Letter to the editor

Dear Sir,

I have recently become the victim of nuisance calls and would like to inform the readership of the problems that lie therein. The numbers to look out for are: 00119 and 00118 which are the triggers that initiate the cold calling numbers: 0021 2777345. Apparently, it is all part of a scam to sell people some computer programme to clean your PC. If you answer the caller will inform you that he is from Microsoft and you have a problem with your PC, which has been infested with a virus and they will need access to clear it for you, of course for a small fee.

Obviously, this is a scam either to extract money or gain access to your computer. Either way the only solution is to disconnect the call. In my particular case I phoned Telefonica on 1004 and informed them of the problem. Their response was that they could put a block on the number for 6 Euros and then a monthly charge of Euro 1.45 plus IVA, but they also said that I should initially try to put the phone down in the hope that they would eventually get the message. A word of warning is that not all of the cold callers are scammers but actually come from major legitimate companies who have acquired your telephone number from a host of different legal sources. Try to tell the company in English or Spanish that you do not wish to receive these calls. When I had the incessant calling from Movistar, I wrote them an email to info@disfrutayahorra.com and stated the problem in English and included my telephone number. The calls ceased almost immediately. Hope this helps.

Gerry Mulligan