Nuisance Call Open Season?

[#1]

I have been ex-directory since moving my telephone service from BT to Plusnet in January 2014 and am also registered with TPS yet still seem to get quite a lot of nuisance i.e. scam and silent calls, especially in the last few days.
I know that this is a perennial problem but cannot understand why there isn't a simple fix to nip it in the bud. For instance since applying PN's server side email spam filters I get virtually no spam email at all. If it is possible for email then why not with phone calls? Blocking calls for which the number is withheld poses a problem however as certain friends and relations' numbers also come up as 'withheld' presumably because they are also ex-directory.
0203 1988103 has called three times in the last 24 hours with just the disconnected tone on answering ( at 14:31-02/10/15, 08:44-03/10/15 & 10:06-03/10/15). I have just filed a complaint with Ofcom about this number but won't hold my breath for a solution as there are numerous references online to the self same number, all bad.
01600 469009 called at 11:52-02/10/15 when I was out but I managed to link it with a financial services compensation scheme via a web search.
Then at 11:13 today 03/10/15 I had a very disturbing call from someone with a heavy Asian accent on a 'Withheld' call. I didn't catch the name of the company he was purportedly representing but he said it was a 'Legal Call' and he knew my full name and address.   I told him that there was no-one here with those details and he hung up but nonetheless it still leaves a sour taste in the mouth.
It's bad enough when I answer the phone myself but as I have my elderly parents living at my address - both in their 80s - I am concerned that they might feel intimidated by this type of call, and would ideally like to put a stop to them once and for all.
Any suggestions Plusnet?

[#2]

Apparently it's not difficult for fraudsters and scammers to make any number appear on your caller ID display.

[#3]

Quote from: Spruance

certain friends and relations' numbers also come up as 'withheld' presumably because they are also ex-directory.

No, those are two different things.
Not giving out caller-id is a choice that can be made, not sure why you would do it though, but can be overridden per call by dialling a prefix.
Equally I believe there is a setting to reject anonymous calls. Probably costs though.
So if you invoke that rejection people call you anonymously will be rejected and have to call again adding the prefix so that their numbers are presented.
If your friend & relatives encounter this they will either get used to adding the prefix or get fed up and stop the (IMHO pointless) automatic withholding of the calling number.
As @ejs notes, calling numbers can easily be faked by scammers.

[#4]

Yes you both make valid points but it seems so ridiculous that emails spam can be taken care of so easily and yet telephone spam poses such a problem.
In the meantime I've done some research and have found a BT phone product (BT 8500) that might do the trick. If it works it might be the solution.

[#5]

I have been using a CPR call blocker for several years now. You can block any call at the press of a button, I also have it set to block withheld numbers, since if someone wants to talk to me they can display their id.
There are several handsets offering this now, but the CPR has been very handy to block 99% of the spam calls for me.

[#6]

Quote from: Spruance

In the meantime I've done some research and have found a BT phone product (BT 8500) that might do the trick. If it works it might be the solution.

I have this product (recommended by someone on here) and can thoroughly recommend it myself. Our nuisance calls have almost stopped.

[#7]

I haven't used the BT8500 but it comes highly recommended. It is based on the same technology that is used in the Truecall device I use. I bought it before BT integrated the technology into the handset. It is like an answering machine (and it works as an answering machine) and is a highly configurable call blocker. You can choose different actions for different types of callers. You can have a star list of approved numbers, and a block list of numbers you don't want to hear from.
You can choose what you want to happen for different categories of calls. For example, I have witheld numbers go straight to the answering machine so if it is a relative or something, they can still at least leave a message. That is just the tip of the iceberg, there are loads more features on it. I can't recommend it highly enough. I can even log into a web portal when I am travelling and see a list of all incoming and outgoing calls without even having to call home. The web portal will let me know if anyone left a message then I can call in to the answering machine.
It has virtually eliminated spam calls.

[#8]

Aint that strange ive been getting phone calls from the same numbers and try leaving me messages saying the same things, my phone is ex directory too........ now is someone in plusnet selling our details onto third parties ? because those numbers match the ones that have been harrsing me over the past 2 weeks.

[#9]

I have been using the  BT8500 for about 4 months & it works a treat if you have caller ID enabled.
I was also getting these 02 & 01 numbers calling me,with this phone it is very easy to block them.

[#10]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/BT8500-Advanced-Blocker-Cordless-Handset/dp/B00LZTHUEO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qi...
They are on offer at amazon, to buy or not to buy .... my current panasonic phones work great just they dont have any blocking controls :S

[#11]

Well worth the money.