Have I been scammed? premium phone line call back?

[Huggers]

I've had a very odd answer phone message- the person knew my name (I'm not in the directory but my name is on the answer machine though in my husband's voice...duh!)and said she was Jamie's big sister (someone Ive never heard of) and that we'd had a conversation and been cut off and if I needed to discuss her brother further to ring back. No number left.

Like an idiot I did a 1471/3 as I assumed it might be the school or something who had rung wrong parent, and got an anonymous answering machine. Then I actually listened to 1471 and the bit I hadn't listened to before, which was 'to return this call, press 3, there is a charge for this service'.

I have googled the code and it is a landline but a virgin one, so not attached to specific location.

The message was vague enough for me to be really curious and then wondering if someone else in my family had been impersonating me!

has anyone else had anything like this? Obviously I dont want to ring again...but I originally left a message saying I didnt know what they were talking about, so if genuine would realize mistake. aaagh.

[womanofdulwich]

there is always a charge for pressing 3 and call back service-if that helps?

[Huggers]

is there? I've only heard that message attached to certain numbers?

[mima08]

Hi - it sounds odd, but I believe it's actually using the 1471/3 service that has a charge attached to it - regardless of who you are phoning. Maybe the sister of a kid in your kids class?

[Huggers]

well this is what I wondered....and what got my paranoia going but I haven't spoken to this person before like they say we have 'just had a conversation and got cut off.' Surely you would leave your number on an answerphone?

if it was a premium number you probably wouldnt check if you just used the 1471/3 service.

the way she started by saying 'i believe I am speaking to Huggers Name (mispronounced, so maybe she didnt have that much time to write it down) blah blah' ....sounded very odd, and as I say, the name could have been picked up from the answerphone message,

although the number itself doesnt appear in the directory of market cold call spammers, the 0207 450 prefix is a common denominator to all of them.

p.s. edited to add, my children are teenagers, where from all paranoia comes.

[womanofdulwich]

I ALWAYS do -1471 and write the number down. If I don't recognize it I google it- ( sad aren't I ?)- but it works ( no PPI claims here!)

[Sue]

womanofdulwich Wrote:

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> I ALWAYS do -1471 and write the number down. If I

> don't recognize it I google it- ( sad aren't I ?)-

> but it works ( no PPI claims here!)

xxxxxxxx

So do I!

But I never answer my landline any more because of the number of spam calls I get, despite supposedly being TPS blah blah.

If I'm in, I wait for my answering machine to kick in. If a caller is genuine, they will usually start to leave a message and I can intercept it.

Googling the 1471 number usually identifies the caller as flogging - yes, PPI "refunds" or something equally unwanted ....

[Huggers]

I am now thinking maybe the call was for Thomas the Apostle school which has a similar number to mine, (we've been rung before by mistake) and the 'i think Ive been talking to Huggers and we got cut off' was her not knowing who she had just been talking to at the school and so assuming it was the female name on the answer machine...

[Drxyster]

The 1471 service is free, however if you initiate the call back number this will cost 5 pence.

[HonaloochieB]

Huggers Wrote:

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> I am now thinking maybe the call was for Thomas

> the Apostle school which has a similar number to

> mine, (we've been rung before by mistake) and the

> 'i think Ive been talking to Huggers and we got

> cut off' was her not knowing who she had just been

> talking to at the school and so assuming it was

> the female name on the answer machine...

No, Huggers, I doubt that'd be the case. Remain sceptical just to be on the safe side.

[giggirl]

Hello Huggers. I think you're over-thinking it. Back in the old days, we would have called it a "wrong number" and moved on. But, as the Hooch has alluded to, just because you're being paranoid it doesn't mean that they aren't out to get you. Stay vigilant.