There I was bevering away, working at home when my landline rang. Now the only person who regularly calls me on the house phone is my mum, my friends get in touch via my mobile or e-mail. I was, however logged into my office phone (the wonders of modern technology)! So concluded it was, in all probability one of my colleagues calling. I therefore answered the phone and engaged in a conversation which went something like this:
Me, “Hello”.
Indian sounding gentleman, “I am calling from the TPS (it may have been CPS), you have reported receiving nuisance calls, is that right?”
Me, “How did you get this number?” (I am x directory meaning that my number is unlisted).
Indian gentleman, “I asked the first question”.
Me struggling not to give vent to a string of expletives, “I didn’t ask you to call, good afternoon” and, with a flick of my finger I ended the call.
In the UK we have the Telephone Preference Service (TPS) with which people can register not to receive marketing and unsolicited calls, free of charge. However the TPS will never call people out of the blue so, quite obviously the caller was not from the TPS.
On checking the number of the so-called TPS 007771002981 was displayed. I Googled the number which brought up links to sites on which angry recipients of calls from the above number vented their spleen (see, for example the following link http://uk.whocalledme.com/PhoneNumber/07771002981). It appears from this and other examples that the company (which is not the legitimate TPS which performs an invaluable function in preventing nuisance calls) is misleading people into thinking that it is the TPS and attempting to get the recipients of their cold calls to part with money for a call blocking machine. Ironic that a company marketing a call blocker should, itself engage in cold calling! With a bit of luck Wednesday’s unsolicited call will be the last I hear from 007771002981. I am, however not holding my breath on that score.
K Morris - Poet 
What an awful scam! I can’t imagine how my elderly father in law would have coped with that. He’d have probably paid. Bastards.
Thanks for your comment. Yes it is worrying how elderly or confused individuals might react (for example by providing their card details) and either receiving a product which doesn’t work or having their account emptied. Having said that many older people possess all their faculties while some young people are incredibly gullible. By the way can I interest you in my scheme for extracting moon dust. I am establishing a plant which will bottle and sell this beautiful product. Its a highly lucrative enterprise and I would strongly advise you to invest now before the price of the shares go through the roof. Payment in a plain brown envelope to: Dodgy Enterprises Ltd, PO Box 222, Panama
Oh, well I don’t know anything about stocks and shares but you sound like you do, so I better get me some of that there moon dust – how exciting, thank you! Yeah, my 74 year old Mam now just says “Oh, piss off.” to them before slamming the phone down. She keeps being sent post for funereal arrangements/life insurance saying things like ‘Do you love your family? If so…’ endorsed by Michael bloody Parkinson!
Yes those kind of circulars/junk mail are extremely annoying. There is something called the mail preference service or Mailing Preference Service with which people can register to avoid the majority of unsolicited mailings. Since I registered the quantity of junk mail falling through my letter box has gone down dramatically and I would certainly recommend registering to anyone who is experiencing problems. Great news about your donation to the K Morris Drinking Fund (sorry I mean to the moon dust bottling plant)!
But that donation came out of my drinking fund! Yes, they’ve done that 3 times so now it’s just the spam with smiley trustworthy Parky on the front. Hmm.
Oh my goodness! We have a registry that acts as the same thing here in the U.S. However, some calls still get through and I’ve gotten in an argument with one person before. I feel your pain on that one.
Have there been any prosecutions of such callers in the States? There have been some in the UK but as many companies are based abroad in places such as India it isn’t easy to take action against them. Thanks for your comment
As far as I know, no prosecutions have been issued to anyone or any company violating the registry here. It’s almost no legal recourse of them violating it, but as the consumer, you basically have to take them to court on your own dime and fight it that way.