellis
October 13, 2020, 5:58 pmI started advertising on Gum Tree 10 days ago and have received endless phone calls every day since, referring to my minor car accident. Which I haven’t had.
Next time, I will say ‘I’ll just go in search of paper and pen so that I can write down all your details’, then leave the phone beside the cradle whilst I make a coffee.
Or use a whistle. Or sing.
Shoeysmum
July 4, 2019, 4:42 pmI have had many of these calls and on several occasions have asked that I be removed from their database only to get another similar call within a few months. They’re always female and it sounds like a young female.
Nowadays I simply tell them to f off.
Maz
May 20, 2019, 11:54 amI had a very weird call this morning. I called a Company on my mobile phone regarding a car they were selling. An hour later I received a phone call from one of these scamming b******s, you know what I mean those that say that I had an accident. So, here’s the weird thing, when the person (Indian accent) called me, the first thing he said was “I am calling you from the claims department of Victoria Motors about the accident you have had.” This is the car Company I called an hour previously asking about a car for sale. It appears that someone is spying on my phone, or how else would they know that I called this Company an hour previously. I guess I need to do something, this is pretty worrying, but I am not sure what to do. Any suggestions?
admin
May 20, 2019, 12:54 pmHi Maz. Have you tried calling the car sales company and asking them? Not sure how the car was advertised for sale but thinking about it, it could possibly be a fake ad? It might be that somebody has set up an ad with the idea that some people enquiring about the car might be doing so because they need a new one following an accident? This might be the sole purpose of the ad, to try to get potential claimants, and there isn’t a car for sale at all. This is just an assumption though without knowing many details.
Maz
May 20, 2019, 1:03 pmThanks for your reply Admin. The car sales Company is legit, it’s not very far from where I live, they do have a legit website too. I did not look anything up on my phone whilst I was on the Internet, I used my laptop to check out their website, the only thing I did using my phone was to call them, so it must have something to do with that, but what I have no idea. I have had many calls before from these scammers about car accidents, but this is the first time they have said they are calling from someone I called on my phone. Of course I blocked their number and I have registered my number with the TPS. I am not worried about the call, I am just worried how they know where I called.
admin
May 20, 2019, 1:28 pmOk well I’m not too sure, it could be a number of things I suppose. The most obvious would be that some garages or staff will sell on peoples details, but I wouldn’t want to make accusations in your case as I doubt the Indian caller would have been told to use their name. I’m not an expert on phones but maybe you have got a “dodgy” app installed on your phone, I don’t know.
Maybe you could get a friend or use another phone to call the car company and see if it happens again.
Jake
July 27, 2019, 11:17 amit could be an unlikely but true coincidence. I have been called literally 5min ago after posting an ad on gumtree by a guy, Indian accent, stating he was calling from Victoria Motors about an accident I’ve had. So maybe you just got the Victoria Motors guy same as I did. He probably chose it because there’s at least 5 Victoria motors or similarly named legit businesses in the UK so there’s higher chances that something like your case happens and it’s going to work in their favour
Rod Tucker
May 13, 2019, 5:12 pmI just answer any unknown number as “Fraud Investigation Department”. Seems to get them off the line fairly quickly.
Mrs Mina Gourlay
May 17, 2019, 5:19 pmI love that. I’m going to try that now
Julian
April 24, 2019, 11:04 amYou’re advice above is fine where the call originates from a genuine business (where they care about getting fined etc.), but the bulk of these nuisance calls come from scammers or overseas callers and your TPS advice has no bearing at all.
In my opinion, allowing UK phone numbers to be used for these nuisance calls is an issue for Ofcom. Either ensure they cannot use UK phone numbers or (preferably) if the number is reported for nuisance calls increase the rate they have to pay to make calls to drive them out of business.
Glen
April 16, 2019, 3:02 pmi keep them on for a bit and told them i was decapitated… took one guy 45 mins… the other 20… think they know what that means now. so now i tell them i’ve been decallated (same thing ) pmsl!!
Sty
April 11, 2019, 5:08 pmRecently when I had the call, I made out my name was Prince Philip, and yes, indeed I had been involved in an accident in Balmoral, but my wife was dealing with it. I told them to contact Buckhingham Palace and speak to her. They hung up. I wonder if they did ever contact Her Majesty??
Leonora
October 11, 2019, 10:54 amHahahahahahahah that was a good one, well done
Bhurinder Singh Gill
March 29, 2019, 11:08 amgot called by 0151 022 3522…automated call…said I was 12 and could’t drive…
Tom Tom
March 13, 2019, 12:48 pmI advertised a car on Gumtree and received on average 6 calls per day from London , Manchester & mobile numbers all regarding accidents within the last 2 years. All calls came from an Indian call centre.
Peter murray
June 3, 2019, 11:12 amMy daughter was listening to me talk to someone re:an accident I had supposedly had needless to say I was spinning a tale… She thought this was such fun she wanted to be involved… Rang back the number and in a very posh voice ask to start the conversation with the gentlemans full name and date of birth which he supplied.. Still rolling on the floor laughing
John Harrison
March 6, 2019, 6:23 pmHad a call this afternoon 01170127350. Told them there had been no accident and that they were frauds. They replied that I was ” an old man and didn’t understands” Is this an admission that these callers are targeting pensioners?
Titanic Captain
March 4, 2019, 9:53 amI always say I was in an accident but I was steering ship at the time not a car. I then tell them the iceberg was totally to blame and can they please sue the iceberg for me? They usually hang up!
Leonora
October 11, 2019, 10:56 amHAHAHHAHHAHAHAHHA
Robert Miskimmin
February 16, 2019, 12:25 pmI live in Budapest and have no car. I did however get a UK sim as the data charges are cheaper. I started getting calls from the robot woman within about 24 hours of the number being activated. How do they manage it, if anything I was impressed. I have told them I live in Budapest and they apologise however I still keep getting the calls. Not impressed anymore.
Mel
February 4, 2019, 4:09 pmI just tell them Yes, I’ve been involved in an accident that wasn’t my fault, that there was a sharp bend in the road that I didn’t make, it was so sharp that it decapitated me and then I try to make a personal injury claim to have reconstructive surgery but to attach my head to a new, hot body cos frankly the old one was getting a bit flabby. Unsurprisingly the caller then hangs up on me. How rude.
