[WXC/VFX] Caller ID 0000 (which is -ALWAYS- Australian scammers) is no longer blocked?

Forums › One New Zealand (including Vodafone, WxC, Farmside) › [WXC/VFX] Caller ID 0000 (which is -ALWAYS- Australian scammers) is no longer blocked?

zcat

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#36536 27-Jun-2009 16:13

A long time ago (before I joined World Exchange) I was getting several calls a month which showed up as 000 in caller ID and were without exception always attempts to get my credit card by telling me that I had won a holiday in Australia.

At the time I switched World Exchange were blocking such calls, which I was very pleased about. It was a significant factor in my decision to switch to world exchange rather than any other provider.

Today I got a 0000 call, and then a few minutes later they called again. It was someone in Australia trying to tell me I had won a cut price holiday. I asked them for their company name and contact phone number which they refused to give me, and after making it clear that the call wasn't going any further until I had it they hung up.

What's the deal here? I've just called the helpdesk and they say there's no more information than I already have. The call can't be traced and it's a 'legitimate' international call so isn't being blocked.

I am really pissed off about this.

If it doesn't have a valid number that I can phone back and shout at then I DO NOT WANT my phone to ring. End of story.

Someone please make this happen.

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#228796 27-Jun-2009 16:22

Get the advanced feature set, then you can send to VM or block any type of call you like.
As a general rule, they cannot block 0000 calls, as these can be legit calls from various carriers. 0000 usually means "unknown caller" rather than call ID blocked, or fake call ID. WxC have & may block calls from known illegitimate sources, but cannot block without good reason.

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zcat

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#228798 27-Jun-2009 16:30

I'm giving them a good reason. I don't want any calls unless they come with a valid phone number in caller ID that I can ring back. At the time I signed up with world exchange that seemed to be what I was getting, my scam calls went from several a month to none in the entire time up to now.

What changed? You could block them before.

zcat

11 posts

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#228801 27-Jun-2009 16:46

related thread?

http://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=65&topicid=26335

coffeebaron

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#228803 27-Jun-2009 17:01

http://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=65&topicid=26335#165824

This was not a 0000 number they blocked.

If there is an issue, you need to contact WxC and ask them to investigate.

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zcat

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#228808 27-Jun-2009 17:10

I did. They've investigated as far as they can apparently.

Surely it's possible to include these 0000 calls in the 'blocked caller ID' option, or perhaps add another similar option for blocking any call that doesn't have a valid number in caller ID. Then it's up to me to decide if I want them blocked or not.

Were they once blocking these calls or was it just a coincidence that my 0000 calls completely stopped for this long after I switched to World Exchange?

coffeebaron

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#228811 27-Jun-2009 17:16

zcat: I did. They've investigated as far as they can apparently.

Surely it's possible to include these 0000 calls in the 'blocked caller ID' option, or perhaps add another similar option for blocking any call that doesn't have a valid number in caller ID. Then it's up to me to decide if I want them blocked or not.

Were they once blocking these calls or was it just a coincidence that my 0000 calls completely stopped for this long after I switched to World Exchange?

As mentioned, if you add the advanced feature set, then you can control such calls.

Probably just coincidence 0000 calls stopped when you joined WxC. It is of course possible that they did have a block on some known "nuisance" carrier originated calls - that could have come through as 0000. Most likely scenario is the spammers have switch to another carrier to originate their calls now.

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zcat

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#228813 27-Jun-2009 17:20

I could block it in the settings for my ATA too, if I wasn't locked out of it!

I don't really feel like paying anything extra. I think I'll continue to try and trick them into giving me contact details and/or wasting as much of their time as humanly possible. Perhaps they'll get the hint and add me to a "not worth the effort" list.

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old3eyes

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#228828 27-Jun-2009 18:36

Didn't Telecom start this 0000 CLID crap back in the 1990s when CLID was first launched. Something to do with privacy and the like and people in NZ could ad a code in front of the number dialed so could block CLID but intl callers could not and therefore may not want their CLID passed on to NZ customers. These days I've noticed more intl calls coming in with CLID . Guess they don't come thru Telecom's intl gateway

Regards,

Old3eyes

zcat

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#228834 27-Jun-2009 19:30

Exactly my point. As near as I can tell 0000 is the international version of "P" which is what gets sent when callers inside NZ block their caller ID. I've got the option to block P calls, and I'd really, really like it if xnet please expand that to include 0000 calls as well.

Niel

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#228922 28-Jun-2009 13:18

Try http://www.dontcall.co.nz/ which resulted in a significant drop in calls we received. AU also has such a database. And if they still call, then tell them you are on the Don;t Call register and they are breaching some kind of legislation (make up a story if you have to).

VFX has it's own number range assigned to it. If you port your land line number to VFX then the VFX number remains active. So you might have to register both numbers on Don't Call.

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bjhoogs

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#228953 28-Jun-2009 15:02

zcat:

I don't really feel like paying anything extra. I think I'll continue to try and trick them into giving me contact details and/or wasting as much of their time as humanly possible. Perhaps they'll get the hint and add me to a "not worth the effort" list.

Ask them if they are interested in saving money on their home heating bills.

zcat

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#228974 28-Jun-2009 17:12

I've decided that next time I'm going to sound very interested, but also I'll do a hell of a lot of very long pauses and keep asking them to repeat things. When it comes to credit card details I think I left it out in the car, and I'll leave them on hold for a good 15 or twenty minutes while I 'go find it' .. If they're still there after that I'll give them random digits and act confused about what number they wanted until they give up. I ought to be able to waste at least a half hour of their time.

Niel

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#229008 28-Jun-2009 19:32

When someone phones to ask for money my wife speaks in a quiet voice with a bit of a shiver saying that her husband has very tight control of the money and she is not allowed to give any. She goes on to say that she has to go as her husband is about to come home and then dinner needs to be ready. Works every time.

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exportgoldman

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#229149 29-Jun-2009 11:13

If I get really annoying spam callers and they keep calling, after asking them not too then I take it as open game and try and cram in as many offensive words as possible before they hang up :)

You can get quite creative, but the trick is to not stall, otherwise they have a chance to break in or hang up quickly and your stuck at a low number :(

My records five insults before hangup, what can you do? Of course it's unfair to start with insults, you have to be nice first and ask them not to call first phone call.

It may not stop them from calling sometimes, but it usually does when nice words don't, and it certainly makes it less fustrating e I don't mind them calling so much if I can have some fun.

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tonyhughes

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#229166 29-Jun-2009 12:19

I often get legitimate 0000 calls.

Your provider appears to have the ability to block these calls, as part of an advanced feature set - use this feature set, and blammo - your problem is gone.

Or use Asterisk/Trixbox ?

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