How to change phone number

[dmg1234]

Hello,

I wonder if someone could tell me how to change a phone number please?

I'm asking for a relative (with their permission) who is being bombarded with scam phone calls, and sadly has been a victim of these fraudsters in the past.

We have looked into the call blockers, but the extent of the problem means they are not a sufficient solution.

Thank you,

dmg1234

[Keith_Beddoe]

@dmg1234 

Welcome to this user forum for BT Retail phone and broadband customers.

This is just a customer to customer help forum, everyone here, including myself, are just customers.

The only BT Employees are the forum moderators.

Try calling 0330 1234 150 and ask for a new number, there will be a charge for this.

Changing the landline number will not help, as all numbers suffer from the same issue.

You will never block calls by simply blocking a number, as scammers do not use the same number again.

What they need to use is a call blocking phone like the BT4600. This only allows selected number to get straight through, all others have to announce themselves first, scammers never do that as they use automatic call software.

https://www.bt.com/help/user-guides/phones/landline-phones/cordless-phones-with-answer-machine/bt460...

The BT4600 phone will block all scam caller and only allow numbers through that are stored in the phone`s directory. Other callers will be asked to announce themselves first, or can be just sent to answerphone.

[-Richie-]

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@Keith_Beddoewrote:
Try calling 0330 1234 150 and ask for a new number, there will be a charge for this.

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There won't be a charge, if a customer asks for a new number due to scam or harassment calls, BT will not charge a customer for it.

[dmg1234]

Thank you @-Richie- , I appreciate your help.

@Keith_Beddoe I can confidently say, you don't know what you are talking about.  Long term scams do use the same number repeatedly, those who are scammed more than once are known to be vulnerable and are repeatedly targeted.  I've seen you post this before, please stop it, I'm sure you mean well but you're not helping.

[Keith_Beddoe]

@dmg1234 

I suspect it will not be long before any new issued number gets scam calls. The only way to prevent this is to only allow specific incoming numbers, i.e. a "whitelist" I think you will find plenty of other forum member that will say the same thing.

I have a blocking phone, and I can still list the incoming calls that do not get through, and they are very rarely the same number.

See how things go once you get the new number.

[allanraymond]

I get the impression scammers don't use the same number other than for a burst of calls over a couple of days.

Whenever I get a scam call I search the "Who called etc listings" and generally it only shows the number supposedly from the caller has only been reported within the last day or. If they were using the same number the reports would go back further than a couple of days.

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-telecoms-and-internet/advice-for-consumers/scams/phone-spoof-scam

[Keith_Beddoe]

Which is why its impossible to block scam calls unless people implement a "whitelist" of numbers that they always want to receive calls from, and forcing others to announce themselves, or send them to answering machine.

Scammers to not manually make these calls, they are computer generated, and only get directed to a live person, if the call is answered by the recipient.

[WSH]

I just let the answer phone answer it.    In my experience scammers never leave a meassage, they just hang up.  If someone starts leaving a message and it sounds legit I can then pick up and take over the call.

[Keith_Beddoe]

Its better just not to hear the phone ringing if its not someone you want to hear from.

I leave my BT4600 in "announce" mode, but have only had one call from a person who was not in my phone directory, but should have been.

I can see a list of "missed" calls and have looked a few up, and they have appeared on scam lists. Occasionally is a company who has mis-dialled a couple of local numbers very similar to mine.