COMREG, the Office of Data Protection Commissioner and telephone operators have been urged to take action against the proliferation of phone scammers.
An elderly local couple told Northside People how they’ve been pestered by the nuisance calls, while a prominent Northside TD’s Dail office has also been targeted.
Jemima (80) and Victor Fyfe (81), from Shanard Road, Santry, revealed that they were suddenly inundated with calls from the scammers.
It began last Monday, October 29, when the couple received seven phone calls from scammers on that day alone.
Over the course of the week, the couple received 10 further calls from unknown and blocked numbers, a situation they found distressing and frustrating.
“The calls started on the Monday with someone with a foreign accent saying they wanted to refund me money on my insurance,
? said Jemima.
“I don’t have any insurance like that so I just told them I wasn’t interested and hung up.
“The next call was someone offering to repair our computer even though we don’t even have a computer.
“I told them we are old age pensioners and didn’t have a computer before I hung up again but the calls kept coming.
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The savvy couple knew from the first call that the scammers were intent on getting their personal details from them.
“Now I don’t even give them a chance to speak before I tell them I’m not interested and hang up,
? Jemima explained.
“I’d say they are probably trying to engage us in conversation so that we’ll tell them our personal details but we wouldn’t fall for that. We might be in our 80s but we’re not stupid.
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Victor described how he and his wife reached the point where they were almost afraid to answer the phone.
“They must have a battery of phone calls that they make all day long and whoever answers they try to see if they can con them into revealing their bank details or something,
? he said.
“We’re just fed up with the calls now and we don’t want to take the phone off the hook because our children call to see how we are.
“Surely someone must be able to investigate the origins of these calls to prevent others being bombarded like we have been.
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Meanwhile, Dublin North West TD Roisin Shortall (Lab) has also been subjected to the scammers’ calls.
“I have been contacted by constituents who have recently started receiving repeat, automated telephone calls, often with no person at the end of the line,
? she told Northside People.
“For example, my Dáil office has repeatedly received such calls over the last week.
“I understand that there are also persistent phone calls from people claiming to be from a bank.
“The advice provided by financial institutions is to be very cautious responding to unsolicited phone calls from a financial institution.
“The reality is that certain sections of society are very vulnerable to being taken in by plausible and persistent phone calls looking for personal financial information.
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Deputy Shortall has urged ComReg, the Data Protection Commissioner and telephone operators to take action against the recent spate of calls in order to protect vulnerable groups.
A spokesperson for ComReg (Commission for Communications Regulation) directed those concerned about cold calls to their consumer advice website www.askcomreg.ie.
Homeowners who have a fixed landline and do not want direct marketing companies to call are advised to contact the company from which the line is rented.
The Office of Data Protection Commissioner has overall responsibility in relation to the enforcement and regulation of autodiallers and direct marketing. Consent to receive this type of marketing is required.