Had one of these "We've detected malicious activity on your internet use which has infected your computer and will have to close your connection, unless you contact use by pressing 1 and speaking to one of our technical staff"
Oh really................. 
Sadly they wouldn't bother doing this if it didn't work
For every sensible person there's a gullible moron out there that will fall for this bull crap
If I get International call come up on my phone display I don't even pickup
I would like to ignore International calls, but alas I have close relatives in the USA so I cannot.
A very effective put-off seems to be to say, as soon as they say they are from your broadband supplier:
"Oh Good have you fixed my broadband yet, I reported it broken yesterday!"
Rang again this morning but I don't get beyond the first few words of their recorded message.
I had one of these recorded messages yesterday, burbling on about how my internet was about to be cut off. As usual, I roared 'F*** off' Down the phone even though I knew nobody was listening. Mind you, I have been known to do the same even when somebody is listening, with 'you criminal' added for good measure. It makes me feel better. 
You should keep a swear box in your house.
Probably pay for annual international holidays 
Quote: john tregorran @ 14th September 2019, 6:05 PMYou should keep a swear box in your house.
Probably pay for annual international holidays
I woukdn't thank you for an international holiday. Scotland is the bees' knees.
On the subject of phone scams how can people still fall for them when banks are now hammering home how they will never tell you to transfer funds or ask for personal details over the phone. Whenever I make an online transaction I get a popup I have to confirm I have read that says the bank will never ask for sensitive information so if they ever call telling me I need to do something I will tell them I'm visiting the branch before I do anything. If they say it's more urgent than that I know it's a scam and hang up.
Quote: Definitely Tarby @ 14th September 2019, 8:50 PMOn the subject of phone scams how can people still fall for them ................................
I know, it's mind boggling. Whenever this comes up on'telly I sit there open mouthed at how people can be SO FUCKING STUPID. It's SO annoying because it's these brainless numb-skulls who are feeding this filth. Without the victims these shit-heads wouldn't bother.
"Oh yes, I'd seen it on the telly about people losing money, but the man on the phone sounded so convincing." 
A few years ago, I took a call from a very polite, gentle--voiced, Scots woman calling allegedly from our Scottish bank. When I wouldn't give her the info she wanted and pointed out that SHE shoukd be telling me instead of vice versa, she said 'I think we should draw this conversation to a close.' It would gave been so easy to fall for it because she wasn't you usual foreign voice, but I'm still waiting for contact from the bank about what she wanted.
Quote: Briosaid @ 14th September 2019, 8:41 PMI woukdn't thank you for an international holiday. Scotland is the bees' knees.
Yes ,lovely country and now with global warming you've got sun too.
Quote: Briosaid @ 15th September 2019, 12:15 AMA few years ago, I took a call from a very polite, gentle--voiced, Scots woman calling allegedly from our Scottish bank. When I wouldn't give her the info she wanted and pointed out that SHE shoukd be telling me instead of vice versa, she said 'I think we should draw this conversation to a close.' It would gave been so easy to fall for it because she wasn't you usual foreign voice, but I'm still waiting for contact from the bank about what she wanted.
Try: "Just a minute, I am looking up your branch phone number on an independent method, what did you say your name is, I will ring off now and call you at your branch, to be sure that you are not trying to scam me."
Quote: billwill @ 15th September 2019, 1:03 PMTry: "Just a minute, I am looking up your branch phone number on an independent method, what did you say your name is, I will ring off now and call you at your branch, to be sure that you are not trying to scam me."
Bill, I wouldn't waste my time on them with that. Usually I put the phone down the minute they say something that's claptrap, which is usually right away.
I don't have a landline and never get cold calls or SMS to my mobile but I did get a few calls from my water company when I had forgotten to pay the bill. I don't mind them calling to remind me to pay up but what was annoying was they refused to say who they were or where they were calling from until I answered security questions like my full name and address. I refused to to do this and managed to squeeze out of them where they were calling from so told them to remove my mobile number and never call me again. They haven't but whenever I contact them they still ask for my mobile number as a security question. I refuse so they ask something else like the date of the last bill paid and amount. I'm sure they don't try to get mobile numbers so they can chase up late payments as that would be expensive so it's probably all down to getting customers to opt in to marketing.