Dear friends of tellows,

with September just beginning, a lot of you have had busy telephone lines and rather than receiving pleasant calls from friends or family, a lot of you were bothered yet again dubious phone calls. The following numbers are the 5 worst offenders of the first week of September:

1. 01234567890 with 3 comments and 2768 search requests. tellows Score: 6
2. 08000641087 with 9 comments and 9519 search requests. tellows Score: 6
3. 08448471424 with 3 comments and 4294 search requests. tellows Score: 4
4. 01914326538 with 3 comments and 2422 search requests. tellows Score: 6
5. 01592642600 with 3 comments and 2963 search requests. tellows Score: 8

The most wanted of the week, number 01234567890 from Bedford, has made monthly appearances on the list since August and always ranked on first place. According to the overall consensus of our users, this number is used for a scam to gain access to the recipient’s computer by claiming it has been infected by a virus.

An even more notorious “guest” on our list, the number 08000641087 has been occupying the second place almost continously for the past two months. Calling frequently without leaving a message, the identity of the caller has remained a mystery to our users. However, some have shared their theories who might be behind the persistent calls:

This number called 5 times but leave any message; surely it is up to something bad. I dont how it had number but I have two theories. Either from ITV after submitting an answer to a competition or moneysupermarket.com after buying insurance, the only two companies I have recently given my number.

Our third place this week, telephone number 08448471424, has been first reported two years ago. With an overall tellows score of 4 and ratings ranging from 1 (reliable) to 8 (not trustworthy), the trustworthiness of the number has been the subject of some discussion. User mandeee stated:

This is the o2 collections department for overdue accounts. It’s an automated service, though, and will harass you for up to 24 hours AFTER you pay the bill. Trustworthy, but a nuisance, too.

A complete newbie to the list, number 01914326538 ranks on our fourth place and in spite of a score of 6, most users seem to consider it untrustworthy. Whereas some suspected a debt collection company behind the calls, user Concerned commented:

The above number called twice today, I did not recognise it nor did I answer it. I did, however call them back, the receiver was picked up for about 1-2 seconds then hung up with no communication. I was not impressed or appeased by this response so have been left suspicious of their intentions

Ranking on our fifth and final place this week, the telephone number 01592642600 is another newcomer to the list even though it has been active for quite a while and with a tellows score of 8, is not exactly deemed trustworthy. While some have marked the calls originating from Kirkcaldy as aggressive advertising, other users suggested that the number was used for investigations regarding tax fraud.

If you have further information on this or any other number that appears to be making dubious phone calls, you are more than welcome to contribute to our tellows community and exchange details about telephone numbers and callers with other users. Other than that, have a nice and hopefully peaceful weekend.

Your tellows team

Dear friends of tellows,

with another busy week of nuisance calls behind us, we have a new list of the most wanted numbers to share with you.

1. 01704515444 with 7 comments and 3060 search requests. tellows Score: 7
2. 08000641087 with 9 comments and 9390 search requests. tellows Score: 6
3. 01614867770 with 15 comments and 9205 search requests. tellows Score: 7
4. 01143072000 with 15 comments and 7973 search requests. tellows Score: 7
5. 01616528220 with 6 comments and 2628 search requests. tellows Score: 7

Our first number, 01704515444, holds a tellows score of 7. With calls originating from Southport, a yet to be identified caller has phoned a lot of our users at sometimes even unsociable hours, asking for an unknown person. User Sally voiced concern regarding the intentions and possible costs of the calls:

This number called at 09.19 this morning. When I answered I could hear a ringing tone. A man answered and said that he was looking for Mr and Mrs Smith and apologised for ringing wrong number!? In light of ringing tone, wondering if I’ll be charged for the phone call!

Another unknown caller is phoning from our second number, 08000641087. Keeping people’s phone line’s busy with frequent calls at all hours, the number is rated untrustworthy by most of our users, especially since the caller leaves no messages.

Our third number of the week – 01614867770 – is highly disputed, with scores ranking from 1 (very trustworthy) to 9 (untrustworthy) constituting an overall tellows score of 7 – thus being considered as rather suspicious. However, Contact Centre Manager, apparently in representation of the possible caller, stated:

Action Assistance work in conjunction with numerous key household named Insurers and Insurance brokers and we provide a variety of services including niche insurance and motor management services. We are independent advisors and we are normally prompted to call when the Insurers believe that their clients may not have received all that they are entitled to following an accident.

