When answer a call on landline phone I hear a dialling tone?

Question

Recently the phone has rung a few times and when I answer the line it's silent for a second or two and then I hear a dialling out tone. Worried that some scammer is somehow directing my phone call to a premium rate line I immediately put the phone down. Or could it simply be that the caller has set up a 'call back' when they couldn't get through and it is calling back? If this is the case I didn't think I would hear a dialling tone.

Dialling 1471 I get 'number withheld'.

I have got in touch with my phone call supplier and they can't explain what the problem could be and to let them know if it happens again.

Has anyone else experienced this?

Answer 1

sounds like your wiring is wrong thats what happened to mine

get onto your phone provider to check it out

Answer 2

Is it a cordless phone?  Mine is on a high frequency and I pick up dialing and I can hear faint phone conversations from my neighbors.

Answer 3

Someone has it in for you,

an answering machine will do the job,

or

caller display (and ignore withheld),

or

report to telco as harrassment,

(I believe you can get a court ordered "injunction")

or

change your telephone number,

I did hear that BT does this for free, for first time harrassment complaints,

or

BT's " Anonymous Call Reject"

http://www.productsandservices.bt.com/co...

and there's this

http://www.ukdatait.co.uk/cgi-bin/sgAddN...

Bloody ell I didn't know I knew all this till I started.

Actually it's usually girls who have this,my teenage daughter did years ago.

Answer 4

Have you got any debts? Debt collecting agencies use automatic call-back as it saves them from chasing people manually. It also bypasses caller ID and 1471 which promotes curiosity in those they are calling, making them more likely to wait and see who it is.

There is also a possibility it could be marketing companies (mobile phone offers etc), and yes they probably use premium rate lines but it is not a scam. In fact, I doubt a scammer has redirected your calls - given the communications technology we have now, phone scamming is something of a rarity.

Either way, you do right to put the phone down, as it is unlikely to be anything beneficial to you, but if it persists you should take the call just to tell them where to stick it - surely that's worth 75 pence...

Answer 5

:let them know if it happens again" is a lame way for the phone company to get you off their line at the time. it sounds like someone has [put your calls on call forwarding without your knowledge. Are you going thru a divorce or separation, or does someone has access to your line/ account that ordered call -forwarding and then set it up so all your calls are forwarded to their number?   or did you have it added and then not know it. the other possibility is you have three-way calling and made a series of calls without completely disconnecting from your first call. The phone companies have jammed these ridiculous services into our throats and this is one of those annoying results. sounds like either call forwarding is activated and you don't know it, or three way calling is releasing the first call, after you hung up from making two, or more calls in a row.  or, yes someone just hung up,

OR if they heard your answering machine and relalized you're not the one they wanted to call, especailly if this is a new number for you.