Mood
February 26, 2019, 10:52 amI love it!!!
Rachel
January 29, 2019, 5:08 pmI would urge anyone that has a little spare time to most definitely engage with them for as long as possible. As whilst they are dealing with me (and getting nowhere in the end) they aren’t calling anyone else and potentially scamming them, hence making money. I enjoy playing along by pretending that I’m really pleased they called. I find the number plate of a ridiculously expensive super-car and proceed to pretend that this is the car that I had ‘my accident’ in. They sometimes sound hesitant but if you can channel your inner Oscar winner, it can be quite satisfying just knowing that they aren’t calling some unsuspecting, innocent pensioner. Enjoy and Good Luck!
Ramon
March 22, 2019, 11:12 amThis is a brilliant idea
Marek
March 30, 2019, 12:15 amExact, they usually lie from the beginning, saying that they know, that somebody had an accident. People should give them their own version, modified. They bother people with rubbish, they will get the same.
Jan pretorius
May 15, 2019, 5:01 pmJust had a call from these people/scammers on my mobile while I am in Hungary. I travel a lot and are out of the UK for most of the year. I do not own a car currently in the UK. First a British woman spoke and said she was told I was in a car accident and I was not the guilty party. When I laughed and said I never had an accident (at least in the UK) she said “hold on” and transferred me to an Indian man. I could not hear what he said and then I asked him if I could help him. He was silent. Then I said I know you are busy with a scam and I am going to give your number to the Police and I command and I order you now to never call my number again. He was silent. I repeated that and then I said goodbye and disconnected. My mobile is set to automatically records ALL calls. Even Skype and whatsapp. Let these @55holes try and call i’ll give them more of the same or if I feel like it play the fool with them, like some have already suggested, to run up their call costs. but as a precaution I have blocked both numbers which shows on my recording.
Yana
January 19, 2019, 12:39 pmI had a call from a Manchester number , but afterwards the call was redirected and I spoke with a lady from India. I didn’t have the time to play their game this time, so I started speaking to them in another language as I am fluent in another language. The lady tried to continue with her questions but she realised it is just pointless and hung up.
Tessa Coombes
January 14, 2019, 11:38 amI have had rather a lot of these accident claim calls in recent months. I used to just hang up or not answer if I didn’t recognise the number but then they just keep trying. So now my approach is to engage with them.
They usually start with the suggestion that they know I have been involved in an accident in a car registered to me and they have been informed by the Road Traffic Accident department. I usually ask them to confirm how they know this and what sort of accident. They sometimes provide a bit more information but not always. They just report they have been informed by the RTA dept.
I then answer that I don’t have a car and ask them when this was supposed to have happened. I persist with the idea that I don’t have a car therefore it couldn’t possibly be me. If they keep trying I then add that I haven’t been outside of my house for months so really couldn’t be me. I keep trying to help them and engage. Eventually they give up on the car accident idea that I, or maybe a member of my family, may have been involved in, and they move on to ask me if there is anything else they can help me with, like claims for injury within the house etc. I then sound very surprised and say – oh so this is just a cold call then?
At that point I ask them again where they are phoning from and tell them my phone is registered with the TPS and therefore they really shouldn’t be making cold calls to my number. They normally hang up then!
Alex
January 10, 2019, 10:23 amI put my cousin car for sale with my phone number on Gumtree. After 5 min I was called by 7 different numbers from other city for a accident ( they said that you have an accident. You you say that you not have car, they said maybe you was in an accident like paasanger. If you say also no, they will say: anyone from your family had a accident)
I was called after a few days also by this number
07375116110
Linda Bates
January 9, 2019, 5:34 pmNice one Leslie – ingenious. Wish I’d heard that call!
Lyn
January 9, 2019, 1:48 pmI tell them I had my head chopped off
H Dunlop
December 22, 2018, 10:49 amI had a telephone call from a lady calling from number 01140525544 stating Ihad been in a accident. I have not been in accident so obviously a scam call.
Leslie McCutcheon
December 11, 2018, 5:57 pmI’ve had the call about an accident. I knew as soon as I answered the phone. I managed to get put through to their legal adviser who noted all the accident details. It happened last Christmas eve when I was delivering gifts to my daughters house and a red vehicle pulled in front of me and braked sharply. I told them that my insurance refused to pay as the other vehicle was not insured and the driver had no licence. They asked for more details and when I explained that the vehicle was a red sleigh and the driver gave his name as Santa Claus they uttered an obscenity and hung up after almost 16 minutes.
admin
December 11, 2018, 9:44 pmThanks for the laugh, I wasn’t expecting that ending!
Dave
December 5, 2018, 12:44 pmI was called by someone from the MAC, claiming they had the details of the accident and who was involved, very clever in asking questions to fill the blank spaces they have.
Made a few erroneous statements which they then contradict, and then make statements which are both illegal practices, and also false.
Will argue and try to make their point, however, i would urge anyone that is called by a so called claims authority, regardless of them having the info, to not engage with them.
They now continue to harass me, and refuse to leave me alone.
Ian Rookledge
February 12, 2019, 2:11 pmAfter persistent calls from MAC, I asked for their postal address, when asked why? by the cold caller, I said it was because I wanted to make a formal complaint to Ofcom. He then said he would speak to his supervisor. I left the phone on speaker, but after 6 minutes the line went dead. They have not called since.
Charlie
November 24, 2018, 10:59 amIt’s always through gumtree, also I’m registered with the TPS and it makes no difference at all. I always threaten to report them but again it makes no difference. Most of these companies are from India and know that then can’t be traded so continue to make calls.
Carole B
November 14, 2018, 5:28 pmYip! Just posted an ad on Gumtree and 15 minutes later got an car accident claim phone call. Unbelievable!
gumetree
October 23, 2018, 4:44 pmJust found out that these guys got my contacts on gumetree, have posted a car for sale, and they have stored my name and phone number + rough location. Be aware what contacts do you share online.