Ranking on our fourth place this week, the number 01143072000 from Sheffield calls people even outside the country and across the pond, sometimes even trying to reach people in the US or Turkey. Operating similiarly to our number 2, the caller rings frequently but won’t leave a message. User Luke commented:

Based on the experiences of previous posters, this is a pest call. I have had several calls from this number every day since I arrived in the USA. I never answer unknown numbers, I google them instead. How do they know I am in the USA? Orange must have told them. Or maybe one of the USA carriers I’ve connected to? Not pleased.

Last but not least our fifth number, 01616528220, calls from Manchester and is deemed untrustworthy with a tellows score of 7. While the overall consensus of our users’ comments seems to agree with that notion, suggestions and suspicions regarding who might be calling and why seem to differ. User Fed Up wrote:

This is another company I believe to be cold calling for money management they area a nuisance with constant phone calls. It is time theses people were put out of business

One way to take on nuisance callers and dubious numbers is to report them on tellows and share your expierences with them. That way, other people can be warned against possible spam and scam calls and the various methods and strategies of scammers can be documented and exposed. So don’t hesitate to our tellows community and have a nice weekend.

Your tellows team

Dear friends of tellows,

as another week of nuisance calls is advancing, we have another list of the top 5 offenders. While some of the usual suspects have been reclaiming their place, we have also some new entries for you – some of which have been internationally active. Let’s have a look at this week’s most searched for numbers:

1. 01234567890 with 3 comments and 2607 search requests. tellows Score: 6
2. 08000641087 with 9 comments and 9216 search requests. tellows Score: 6
3. 01143072406 with 5 comments and 4363 search requests. tellows Score: 7
4. 02078909051 with 3 comments and 2003 search requests. tellows Score: 8
5. 02078909052 with 9 comments and 3637 search requests. tellows Score: 7

Ranking on the first place, American number 01234567890 from Bedford, Massachusetts first made an appearance on this list a month ago and has since continued to occupy people. According to some of your comments, the caller tries to gain information and access to your computer. User Shamim commented:

[…] I already knew it was a scam so i had a little fun asking them questions. Then i asked her if she even knew the name of my computer and she said “yes” so i asked, “what is the name then?” and she just hang up. Then when i tried calling the number, it apparently did not exist. I message for these silly fraudsters please learn the fact that the people of England are not stupid. We do realise that the World Wide Web would defnitely not have its company in City Airport and will not give someone as stupid as yourself its vacancies.

Calling from a freephone number, 08000641087 is our second number of this week’s entry and remains somewhat of a mystery in spite of the frequent search requests of our users. All that our users do know for certain is that the number appears to be rather suspicious, calling frequently but never leaving a message.

Our third number, 01143072406, is no stranger to our weekly top 5 as well. According to our users, the caller is claiming to be calling for British Gas and offers free insulations – raising suspicions among some of you. Commentator Sean, however, makes another suggestion:

they call on behalf of other companies, to get removed from their calling list email your name and phone number along with a compalint to, [email protected] also ask to be added to their do not call list.

With a score of 8, our fourth number, 02078909051, is deemed a rather untrustworthy number by most of you. While some were asked by the caller to participate in a survey, user guest had another expierence:

had over the last days many calls from them, they just don’t give up, they say they are calling on behalf of a consumer customer service, when I asked which one, they did not want to say and said that I would have to identify myself first. I told them if you don’t tell me for which service this allegedly is, I don’t tell you who I am.

Last, but not least is this week’s number 5: 02078909052. Calling every day of the week at unsociable hours, the calls are mostly considered nuisance and have even bothered users from Norway as well as the USA. Julia commented:

I was called at an unsociable hour (8pm), they wanted to know if I was happy with my bank. I said I wasn’t interested and hung up. I don’t know how they got my number as I am ex-directory. I was very annoyed at the time they chose to call.

Have a nice and nuisance call-free week (but if you don’t, please don’t hesitate to share any information on nuisance callers with our tellows community)!

Your tellows team

Dear friends of tellows,

it is time for our weekly update on the top 5 most wanted numbers on tellows. This week’s numbers cover a broad spectrum of unsolicited call methods including silent calls and cold calls as well as surveys and telemarketing. But have a look yourself:

1. 01415676218 with 11 comments and 4233 search requests. tellows Score: 7
2. 01616528220 with 6 comments and 2493 search requests. tellows Score: 7
3. 01133902114 with 3 comments and 3232 search requests. tellows Score: 7
4. 01383620466 with 7 comments and 1767 search requests. tellows Score: 7
5. 08453130337 with 14 comments and 6318 search requests. tellows Score: 6

This week’s number one, 01415676218, is persistently bothering people with what appears to be silent calls. User Samantha has offered a plan to put a stop to the unsolicited calls:

I started answering, they still call every day and I swear at them. I have put in a report to TPS, I advise everyone else to as well.

