The Information Commissioner’s Office has launched a public appeal for help to combat a spike in nuisance calls from a single company selling boilers, insulation and solar panels.
The ICO said the automated calls appear to be coming from 0161 or 0191 numbers, but initial investigations suggest the caller is using a false number. The number may also show up as being international on some phones.
Anyone receiving a call is asked to report it to the ICO, while anyone who has already engaged with the company or received a visit from someone representing them should call its helpline, on 0303 123 1113.
ICO enforcement manager Andy Curry said: “What we want to do is to stop these nuisance calls, but to do that we need the public’s help. If you’ve signed up to the TPS and you’re getting calls, or if you’re getting recorded message calls when you haven’t asked for them, then we need to know.
“It looks as though these green energy initiatives and dubious scrappage schemes are becoming ‘the new PPI’, with more and more people receiving nuisance calls and texts about them. They are responsible for a significant chunk of the concerns we receive, and are a focus for our enforcement team.”
Text messages promoting green energy initiatives and so-called ‘scrappage schemes’ were responsible for 42% of concerns raised with the ICO between January and March. That coincided with a significant reduction in the number of concerns about messages relating to Payment Protection Insurance (PPI).
Related stories
‘Nuisance’ DM firm faces £140k fine
DMA boots out serial nuisance caller
ICO: No let up on rogue callers
Rogue calls action plan revealed
Trading Standards fights rogue calls
Mobile giants join war on text spam
Phone firms in last chance saloon
Watchdog demands data clampdown
Industry victory over nuisance calls
Brits get a billion ‘nuisance calls’
Govt plots easier nuisance call fines
ICO tries again with £170,000 text fine
High Court shocker for text spam war
ICO urges public to shop nuisance calling firm http://t.co/jaZPnuhqPK #dataprotection #nuisancecalls #directmarketing #telemarketing