Marek
October 18, 2018, 7:50 pmThe best protection is to ‘play their game’. If they ask you questions, give them, what they want to hear. Modify the story as you want it to be, and you will see, who will hung up first. You need to be prepared to improvise. Say, that you had an accident about a half year ago. They bumped into your car from left/right. You haven’t claimed a compensation, as you didn’t know, this was possible. If they ask about the plate number of the car of those, who bumped into you, tell them, that you have it stored somewhere. If they ask about your car, say for example, it was Trabant, plate number KRAVA10. They said, that such a number doesn’t exist. I said, that’s strange, as my car. They asked about a colour, I said green. Then they asked about injuries, I said, unfortunately I lost an arm and leg. End of the call from them. I was online over 5 min., speaking to a lady with a Southern English accent and passed over to a guy with Asian accent. This is one of the ways, you can deal with cold calls and win.
Charlie
November 24, 2018, 11:00 amSometimes by answering these calls you get a bill because they are calling from abroad
Dave
February 12, 2019, 5:07 pmYou should work for the scammers with a good story like that. Very convincing
Scott Bowers
October 3, 2018, 5:19 pmJust received a call from a robot asking me about an accident that I had been involved where I was allegedly injured, I ended the call but clearly a scam by a reinvented bent accident management company, watch out for the following number: 020 8059 2452 The scum are still out there!!
Adam Shattock
September 14, 2018, 5:28 pmPhone number spoofing should be acriminal offence with a minimum 3 months behind bars. UK needs to introduce mandatory caller ID of genuine phone numbers or not be allowed to use telecommunication networks at all.
Simon Levene
October 23, 2020, 4:08 pmThat would make cold calling one of only two offences (murder being the other) with a minimum sentence.
Russell
September 6, 2018, 3:12 amJust had a call from someone with an Indian sounding voice, he claims i had a car accident. When i said i didn’t he said sorry one of your family members had a car accident. I said no they didn’t, your a scammer you clown ! give it a rest scammer and he hung up. the phone number was 01438001000. What a Muppet, i get 3-4 a day sometimes.
Chris
September 5, 2018, 1:21 pmThe number from which they called was 0113 063 6653 about an alleged accident. The woman, ‘Tracy’ , was probably Electronic and I doubt understood what F**k Off meant?
Steve
September 1, 2018, 5:58 pmI have read most of the comments here from decent ordinary people complaining about these idiots who cold call. Of far more concern to me are the companies that do know you have had an accident. I had a minor accident in my car about 6 months ago and have been called ever since by a variety of so called legal agencies who have mostly already had my contact details (ie phone number) , the date of the accident and various other bits of the jig saw. I have never given away any information but honestly didn’t need to. So let’s not forget that the people who had our information to start with are our insurance companies. They share information on various (they claim) private databases to prevent fraud. What is clear to me is that their systems are not secure or are being milked by corrupt staff. We should turn the heat on the insurance companies as , in my view, the only real remedy to this infestation.
admin
September 1, 2018, 7:17 pmAnd many garages that repair cars that have been in an accident will also pass on details.
Steve
September 4, 2018, 11:55 pmThanks ‘Admin’ for the comment. Yes I agree the odd unscrupulous garage owner could pass on details but to feed the insatiable demand for names to be cold called I suggest that access to large databases is a more likely source.
If EVERY time we received one of these calls we reported it to our insurers on their sales line, they would soon spend so much time with their phones and staff doing ‘non sales’ work, I’m sure they would have an incentive to solve the problem.
Linda C
November 2, 2018, 9:44 pmI regularly get calls, from a machine, asking if it’s true that I was in an accident that wasn’t my fault. I usually just hang up. Today, I decided to have some fun. The following is the conversation that took place as a result.
Them: How ARE you?
Me: Not good. Lots of pain.
Them: When was your accident?
Me: What accident?
The accident you just told us you were in.
(Said v. slowly, like I’m an idiot.)
Oh, THAT accident. 2 weeks ago.
Your car reg. no. is?
I… I… I can’t think. Morphine making me v. groggy.
No problem. We can come back that later.
OK.
Can you describe your injuries?
Injuries?
From the accident.
What accident?
The accident we were just talking about.
Oh. Yes. Both my legs were terribly injured. One, so bad, the drs. decided to amputate immediately. In their rush to save me, they amputated the wrong leg.
Terrible!
Yes. All they could do then, was carry on and amputate the other leg.
Terrible!!
Yes. When I woke up, after the op. they told me I was legless. I said I am NOT, it’s the Morphine.
Terrible!!!
It gets worse. I have terrible head injuries. Right now, I’m Nil-by-Mouth, in preparation for another op. later today.
What operation?
A THR.
A Total Hip Replacement?
For head injuries!?!? Of course not!!
What operation then?
A Total Head Replacement, obviously!!
After that, the phone went dead. Some people have Nnooo sympathy,!
Dennis Christie
June 3, 2019, 12:35 pmSo true, insurance company s should be held responsible because they must be selling on the information to these people.
We hate spammers!
August 28, 2018, 5:43 pmThe latest trick from these parasites is to employ AI in the form of a female voice which says a name and goes on to ask if you have had an accident, asking when if you reply in the affirmative and then putting you through to a live person.
Unfortunately these scammers use random dialling so any sign up to opt out lists such as the telephone preference service are of no use.
Dee
August 13, 2018, 3:34 pmHad one last week. Told her that my solicitor had told me not to speak to anyone and that I was in Court next month. She apologised and said she would take me off her list – result!
The one that always flummoxes them is to ask them who they think they are speaking to as they normally wade straight into speel without saying ‘am I speaking to x’. They are baffled when asked to provide a name and the phone goes dead!
My name's not Jeff
July 17, 2018, 9:15 amThese 3 numbers called in a space of an hour today after putting an ad on gumtree to sell my old car.
0161 818 8903
07459 072588
07582 479637
All three said were from different companies don’t remember what now… but all three wanted to give me £4000 for an accident this year or last year, apparently they didn’t know the date… Needless to say I never had a car accident before…
I’ve had these callers every now and then like once a month or something… but 3 in a row in an hour!? Wow…
admin
July 17, 2018, 9:46 amThey are a nightmare, it’s about time the government banned all cold calling in my opinion. You can also visit this page on the Ofcom website for information on reporting the cold callers.
