New twist on scam calls?

[#1]

Maybe this isn't new, but its new to me.
Mobile rang.
Local number - picked up.
Hello is that Ian. Yes.
We're calling you about your recent road accident. (Obvs no road accident.)
....
An insurance company. Got my details from a company called Verso Group.
Checked Verso Group. Global.
Looked up the local number that called me. Assigned to Nexbridge Communications.
Lookup Nexbridge. Manchester. (eg., not local to me at all)
Yes, but wait -
This is from their website -

Quote

we commissioned independent research amongst 2,000 UK consumers to understand how they would respond to calls from certain number types. Along with increases of 34% in contact rates experienced by one of our customers, the results of this survey provide a compelling justification for CLI localisation:     71% said they were either UNLIKELY TO or WOULD NOT answer a call from a withheld or blocked number.     66% responded in the same way for calls from 08 numbers.     75% said they were either LIKELY TO or WOULD answer a call from a LOCAL geographic number. Dial Sure solves the problem by automatically displaying a local number, which will be familiar to the person you’re calling. If you’re trying to reach somebody in Manchester, an 0161 number is presented. If, on the other hand, you’re calling someone in Aberdeen, the first five digits of your CLI will be 01224. For calls to mobile phones too And CLI Localisation isn’t just for calls to landlines. By using Dial Sure, CLIs may be localised for calls made to mobiles as well. What’s more, Dial Sure delivers any returned calls directly to the contact centre or the team best placed to handle them

Not entirely sure how that works for mobile?
Here's the link for more details - http://nexbridge.co.uk/dialsure/
Now I'm onto finding out where Verso Group got my mobile, name, address details from... Will be calling them on Monday.
For the foreseeable, if the number aint on my address lists it doesn't get answered. I'm already swamped with these blasted calls as it it...

[#2]

Worrying. Makes caller display totally pointless!

[#3]

Quote

What’s more, Dial Sure delivers any returned calls directly to the contact centre or the team best placed to handle them

So how does this work then?
I'm seeing two possibilities. Either BT have supplied them with phone numbers in every area code all over the country OR they've somehow tapped into the phone network to hijack your returned calls.
The first seems very expensive. The second seems very illegal. Something doesn't quite sit right about this 'offering' of theirs.

[#4]

Nexbridge have got numbers in multiple area codes (allocated by Ofcom).  Easy to do and completely legal...
Nexbridge are of course completely innocent and distance themselves from what anyone does with their Dial Sure product!
http://nexbridge.co.uk/nuisance-calls/

[#5]

Quote

...BT have supplied them with phone numbers in every area code...

Well, it sorta looks that way.
If you check the local area code* (mine in this case), then lookup the next 3 numbers, the assignment is indeed to Nextbridge Communications. They have that whole... block (or whatever that's called in telephone-speak)
So it isn't just the local code switched (with orig number attached, as it were), its a totally wrong number.
But I'm not clear if there's a couple of versions of this. Check the main site for other options available, it might give clues. I'm not a telephone expert - I don't even know what 'CLI' is.
I've been plagued with 0161 numbers on the mobile for a couple of years, I just don't answer them. But on this occasion they've managed to switch it to a local number and thus I answered them. It worked. (First and last time, that is.)
Another thing, it also makes it impossible to track the actual people who made the call. All I've been able to do is track it back to Nexbridge Communications who supply this service. Is there any point putting that number on one of the telephone reverse-search sites, like ukphoneinfo? Not really, it only refers to my local area code, not the originating number...
*ukphoneinfo.com/locator.php
edit -
above post was added while I wrote this.

[#6]

I didn't see that nuisance calls page when I was there the other day.
But the whole premise of hiding your proper telephone number is to make the recipient pick up an unwanted call. Therefore I don't think much of their pleading "don't shoot the messenger" excuse. Its just asking for complaints!
Does TPS work for mobile numbers? If so, mine isn't registered...

[#7]

Quote from: IanSn

If you check the local area code* (mine in this case), then lookup the next 3 numbers, the assignment is indeed to Nextbridge Communications. They have that whole... block (or whatever that's called in telephone-speak)

Just how do you do this? I figured there must be some sort of way similar to IP / domain whois lookups but for telephone numbers etc but i've never found out where or how to do it.

[#8]

Makes C*Net (not a disguised swearword, it's short for "Collectors Asterisk Network", for telephone collectors to use their vintage phones over t'internet) seem far more attractive as a phone service, spam callers ain't on there...

[#9]

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Just how do you do this?

You'll need a standard UK number you want to look up.
Go to ukphoneinfo.com/locator.php. Type in the local area code and ok.
On page, at bottom, click on 'View a list of the allocated number ranges for... [local code you looked up]...
Scroll down until you find the next three numbers (after the local code)  you are looking for.
It tells you who that range is assigned to.

[#10]

I long ago stopped answering calls not in my phone's address book whatever the number or area code.

[#11]

mobile's introduced the short code system so you knew it was an official call from the operator of your network ringing you, so some enterprising S.O.B's figured out they could ring you and spoof those numbers in the CLI and scam you into all sorts of things.... I was getting up to 20 calls a day at one point "from your network operator" trying to get me to sign up for insurance or new contracts or buy a new phone accessory etc I rang my network operator about it, filled out a few forms online about it and in the last 9 months I haven't had another call (don't know if they blocked the callers or just deleted my number from the list) 
worse was when i was with orange and they deliberately allowed access to partnership operators overseas to the database, one month my capped rate £25/mth contract was billed £2500 by one of these partners who having rung me and "taken me through security" added a couple of dozen phones to my contract ......took a court case to fix that and it wasn't even a scam they actually worked for orange ......

[#12]

I have trueblocker on my mobile, and it has blocked LOADS of these calls from "Nexbridge Communications", on my home phone I just press the CPR button and it blocks that number.

[#13]

Quote

I have trueblocker on my mobile

Can't seem to find anything similar for Windows Phone 
There is an option to have numbers blocked, but for some reason it requires having location services switched on.(?) Hmm, not today, thanks...

[#14]

Quote from: IanSn

Can't seem to find anything similar for Windows Phone

Probably cos they'd prefer you to not block things that microsoft has sold your details to...

[#15]

Indeed.
Though there is a switch to turn off Ad ID. (Unlike Apple where you can only change it to a new one.)