Our second number, 01616528220, is calling from Manchester and – with a tellows score of 7 – has been rated untrustworthy by most of our users. While some reported that the caller is asking for an unknown person by name, others have made the experience that the caller gives out false information. Rosalind commented:

Sophie rang said they had been INFORMED I had been refused a loan! This is completely UNTRUE but I am concerned – where did they get this information from? Immediately I questioned the source of the information she hung up.

Meanwhile, the level of trustworthiness of our third place, number 01133902114 is rather debated. All commentators seem to be sure, however, that the number from Leeds belongs to a digital communications company. With a score of 7, the number 01383620466 ranking on our fourth place, is yet another untrustworthy number. Whereas the caller left some of our users dubious messages on the answering machine, others have been complaining about silent calls. User D Williamson suggested:

Despite having complained to C R Smith – Gerard Eadie – these silent nuisance calls continue. A second report has been sent to OFCOM. Perhaps C R Smith should be handed a £90000 fine as was given to D M Designs recently.

The last number for today, 08453130337, apparently calls people to conduct a survey. As several commentators mentioned the same company as their telephone provider, some suspect that there might be a connection between the unwanted calls and the provider. cQueen shared some other suspicions:

Number keeps calling me. havent answered it but have looked online adn seems to be a marketing company. VERY annoying

As always we like to remind you that if you have any information about dubious numbers please don’t hesitate to share them with our tellows community! Thanks to the knowledge our users have volunteered a lot of people were able to avoid scam and spam callers, so keep up the good work and have a nice, spam-free weekend!

Your tellows team

Dear friends of tellows,

these past few days have been rather busy for some of you. Having received unsolicited calls, our users have been frequently visiting tellows in search for the people responsible. While there might not always be an answer to that, we hereby provide you the top 5 most wanted numbers of the week:

1. 08003289393 with 1 comments and 3267 search requests. tellows Score: 2
2. 08000641087 with 9 comments and 8981 search requests. tellows Score: 6
3. 01143072406 with 5 comments and 4205 search requests. tellows Score: 7
4. 01782747000 with 4 comments and 2387 search requests. tellows Score: 5
5. 08451110202 with 6 comments and 2746 search requests. tellows Score: 6

A newcomer to our list, the number 08003289393 has been classified by users as trustworthy and unlikely to make nuisance calls. No such luck with the number placing second. For over a month now, the number 08000641087 is persistently ranking on the top spots of our top 5. Unable to return the call, most of our users are hesitant to pick up the phone. Just a few days ago, user EVE commented:

This number has rung my mother several times over the past few days,no ideas who its from because theres no message and you cant ring it back.

Returning from obscurity, the number 01143072406 makes a comeback after dropping from the top 5 nearly a year ago. Apparently posing as staff member of British Gas, the caller offers free or low-priced services for car owners. User James expressed his suspicion:

They offered me free insulation and wanted to send an engineer over. It sounded like a scam! I’m sure it is!!

Our forth place, the number 01782747000 has been reported as telemarketer by most users and its trustworthiness is highly disputed, even though the majority is bothered by the calls advertising bath lifts. Decktod wrote:

Yet another unwanted call which I choose to answer – I have no need of their services so why do they pester me

Another telemarketing company seems to be calling from the number 08451110202, which marks the final number of today’s post. With just a few words, user James sums up the gist of most comments:

Rang and left no message yet another nuisance

As you can see, nuisance callers have been quite busy as well. If you experience any unwanted or suspicious calls by strange numbers, don’t hesitate to share your information on tellows and help others to avoid possible scam artists. Take care and have a good, spam-free week!