Aaran
September 11, 2018, 3:04 pmI’ve had the exact same thing, reciving a call every day since posting my car on gumtree. The thing is your details are there to be called as they’re displayed there as well as your name so there’s not muc h you can do unless you sell the car elsewhere.
Natalie
July 12, 2018, 11:11 amPlease call these accident claim people and waste their time. – 020 0869 9970. They got my details about the accident I never had from the Road Traffic Accident department
admin
July 12, 2018, 12:55 pmThanks for the comment. A lot of cold callers say they get details from the Road Traffic Accident Department, they’re just talking rubbish.
Douglas Venables
June 11, 2018, 3:55 pmI did get a call saying they knew I’d had and accident I acted all shocked and worried asking if they could see from there and then apologised for shi**ing myself and said I best go and clean myself up.
Jake
June 3, 2018, 12:02 amI waste their times and make videos about them this is the youtube link they ring as soon as you post a add on gumtree and i put on different voices to annoy them even more.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6Sk9cNHQIMXt-xubyWlKHA
Tom Quinn
May 14, 2018, 6:45 pmTo all of you wanting a way to deal with these cold callers here is an idea:
Things you will need:
1)a premium rate phone number or a non geographic phone number such as an 0871 number. The latter charges about 10 -11pence per minute from a BT landline(other networks/mobiles may vary). The owner(you)gets paid a few pence per minute. Still as far as I know legal to own 0871 numbers with revenue sharing. The law states that if a person is calling and they are not a business then you have to state the call changes etc. If they are a company then you do not.
There are many companies that sell 0871 phone numbers for a few quid and no monthly fees etc.
Method
1) record a voicemail greeting that goes like this
Hello…[pause for a moment]…hello, yes how can I help [pause…sound of screaming kids] Hang on a moment, shut the f**k up right now..don’t make me come up there. Yes you were saying….oh for the love of god{more sound of kids screaming and shouting] shut up, shut up right now I help me god I will swing for you. Sorry about that, yes you were saying…
Repeat this a couple more times before then saying
Sorry I am unable to take your call right now…if you leave your name, phone number and message after the beep I will get back to you”
Then end the recording. Then every time you have to give a company your phone number you give them that phone number. This is not illegal to do so.
Then at least you will get paid something for them phoning you and should any call be cold calling then at least you get paid a few pence per minute(depending on who you buy the phone number from).
This will soon sort the wheat from the chaff.
Plus any company that is real and above the law will not mind phoning you and will be happy to leave a message.
Then you can call them back.
Steve lythgoe
May 3, 2018, 6:19 pmJust wind them up with false info . This seems to upset them
Bill
April 3, 2018, 8:07 amGet these at least once a month sometimes. Tried warning them i’m registered with the TPS and they are breaking the law, and to take me off their call list, but still get them. Right now I just copy the number and pass it on to the TPS line and don’t answer. But there are times I have a few spare minutes and I like to troll them.
Three favourites are:
#1. THANK GOD YOU CALLED.
I let them go through their script then act all interested, then go into my Own script: “Yes, Yes. I remember the accident. I was in a great hurry, so rushed to work but I couldn’t help but think I’d forgotten something, so my mind was distracted. I’m on the motorway and I kept thinking “I’ve forgotten something. I’ve forgotten something”. I was speeding quite fast to be honest ’cause I was late, but I kept thinking “I’ve forgotten something”, I’m weaving through the traffic, overtaking everyone, and I’m still thinking “I’ve forgotten something”. Then, right before the accident happened, it HIT me. I remembered what I’d forgotten:
I Don’t Own a F#ng CAR!”
#2. YOUR CALL IS IMPORTANT TO US
This is an oldy but goody. I tell them “Thank for you for calling, but can I just get back to you in a sec?” then put the phone down, give it 10-20 seconds then say “Please stay on the line. Your scam call is important to us, and will be answered shortly.” then put it down and just walk away till they hang up.
#3. IS THIS REALLY WHAT YOU WANT TO DO WITH YOUR LIFE?
Then I sometimes like to let the caller go through the script, then say in the most sincerely sympathetic voice I can: “I understand. Things are tough and you need the money. We’ve all done shitty jobs in our lives at some point, just to make ends meet. But is This really what makes YOU happy? Do you go home at night thinking “I did a little bit of good today?” Do you wake up in the morning and you can’t wait to get to work? You can do better than this, surely. Stack shelves in Lidls for F#’s sake.”
Sarah
April 2, 2018, 8:12 pmI keep getting ‘you have been involved in an accident that wasn’t your fault is this correct’ on my mobile and I bar them immediately but still they call they are
020 6637 5788, 020 4365 6096, 020 3287 8942, 020 3318 5394, 020 7048 2371
020 3695 2901, 020 3080 1184, 020 3081 7189, 020 3066 1972, 020 0658 1888,
I have had another this evening and when I said they were breaking the law they rang off. I have others from 0151, 0121’ 0161 and 01628
serge
March 23, 2018, 4:01 pmI keep getting 2 -3 calls everyday. Now they have started to call from mobile numbers each time different mobile number e.g. 07340 497 678 / 07410 859 444.
I have signe up with TPS now.
Bob Stoker
March 13, 2018, 11:15 amI’m sick of these dozy ba**ards they seem to ring me every day. and well as you know I’m a bit of a funny bugger so I’ve started making a list of funny ways of getting rid of these idiots
I’ve literally just finished a 38-minute call with some Asian idiot trying to tell me I had broken the Internet
“Hello Sir I am talking with you today to tell you that you have broken the Internet”
Me- Don’t talk out of your a**e, I’m from the North of England we do not have the Internet we have `TINTERNET`
“You are using Windows yes”
Me- Aye, I’ve just got some new curtains though, Black Velvet really good uns
“Do you use a Windows Cleaner”
Me- Well I used to but he were a bit of a Tw** if you know what I mean so I got one of them `Window Vac` things and it’s great
By this time the guy is as confused as f*ck but he’s trying to stick to his script as much as he can
So he tries to confuse me talking about configuration and a complete load of bol**cks
“Can you be telling me sir who is being your ISP?”
Me- Whats an ISP?
