How do I manage nuisance calls?

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Please be aware that scammers are calling customers claiming to be from TalkTalk, including automated calls advising you to press one. TalkTalk DO NOT make automated calls, it’s a scam. Our free calling feature CallSafe can stop unwanted calls.  To switch it on simply dial 1472 on your home phone.

If you've become the victim of constant marketing phone campaigns or the target of a malicious caller, this guide can help. You should also activate CallSafe, it's free to all TalkTalk customers and it helps prevent nuisance calls.

 About CallSafe

Using CallSafe

there are three common types of nuisance calls

Unwanted sales and marketing calls

Sales calls come in a variety of ways including recorded messages, a salesman or even silent calls. 

Scam calls

Scam calls are calls from fraudsters tricking you into believing you're speaking with a trusted company.

Malicious calls

Malicious calls are calls that contain obscene suggestions, abusive language or even personal threats.

Unwanted sales and marketing calls 

 There are three common types of sales and marketing calls that people receive:

Live sales calls

Live sales calls sell or promote a product or service. You’re likely to receive these from companies you regularly deal with, but they can also be cold calls. While companies are allowed to make these calls, they must stop if you ask them to. 

Recorded messages

Recorded messages are calls not made by an operator. Instead, you hear a recorded message. These aren’t usually made by the company advertised, but rather by an organisation who will then sell the information. You should not be receiving recorded messages unless you have given prior permission. 

Silent or abandoned calls

Silent or abandoned calls are when the phone rings but when you pick up you hear nothing on the other end. These come from call centres that use an automatic dialler. Once the call gets through to you, it’s supposed to connect to an operator. But if there's no operator available, you’re left with a deadline.

 How can I prevent these?

There are several different methods you can protect yourself from unwanted calls.

Telephone preference service (TPS)

TPS is the official opt-out register and it’s free. If you add your name to the register all organisations (including charities, voluntary organisations and political parties) are legally forbidden to cold-call you unless they have your consent.

Organisations may ask for your consent when you first get involved with them. If you give it, they will call you even if your number is registered on TPS. Find out more.

If you are still getting calls after signing up to the TPS you can also report to:

• Direct Marketing Commission. 
• Information Commissioner's Office.
• Ex-directory

TalkTalk Boosts

You can add or remove these features at any time in My Account. To find out more, visit Using Privacy features

• CallSafe  - Our free security feature that works in the background to help stop unwanted callers from reaching you.
• Anonymous Caller Reject  - Anonymous Caller Reject stops you from getting calls from anyone who withholds their number. If a caller with a withheld number tries to contact you, they’ll hear a busy tone and you won’t be bothered with the call.
• Last Caller Barring - You can use it to block the last number to call you, or you can enter specific numbers you’d like to bar. For more information visit Using Last Caller Barring 

Scam calls

Scam calls are calls from fraudsters tricking you into believing you're speaking with a trusted company. There are many different scams that fraudsters will attempt to use to get personal or confidential information from you. 

Visit our Scam calls page for more information on the types of scam calls and how you can stay safe and protected. 

Malicious calls

Malicious calls are calls that contain obscene suggestions, abusive language or even personal threats. If you have been receiving malicious calls, we recommend the following:

• Stay calm and avoid talking to the caller: it’s likely they will feed on your reaction so you should avoid slamming the phone down. Instead, put the phone on the side and walk away for a few moments before hanging up.
• Don’t give away any personal information:  it’s best to avoid answering the phone with your name and number. If you have children, you should tell them this too.
• Don’t disclose too much in answerphone messages: make sure you avoid giving away unnecessary information or letting them know you’re not in. Simply say you cannot get to the phone.
• Malicious, abusive or threatening calls are a crime, so if you continue to receive them or you feel the threats to you or your family are serious and immediate, you should speak to the police. Make sure you keep a note of call details like times, dates and content. This will make any potential investigation easier.
• Enable Calling features: There are several free calling features we offer that can help you with malicious calls. These include caller display, last caller barring and anonymous caller reject. You can find out more about our privacy features.

At TalkTalk, we take the issue of nuisance calls very seriously. As such, we fully support this memorandum of understanding between Ofcom and participating communications providers.