Your tellows team

Dear tellows friends,

another week, another series of nuisance calls. The fact that summer is at its height and people would like to think about other things than a ringing telephone doesn’t defy constant telephone-spammers. We present to you the top 5 most searched for numbers of the past few days:

1. 01234567890 with 3 comments and 2372 search requests. tellows Score: 6
2. 08000641087 with 7 comments and 8745 search requests. tellows Score: 5
3. 01656838051 with 0 comments and 289 search requests. tellows Score: 5
4. 02078909052 with 7 comments and 3230 search requests. tellows Score: 7
5. 02077850257 with 1 comments and 1336 search requests. tellows Score: 5

Ranking on the first place is number 01234567890, which appears to be used for computer scams. User David explained in his comment how the caller tries to gain access to the user’s PC:

Caller spoke very broken English and gave a very English name (who was he kidding!!) Claimed to be from a tech company that had picked up indications that my computer was not operating properly. Wanted me to go to my PC and give him control to fix the problem. Clear scam so i told him to go away and get an honest job. Beware.

While the number 08000641087 that places second raised user’s suspicions with frequent calls, so far no one has any further details on the number. However, user Joe has some theories:

This number called 5 times but leave any message; surely it is up to something bad. I dont how it had number but I have two theories. Either from ITV after submitting an answer to a competition or moneysupermarket.com after buying insurance, the only two companies I have recently given my number.

In spite of rising interest in number 01656838051, users have yet to share any experiences with it. In contrast, our users offer differing information on number 02078909052. Several report that they have been receiving unwanted calls even with ex-directory numbers. Fed Up wrote:

This company makes nuisance calls purporting to act for various companies – including MY bank! They call at unsocial hours and on Sundays. They should be stopped!

Quite a few users were also occupied by place 5, number 02077850257. User Chris commented:

They say that they are payday uk. They asking me about my loan and want to sell me repayment options. I told them that I don’t want to buy anything and that asked them to remove my number from their system.

If you receive any nuisance calls these days, please don’t hesitate to share your knowledge on tellows! Many users have benefited from the comments of others and could save a lot of time and energy by simply looking up a suspicious number on our site. Take care and stay scam- and spam-free!

Your tellows team

Dear tellows friends!

Finally we manage to give you an update on the recently most annoying numbers on tellows.co.uk. Most of the numbers of todays ranking will still be impenetrable afterward, but see it for yourself!

1. 08000641087 with 7 comments and 8433 search requests. tellows Score: 5
2. 01925555601 with 5 comments and 2962 search requests. tellows Score: 8
3. 08003160492 with 1 comments and 828 search requests. tellows Score: 6
4. 02078909052 with 7 comments and 3005 search requests. tellows Score: 7
5. 02084336082 with 2 comments and 714 search requests. tellows Score: 8

The tellows community is quite unsure about the source of number 1. A lot of people got called, but no one answered the phone. Calling back was not working at all. Joe reports:

This number called 5 times but leave any message; surely it is up to something bad. I dont how it had number but I have two theories. Either from ITV after submitting an answer to a competition or moneysupermarket.com after buying insurance, the only two companies I have recently given my number.

His two options might be good hints for someone else, who also got called and now sees a connection. Do not hesitate to share your experience on 08000641087 as well! Another conclusion about the source if this number can be made be looking at a comment on the German tellows website of this number, Lee Mollins tells us:

It’s a firm called LBM marketing and they appear to work on behalf of several of the networks – including O2, Orange

The case is pretty similar with number 2 of this weeks most annoying numbers. Although we registered 2962 search requests, there are not much comments that tell more about the origin of 01925555601. A lot of times, no one answered or the phone was put down. While Ryan says:

sounded like the guy off fonejacker persistant in offering me upgrades rolling contract says hes from O2 then from Carphone none of which have ever rung me off a Warrington number… avoid

River has a different explanation:

they called me today and said i qualified for a new handset- it is being delivered to my work tomorrow. It’s Carphone Warehouse whom I have a contract with. Nonetheless it sounded a little too dodgy for me.

Either way, there is no solid conclusion what this number is about. Still, most of the users rated this number as untrustworthy.

Also number 4 02078909052 is a quite mysterious number, the suspected owner ranges from staff of “carglass”, service providers for several banks and even members of the department of education. What is clear, there is no serious intention behind these calls. Kathleen sums up, what a lot of other users might also think:

I am really fed up with these type of constant calls, I am ex-directory and with the Telephone Preference Service I have complained about this number to Ofcom and will keep doing this every time I get these unwanted calls. It’s about time the government did something about this constant harassment.

We always want to provide you with a lot of information regarding nuisance and spam callers, but as a matter of fact, you, the community of tellows, is needed for it! Through commenting and sharing experience others will be encouraged to talk as well, or even take action against scammers and spammers. This week we come to realize, that it is sometimes hard to get the needed information, which makes cooperating much more essential.

Stay tuned

your tellows team!