“who gives you Internet O2, AOL, Sky or somebody else”
Me sounding Pi*sed off Nah listen, pal, I’ve told you before I DO NOT HAVE INTERNET I HAVE TINTERNET!
“Can you be telling me who is providing your Tinternet”
Yes sure mate, it’s Peter Kay
They hung up, no fun some folk
Nick
October 18, 2018, 1:23 pmUnfortunately I can’t do like you🤣🤣🤣. Just give them a screaming f*** off and they hang out
kay
March 10, 2018, 1:12 amPlay these idiots for the fools they are ! I just had one call, and played along with it, just to waste his time. Not sure how these people are getting my phone number. Have had quite a few this year, all with foreign accents!
Bob Stoker
March 13, 2018, 11:18 amBut But it is simple sir, I am telling you it is phishing scam.
they try and reel you in
By the way sir about you accident……………………….
Jay
March 9, 2018, 6:25 pmPlease please call this number and waist their time 02036870743
I wasted 2 hours of their time and told them to call back for my reg plate number up on which i gave the P15S 0FF. LMAOOOO
Stuart Dowding
March 9, 2018, 11:32 amI have received, over the past 4/5 years about 100 calls asking if I am “Craig Bennett” and how much I can claim for “my (non existent) accident”
I have tried every answer available from :-
Send the cheque, – always about £1500.
You are a criminal organisation ,
I am not Craig Bennett,
I am Craig Bennett.
I am watching your relatives – take care – I have k*lled before.
And one which really stumps them
Yes I died in the accident!!
All claim to be “Very responsible legal firms and all ring from different numbers
Recently (last fortnight) 0141 289 0795 x 3 times and 0161 354 0717 x 2 times
Dated 9 March 2018
Laura
March 8, 2018, 5:57 pmDid they call you by your name? That is scary. Can they get access to your details? One thing is your number but your name…that completely freaks me out.
ML
March 1, 2018, 11:15 pmI used to get these calls several times per week. Then I resorted to siging opera to them with my worst and loudest voice. Another time I place the phone on the windows sill as a police car was driVing past with the siren.
They never called back!!!!
CB
February 27, 2018, 10:12 amThey called yesterday from 020 5585 85 81 around afternoon, asking me to give them information regarding my recent car accident. I didnt had a recent car accident. I lied though and said yes i had an accident and when I was asked when, I said you already know the date I had the accident since you called me about my accident. They realised I was mocking them and they hung up. Never ever answer number you dont recognise! So annoying and dangerous!
Derek Newlands
March 1, 2018, 6:48 pmI get them every other week and find great pleasure in wasting their time as they do mine. After dragging out their phonecall for a ten minutes I then went on to tell them someone crashed into me and knocked me off the white cliffs of Dover, was anyone injured yes all 8 passengers had died. Did you suffer any injuries yes I was decapitated…….. Haha. Another time I told them I lost all limbs and couldn’t make love to my fiancée anymore and she’s taking up with the neighbour while I lie awake in the next room every evening haven to listen to her haha 😂
Derek Newlands
March 1, 2018, 6:52 pmOh and when they asked the car I was driving told them it was a pink cadilac, couldn’t remember the reg plate being an import. When asked insurance company I said shiela’ wheels haha idiots
Jim
February 26, 2018, 4:15 pmJust had a call on mobile and land line apparently from the accident advice centre.
03332121935
Katherine
February 19, 2018, 5:16 pmI just had one of these calls, asking if I had been involved in an accident in the last three years. Phone number showing was 020 5262 5981. I told then to take my number of their list and to stop calling people to take advantage of them. Eventually she hung up on me.
admin
February 19, 2018, 6:12 pmThank you for your comment Katherine. May I ask if you’re here again what the company were called that they were supposedly calling from if they stated it?
yin
February 22, 2018, 5:31 pmyes i had the same 02054749430 call me and said i was involved in accident recently. They did not give their company details and hang up.
Luke
January 24, 2018, 1:30 pmAlways answer to em and troll them….. ha ha ha they always hang up
Troll
February 22, 2018, 12:31 pmThat`s what I do all the time, especially if the call me when I`m bored. I just say complete nonsense for 5-10 minutes until they run out of patience 😀 😀
Scamtroller
February 22, 2018, 8:18 pmI did exactly that today! Told them I had amnesia after my accident and couldn’t remember much except it was about 6 months ago. Waffled on for a bit to string them along… Scammer eventually said how I could be so sure it was 6 months ago. I replied “how can you be sure I had an accident….” Phone went dead!
Del
January 18, 2018, 7:50 pmI answer the phone to these so called scammers,let them say there bit and reply by saying,I can’t drive a car and never been in an accident because I have no arms and legs.
To which they are either shocked and just hang up or they apologise and say they will remove me from there list.Try it!
Nour Sidhoum
February 20, 2018, 12:04 pmhahahahahaaaaaa.. I wish I had thought of that before
Linda
January 15, 2018, 1:19 pmI have been having these calls for a while, but only 1 or 2 a month, today I have had 2 calls, one saying they are from CAB the other from the RTA claims people, neither of these organisations would cold call, and I tell them so, they quickly hang up, I have just tried to register with TPS using the link and it says it’s not a safe site, it also has no padlock on the URL so I haven’t followed this through, is there another safe way to register, my OH never gets these calls on his mobile.
admin
January 15, 2018, 2:13 pmIs this the url you went to? http://www.tpsonline.org.uk/tps/index.html as it seems maybe you tried to go to the https version? I’ll briefly explain a bit about http and https below. Anyway if you search for “TPS protect app” you can download their app onto your phone (depending on what phone you have of course). The are a couple of different versions so if your phone is Android you can download it from Google Play store or the Apple store if it’s an iOS device like an iPhone. I’ll add the links in to the article.
Just to add briefly so as not to bore anybody too much and maybe put your mind at ease, the TPS website won’t show a padlock on the above url as it starts with http. Websites that start with https (like ours) should have the padlock showing if they have SSL installed (encryption), but the TPS website hasn’t. although you can still access both versions (http and https). This doesn’t mean the TPS website is not a safe site to visit, it simply means at the moment it’s not using encryption. About half of websites currently still don’t have SSL installed (such as the Channel 4 website as an example) as basically encryption hasn’t been seen as necessary for most websites except those sharing sensitive data, performing online transactions such as shopping, online banking, etc. More sites are installing SSL now though mainly because Google are pushing for it.
