A 0333 or 0800 number has rung several times this week. Sometimes there is a recorded message, sometimes silence, and once a friendly caller said they were from Virgin Media with a discount on your account. Before you pick up again, it helps to know what these numbers are and what other people have heard on them.
Who calls from 0333 numbers?
Numbers starting 03 are non-geographic, so they are not tied to a town or region. Banks, energy suppliers, councils, charities and plenty of call centres use them because one number can ring anywhere in the country. According to Ofcom, an 03 number costs no more to call than an ordinary 01 or 02 landline, and it counts towards the inclusive minutes on your mobile or landline plan.
So a 0333 number says very little by itself. It could be your bank's fraud team or a sales floor. What matters is what the caller says and what they ask you to do.
What people report about 03333440000
03333440000 has 37 comments on UnknownDial. Users describe a recorded message about an SMS message that "can't be recovered". Several were rung early, one at 7.15am and another at 8.45am on a Sunday. Others answered to silence.
One commenter counted nine calls in two weeks, with the number still getting through a call blocker. Nobody in the comments identifies a company behind the calls. A recording that will not say who is calling gives you no reason to press keys or ring back. If one blocking method misses it, block the number in your phone's own settings as well.
Why does an 0800 number keep calling me?
080 numbers are free to call from both landlines and mobiles, which is why companies print them on bills and adverts. Many firms also use them for outgoing sales calls. A freephone number on your screen is therefore usually a business, though it says nothing about whether it is one you deal with.
08000445265 shows how wearing this can get. Users report two or three calls a day and say no message is ever left. If a number rings that often without leaving a voicemail, you lose nothing by blocking it. Calling back costs nothing either, as it is an 080 number, but you would then be talking to a cold caller on their terms.
Would Virgin Media call me?
It can. Like most broadband and mobile providers, Virgin Media makes sales calls to customers, and not every call using its name is a scam. One commenter said they phoned Virgin Media and were told that 08001836412 belongs to its sales department.
The difficulty is that the same pitch is easy to copy. On 08001836409, users report a caller saying their account had been "selected" for a discount, then asking for the first line of their address. One person stopped the call there, which was sensible: a provider that is really calling you already has your address. Another commenter warned that upgrade offers made on these calls can tie customers into a longer contract than they expected, so ask to see the terms in writing before agreeing to anything.
The consumer group Which? has reported fake discount calls using the O2 and Virgin Media names that ask customers for a one-time passcode. That code is sent to your phone to prove that you are the one logging in or approving a change. Reading it out hands that approval to whoever is on the other end.
How to check whether a sales call is genuine
- Say you will call back, hang up and ring the number on your bill or in the provider's app. If the offer is real, the customer team can find it on your account.
- Do not confirm your address, date of birth or account number to someone who rang you. The caller should be the one proving who they are.
- Never read out a code that arrives by text during or after a call, whatever reason you are given.
- Treat deadlines with suspicion. An offer that "ends today" is a pressure tactic used by pushy sellers and fraudsters alike.
I gave details or a passcode. What now?
Contact the provider straight away on its official number. Explain what happened and ask it to check your account for anything you did not authorise, such as a new order, an upgrade or a replacement SIM. Change your account password, and any other password that is the same.
If you shared card or bank details, call your bank's fraud team using the number on your card, or dial 159. If you lost money, report it to Report Fraud at reportfraud.police.uk or on 0300 123 2040, or to Police Scotland on 101 if you live in Scotland.
If all you gave was the first line of your address, there is no need for drastic steps. Be more guarded on the next call, because a scammer who has part of your address may use it to sound convincing.
Stopping the calls
On an iPhone, tap the info icon next to the number in Recents and block it. On Android, press and hold the number in your call log and pick Block. If you are a customer of the firm that keeps ringing, telling it directly that you want no more marketing calls is often the quickest fix, and it gives you something to point to if the calls continue.
Persistent sales calls you have not agreed to can be reported to the ICO through its ICO nuisance calls form. And when a new 03 or 080 number appears, search it on UnknownDial first to see whether others have already worked out who is behind it.