Cold calls from 01234567890?

[Cormoran]

I had an unusual number, 01234567890, call me several times over the past week and I have ignored it. This morning I answered it to find out just what was going on.

I was greeted by name and he introduced himself as 'Dave', with an indian continent accent I doubt if this was his name. (No kid!!!!!) I asked about his company and where they were situated and much to my surprise, unlike many other cold callers, he was quite forthcoming. The telecoms company he represented was;

Microtalk UK Ltd
Gormley House
Waxlow Road
London
NW10 7NU

Customer Service
0800 814 4404
(Monday-Friday 9:00AM-5:00PM, except Bank Holidays)

E-mail: customerservices@microtalk.co.uk

I checked out www.whocallsme.com and found posts for this number going back to June 2008 with various different companies ( http://whocallsme.com/Phone-Number.aspx/01234567890 ). I googled the number and come up with this, by coincidence, dated June 2008;

Communications watchdogs have today been pressed by MPs to investigate a new service that allows people to fool caller ID systems into displaying a fake number, amid fears it will be abused by ID fraudsters and other conmen.
It's thought such trickery is currently legal in the UK. The Liberal Democrats have called on regulators to act however, claiming the availablity of such services in the UK could make it even easier to fleece the public and invade privacy.
So-called caller ID spoofing services have been available in the US for several years. Now, a new firm named Spookcall is bringing the controversial practice to the UK with the tagline "be anyone you want to be".
Ofcom has not responded to requests for comment on the launch.
Spookcall works for landlines, mobiles and VoIP calls. Such services have been used in the US by private investigators, direct marketeers, prank callers, voicemail hackers and phone phishers. More benign uses such as allowing call centre workers to work from home are also common.

OFCOM must have realised that this service would be abused, and it seems it has been?

[El Gringo]

a little background on who

http://www.skillstudio.co.uk/feedback/index.htm

“A good selection of activities, good speed and information”
Paul Havel, Microtalk UK Ltd (FPS Aug 09)

http://uk.linkedin.com/pub/paul-havel/11/912/946

Paul Havel

at MTN Group plc
London, United Kingdom

http://www.mtnetworks.co.uk/

Gormley House
Waxlow Road
London
NW10 7NU

and yes....who on earth can see any real legitimate purpose for CLI number spoofing?

[Cormoran]

I have received the standard reply to my complaint to the TPS.

I often wonder why these bodies exsist! What have they said? What are they going to do? What can they do?

Not a lot!!!!

Then again I got the reply I expected......

.................................................. .................................................. ....


Dear Cormoran

Thank you for your recent communication about the unsolicited direct marketing telephone call you received on your Telephone Preference Service registered number.
Unsolicited telephone calls are covered by the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003 which are enforced by the Information Commissioner's Office. The attached fact sheet briefly explains what the law says.
We will now contact the company that called you to ask them to investigate your complaint. We will also tell them to suppress your number so that they do not call you again. The calls should stop within 28 days.
But in the unlikely event that we are unable to resolve your complaint and the organisation does not stop making unsolicited telesales calls to your TPS or CTPS registered number, you should let us know by completing the complaint form online at www.tpsonline.org.uk.
We will check your complaint against any response we have received from the organisation that is calling you and consider how best to resolve this matter. This may involve referring your complaint to the Information Commissioner's Office (the organisation which enforces the law on unsolicited direct marketing). Please see the attached fact sheet for further information.
Thank you again for bringing this matter to our attention. We work closely with the ICO and the information you have provided will help us and them identify those organisations which are persistently making these types of calls and take action where appropriate.

Yours faithfully,
Team Leader
Telephone Preference Service