Netty
January 11, 2018, 1:24 pmI started getting these calls the day after I advertised my car on Gumtree … funny that (!)
Am I missing the point but I cant seem to work out what they hope to get out of it?
The most annoying thing is that they can hardly string a sentence of English together and usually start the call with “good morning ma’am” ….. aaarrrgh!
I have tried blocking the numbers but they just use a different one the next time.
I’ve tried confronting them, disconnecting them, going along with it for a while and even being abusive, none of which work.
My advice: don’t put your number on Gumtree!!
admin
January 11, 2018, 1:56 pmThere’s a comment from about 6 months ago regarding Gumtree and the same issue so it seems not posting your phone number on Gumtree (or anywhere else online) would be sound advice. As for what they get out of it, it’s likely your number has been sold or distributed to multiple people who might use it for whatever purpose they can unfortunately.
Eddie
December 22, 2017, 4:04 pmI have had 2 today, I go along with them but give no details and then start to add in juicy bits like I was with a married lady and needed discretion etc I go on the fact the longer I keep them on the line the fewer calls they can make lol, first time I said I ran in to a lamp post, when they asked what car I was driving I told them no i was running and I thought they were the insurers of the lamp post lol
Lynette Wood
December 15, 2017, 9:58 amI’ve been plagued all this week from different companies saying they received information from the road traffic accident department regarding an accident that I was involved in , totally untrue. I just received another call from an 020 39364511 number regarding the same issue.
This cold calling should be made illegal. I requested that they remove my name from their marketing list .
admin
December 15, 2017, 3:36 pmThere are possible changes coming into effect in 2018 (MP’s are going to examine the plans further) for personal injury claims involving soft tissue injuries, or in other words whiplash to try to deter fraudulent or exaggerated claims. Although it will mean lower compensation payouts for genuine claimants in many cases, and some might not even bother claiming at all, it should help make it less appealing to cold callers as the amount of money involved won’t be worth their “effort”. Even so, holiday illness claims are already another avenue they are exploiting. As for cold calling being made illegal the government may yet still ban it. Although this article doesn’t relate specifically to personal injury cold calls they may still be included.
Raffiq
December 7, 2017, 9:37 amJust received a call from a alleged company called Pronto (number: 020 8144 6830) asking if I could confirm having a car accident. When I queried where the caller had obtained my number from, he claimed it was from a company called “Road Traffic Accident Department” which every organisation in the UK could contact. When I questioned him further, he just hung up!
Joanne
December 5, 2017, 12:12 amThis morning I received yet another call on my landline from someone saying that “someone on this number has had a car accident in the last few months”. The callers number is 07 3040 6782 (Brisbane Queensland). I don’t know what they are trying to achieve, however be very aware and do not give any personal information to the caller, not even your name.
admin
December 5, 2017, 10:57 amSo you get the same problems in Australia then by the sounds of it? Thanks for the comment and good advice.
Eileen Robinson
November 30, 2017, 3:21 pmMy husband had an accident 2 years ago which was not his fault. He was not injured and signed the accident form with his insurers to that effect. We were then plagued with calls to make a claim, 3-5 calls a day, every day. I tried reporting them, we told them this was fraud and we did not want to claim but still they kept calling. Tried blocking the calls as well. Eventually a Northern gentleman called and told my husband the only way to stop the calls was to make a claim. All else had failed so my husband agreed. He told the sales guy on the phone, the investigator who came to our home, the solicitor and the doctor who examined him that he was not injured. They all ignored him and still processed a claim. The solicitors, Amanda Cunliffe have ignored emails and still held the case open. The 3 year claim deadline is looming and Amanda Cunliffe want final confirmation. Once again we told them in writing that no injury and was hassled into this. They have responded that if the insurance does not cover their fees we may be liable. If Amanda Cunliffe were to try and recover their costs from us personally what would be their chances?
admin
November 30, 2017, 3:42 pmUnfortunately we can’t comment on claims cases that are being dealt with by another solicitor. However this page on the SRA website may be of some use to you.
Eileen Robinson
November 30, 2017, 4:39 pmThank you
Barrie Jackson
November 30, 2017, 11:15 amI keep getting calls on my mobile from quite a few different numbers. Telling me they understand I have been involved in an accident that was not my fault. I have not been involved in any accidents at all. Are these calls legal if they are they shouldn’t be apart from blocking the numbers, is there anywhere I can report them to that will take some sort of action against them
admin
November 30, 2017, 11:55 amYes they are legal, at the moment at least. You can visit the TPS website and report the number to them. If it’s a reputable company, or if you ask who they are and they’re honest with you then you should ask them to take you off of any contact list you might be on.
J
November 23, 2017, 2:39 pmIve just received a call from a Three mobile number and a company called – M.A.C the gentleman said his name was Micheal – I asked who was MAC, he said ” Motor Accident Centre” Ive never heard of it and asked why he was calling me. He said that I’m due 2,000 from Tesco Insurance after my car accident earlier on in the year. He said he just needed me to understand the procedure and that a cheque would be sent to me over the next 6-12 weeks, saying he would put paperwork in the post to me that would arrive on Monday. He had all my details and said that my Insurance company had passed them on. I didn’t believe him and told him to call me back. Ive looked for MAC on the web and there is no information on them. How annoying that they can try and manipulate you. Ive blocked his number so that he can’t call back.
admin
November 23, 2017, 3:21 pmThese cold callers usually have some name or other they use which has nothing to do with who they really are. If you have had an accident then I expect they would have got your details from somebody. Some companies such as taxi firms or repair garages have an “arrangement” with these people where they’ll sell a persons details if somebody has been involved in an accident. You’ll likely receive more calls from different numbers if something like this has happened. I had somebody drive into me earlier in the year which I had to claim for (not injury) and I get phone calls every so often from some “company” or another informing me it’s about the accident I had. Instead of wasting time with them I just say it’s all sorted and hang up, then block the number. Doesn’t prevent others from ringing though.
Edna
November 22, 2017, 4:02 pmI have just taken a call telling me I have had an accident in the last 3 years but gave no company name I questioned where he got this info and he said the accident depart moment London. He was going to hang up when I asked him what info he had about me and this accident. He got very abusive calling me aF*****g sl*t b*tch” for not I I would really like to know what info they have or have they just picked a number out at random? 01067664212 was the number that called me
admin
November 22, 2017, 4:18 pmSaying he got the information from the accident department London? means he’s just lying. Whoever they are they’re most likely randomly calling numbers on the off chance that some people will have had an accident. Where they’ve got your number from is really anybody’s guess unfortunately. As for the number he called from this page gives a bit of information on it, some of which I’ve pasted below.
Edna
November 22, 2017, 4:30 pmHe was not English so not sure if he was ringing from abroad. My concern is he may have my details and address. This is quite worrying
admin
November 22, 2017, 5:07 pmI’d be quite confident it was from a call centre abroad somewhere such as India. I sometimes get calls from similar numbers claiming there is a problem with my router, which is a common scam and I just hang up the phone. I wouldn’t be concerned about it myself but if you are worried that they may have other information about you then you could always call Action Fraud (the UK’s national fraud and cyber crime reporting centre) on 0300 123 2040. They may be able to address your concerns and put your mind at rest
Edna
November 22, 2017, 5:45 pmThank you so much. You have really helped put my mind at ease
john
November 6, 2017, 10:12 amHi my worry is that iv not had an accident at all ,so where do they get this wrong information from and will it effect my car insurance premiums .cheers.
admin
November 6, 2017, 10:30 amIt won’t affect your premium if you haven’t had an accident. Depending on whether or not it was an actual person that spoke to you and if they called you by your name would maybe determine where they got your phone number. They may just have a program that generates mobile phone numbers that are then automatically dialled, hoping on the off chance that you have had an accident. On the other hand they could have bought your number from someone, or scraped it from the web as seems what probably what happened to John further down the page.
D
October 21, 2017, 2:33 pmI just report them by texting. at 7726.
admin
October 21, 2017, 3:39 pmThanks D, that’s one thing he haven’t mentioned (regarding spam texts) in our article, we’ll update it to include some info on that as well.
Malcolm Stewart
October 18, 2017, 2:02 pmI love making up stories about my fictitious accident,usually involving an animal like a cow or an Elk with gigantic antlers.It’s great fun letting my imagination run riot for 5 minutes or so until they eventually put down the phone.One of them recently,after a particularly involved tale involving the local Morris Dancing Troupe and a dog called Hector running amok on the dashboard,eventually had the brass neck to say,”Why are you wasting my time in this way?” Priceless!
David
October 25, 2017, 11:15 amOmg that is Gold! I just tried to do something similar but didn’t make it that far. I hate how they just hang up with no comment when they catch on.
Elle
October 11, 2017, 11:24 amSo, it’s not a scam call but really desperate cold call which surprisingly many people receive regularly, that’s all I wanted to know. I usually say to the caller ” No that’s not true.” And the callers always apologise but hung up in quite blunt manners as if they has no time to waste. Yesterday I said ” Yes!! That’s true! Wow! How did you ever know about my horrible accident!?” Instead to a poor caller and demanded her to let me know who had told her the information about my ” accident” before moving onto the details, she confidently said to me a name of an organisation like National Car Accidents something Control? Agency?? …. something I never heard. I said ” Ah! Great network! I watched BBC programme about it and…”. The caller suddenly hung up. My husband cheered me for wasting her precious time and my son was really annoyed with me for teasing a possible criminal. I just tried to find out who they are and how this possible scam works by stretching the conversation and see how they react. I wasted my time too.
I have never been involved in a car accident.
James daly
September 20, 2017, 1:02 pmJust tell them it’s sorted and hang up, then block the number if poss.
Stephen Kerr
July 29, 2017, 12:54 pmI usually just ask them for details of the accident because “I had a few” and they just hang up
John
July 6, 2017, 7:53 pmJust posted an add on gumtree and left my NEW PHONE NUMBER THAT NOBODY KNOWS, as a contact. After one minute I got a call from a guy asking me about an accident and he said that he has the number from the national survey database( or something like that). So gumtree sells your info without your consent. F***ing idiots!!!
admin
July 6, 2017, 8:45 pmThanks for the comment John. I haven’t used gumtree myself before but just had a quick look and it appears you can just click a button to reveal the phone number on the adverts. Rather than gumtree selling your number I suspect somebody is just collecting phone numbers from the ads and then selling them on.
Regarding the national survey database I’ve copied this straight from the government website – “Claims management companies may ‘cold call’ people saying that they have records that you were in an accident. They claim to have got your information from the national road accident database or a governmental body. This is not correct. There is no national database of accidents with names, telephone numbers and addresses. Government departments do not hold any of this information and they would not supply it to anyone under any circumstances.” You can read it for yourself here.
Iosif Mut
July 25, 2017, 6:03 pmit is very True what Admin said to you. You can find easy the phone number from GumTree. But I’m sure the GumTree website do not sell them.
Angela
June 27, 2017, 11:46 amJust say i dont drive and dont own a car. Than they ask has anyone in the family been in a accident. Again i say nobody has a car in my family. They then hang up
Andrew
June 1, 2017, 6:31 pmI get loads of calls every week regarding an accident I had last year when we ran over a deer. They have all of our details – date, registration no etc – but obviously know nothing of the actual accident since they start by telling me the third party has made a provision for personal accident claims. Obviously subscribe to a database of insurance claims. I am on TPS. I have tried complaining but TPS are not interested unless you have (a) the number you were called by and (b) the registered owner of that number. Since the criminals use internet proxies and never give out their true details – just fake names like “Accident Insurance Experts” the TPS instantly dismiss the claim, even if I recorded the number. TPS offers no protection whatsoever. Total waste of time.
Vicky
May 31, 2017, 5:39 pmVery interesting, given I keep getting calls from “Harcourt” claiming I’ve had a car accident that’s not my fault. I’ve repeatedly told them I don’t have a car and haven’t had an accident and not to call me. They don’t seem to understand this and just repeat their script. I’ve even started blocking the numbers on my phone and now they’re calling me from withheld numbers. Tearing my hair out.
admin
May 31, 2017, 6:17 pmHello Vicky. If you visit this page of the Information Commissioners Office website you’ll then be able to choose an option which is best suited to report your complaint. If you’ve had to block numbers then it should be straight forward for them to track the numbers down to whoever it is calling you. I’m not sure who Harcourt are but it’s not unusual for suspect marketing companies to use fake or generic names when calling people because most of us will usually search either the callers phone number or if they’re hiding it, the name they’ve used and naturally assume it is the first match we come across and make a complaint to them.
Unfortunately some companies that use cold calling know all of the tricks in the book in avoiding any comeback on their end.
Claire
May 24, 2017, 2:02 pmHi my husband just had a cold call about an accident he had sometime in the last 2 years. The call was from accident claim advice. He asked for details and she said they didn’t have any details. Could not say where, when or details of the car . He has not had an accident in the last 10 years, let alone the last 2. Funny how you say above you don’t cold call, but Michelle just has.
admin
May 24, 2017, 2:50 pmHello Claire. I apologise if we called you incorrectly. I would like to reiterate however that we do not cold call, but unfortunately sometimes we do have people filling in Call Back forms with incorrect information. This can be either as they’ve entered a digit incorrectly, someone thinking it’s funny as a “prank” on a friend by providing their details, or just because they have nothing better to do. Any forms filled in however also record the visitors ip address so when this does happen we can ban the ip address from the website and we can also contact their Internet Service Provider or proxy service provider, VPN etc (if they’re trying to hide their ip address) with the recorded ip address and take legal action if necessary. Apologies again.
Alvaro
May 5, 2017, 7:09 pmI received a call yesterday and the woman in the phone told me “we’ve been told that you’ve had a car accident ” and I responded,”who told you that, please give me name, surname and contact details ” and the woman in the phone immediately hanged up… Try this…
Colin
May 5, 2017, 3:46 pmI have recently had a minor accident on my motorcycle with no third party involved . Although it was a minor accident there was substantial damage to the the bike resulting in having to make a claim . A week after making the claim I am getting plagued by these company’s where did the get my number and how did they find out I had an accident ? The only people involved are myself and my insurance broker . Can I find out ?
admin
May 5, 2017, 4:41 pmHello Colin. This sounds like a case of ambulance chasing. An article you might find useful that will help explain your predicament can be found here. Although you say only yourself and your insurance broker are involved is it possible your motorcycle was recovered by a recovery company, is it being repaired in a local garage? Although we are not making any assumptions here it is not uncommon for businesses such as these and others to have arrangements in place where the details of “crash victims” are sold on to various parties. As for finding out who it was that is likely to be difficult. Unless you ask who you think it might be and they are honest with you and admit it I wouldn’t get my hopes up. I’m assuming they’re withholding their phone number?
Karl
March 9, 2017, 12:30 pmI got a plan. Just waste as much of their time as you possibly can. Make up a fake name (make it dirty or insulting) and for your bank account use the digits 968-273-2-2868 which if you look at your phone it spells out you-are-a-****. The longer you keep them on the less people they get to scam.
admin
March 19, 2017, 2:25 pmWasting these nuisance callers time in an option of course, if you want to do that.
I used to waste the time of callers claiming our router was being hacked and the computer was at risk, by playing along with them for a while, or leaving the phone off the hook while they were waiting for me to come back from answering “a knock at the door”. Now if I ever answer the call and it’s a scammer I just hang up the phone rather than waste my time.
Carol
March 8, 2017, 5:44 pmI had a call recently with a woman on the other end of the phone asking me about a car accident I had recently. I told her I hadn’t been in a car accident, then there was a slight pause and she asked the question again. I told her again I hadn’t been in a car accident, and then another slight pause and she said something like sorry… I can’t remember the rest as I just put the phone down but I thought the pauses were a bit strange. When I searched the phone number it is apparently an automated call, but was fairly convincing. I read somewhere about these kind of automated calls being used for voice recognition. So if you answer a question with the word “yes” the scammers can then use your voice for authorizing things like credit card charges. So beware!
admin
March 8, 2017, 9:59 pmThanks for the comment Carol, and the warning, and yes I have also heard of that scam. Some information on it can be found here although doing a quick search will result in many more news stories about it mainly from the US, but we will no doubt hear more about it in the UK given time.
admin
January 1, 2017, 3:42 pmHappy new year to you Geoff. Unfortunately as with most things in life there is always going to be those that play by the rules and those that don’t. As for what you say about pretending you have been injured we have suggested a similar approach to a few people that have complained to ourselves, incorrectly believing we have cold called them. One tactic these “companies” employ is to use a generic company name when ringing people such as accident claims solicitors, accident claims lawyers, accident claims advice, etc. Unfortunately some people just search the name on the Internet and assume it’s the first result they come across.
Possibly the only quick way to find out who the nuisance caller is if they aren’t displaying a phone number would be to “play along” as you suggest, and then once you get called back by the actual lawyer/ solicitor etc that the nuisance caller has passed your details on to then you can complain to them and even take it further if you need to.
Have a great day.
Rather Not Day
June 15, 2017, 12:02 pmYou are vile parasites. Calling people on the pretence of an accident report. You give abuse to disabled, mock callers whilst benefitting from the vulnerable. I have today contacted the police about one of your call handlers and constant barrage of calls. I have also contacted trading standards and will be contacting media / watchdog / ombudsman to harass you the way you do others. Disgraceful. Shame On You
admin
June 18, 2017, 2:16 pmThanks for your comment but I’ll reiterate once again, we NEVER cold call. Any advice we provide is to people that have contacted us. Any claims we take on are from clients who have contacted us, and in fact we are very ANTI cold calling.
Geoff
January 1, 2017, 12:52 pmOne thing I done in the past when the person called me from a private number was to go along with them and pretend I did get injured in an accident.When I got called back by the lawyer who had been passed my details then I kicked off at them about their snide tactics.Turned out it weren’t the lawyers company themselves but a marketing company they was using but whatever at the end of the day the lawyer shouldn’t be using companies like that and then plead ignorance.