Mystery calls to 123 ("speaking clock" or "timeline") and unknown local numbers

[#1]

Quote from: pwatson

I'm assuming that you are on the 01728 exchange? It looks to me that the calls could well be the fault on your line causing this - Intermittent breaks and makes being interpreted as pulse dialling.  Most of the numbers dialled consist on 1, 2 and 3 with the odd sprinkling of higher numbers.  You can ignore the 01728 as that doesn't need to be dialled.  The calls to 123 are caused by this as well so you can rule out 'engineer action'

Hi there, thank for your message. I included the links relating to the improper tested methods because that's the answer that Which?, the Telegraph and the vast majority of anecdotal advisors suggest, but at the end of the day, if the problem is "on my line" and not "in my house", then the specific nature of the problem is Plusnet's concern, not mine.

[#2]

dick:green Topics merged and duplicate post removed.

[#3]

Quote from: pvmb

Do you recognise the 01728... numbers?

Hello,
No, as I said, there are a very small number of people in Suffolk whose landline phone number I know, and non of them appear in the list.

[#4]

Some years ago I had a similar case, where phantom calls were being made to 123, and various local numbers with 'low' digits.
After much head scratching and swapping of equipment, it turned out to be a BT Caller Display 50.

[#5]

Abuse of 123 by errant network engineers is legion on PlusNet forums...
http://community.plus.net/forum/index.php/topic,103434.0.html
http://community.plus.net/forum/index.php/topic,112950.0.html
http://community.plus.net/forum/index.php?topic=145172.msg1281024
http://community.plus.net/forum/index.php/topic,137143.0.html/
http://community.plus.net/forum/index.php?topic=139878.msg1236124
http://community.plus.net/forum/index.php?topic=118069.0
http://community.plus.net/forum/index.php?topic=146587.msg1290870
http://community.plus.net/forum/index.php?topic=117551.16
And elsewhere...
http://conversation.which.co.uk/technology/timeline-123-speaking-clock-call-charges-phone-bill/
https://community.bt.com/t5/Phones/Mysterious-timeline-123-calls/td-p/748768
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/bt-engineers-ring-speaking-clock-5748745
http://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2015/11/phantom-calls-to-the-123-speaking-clock-on-bt-openreach...
http://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2014/03/mysterious-case-bts-borrowed-copper-broadband-lines.htm...
https://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100117105510AACQnWN
It seems that engineers have the bad habit of using 123 to test subscriber's lines in spite of repeatedly being instructed to not to.  BTOR / BTw generate the basic charging information for calls and pass that data to Communication Providers.  They in turn bill customers for the reported calls.  A CP does not make up the bills themselves - they simply apply their margin to the BT reported data.  These phantom 123 calls are the consequence of mal-practice by BTOR engineers or their sub contractors.

[#6]

This really DOESN'T look like 123 abuse - see my (and others) post above.
It looks like something generating random numbers, some of which are valid.
Pulses on the line or faulty equipment would seem likely.

[#7]

Quote from: HPsauce

Pulses on the line or faulty equipment would seem likely.

Just on that note, many years ago I had a phone that developed a fault where it would randomly go on and off hook. Even though it was a DTMF (tone) phone, these pulses are essentially dialing the same way as the old rotary phones. One day the police appeared thumping at the door saying a 999 call had been made from this location. I assured them it hadn't, and they assured me it had. Anyway, much investigation later that's when I realised the phone had developed this fault.
The phone had actually dialed 112 which is an alternative emergency number. The emergency services, at that time at least, could not distinguish whether 999 or 112 had been dialed. When the call is made, the line is held open, and of course all they heard was silence and assumed the worse.
If you have faulty equipment of that nature, lower digit numbers are far more likely to be called randomly, with 123 being a good candidate.
I am not saying all the issues reported are due to faulty equipment, but it is definitely a distinct possibility.

[#8]

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[#9]

mod:note
some posts moved in from feedback thread.

[#10]

Quote from: jafreer

Quote from: HPsauce Pulses on the line or faulty equipment would seem likely. Just on that note, many years ago I had a phone that developed a fault where it would randomly go on and off hook. Even though it was a DTMF (tone) phone, these pulses are essentially dialing the same way as the old rotary phones. One day the police appeared thumping at the door saying a 999 call had been made from this location. I assured them it hadn't, and they assured me it had. Anyway, much investigation later that's when I realised the phone had developed this fault.

Pulses on the line most likely as has been noted, especially given you'd reported crackles.  Quite possibly water getting into either the junction box where the cable attaches to the house, or in the cabinet on the street at a guess given the weather lately?
Best way to test if it's a faulty line or faulty phone though is disconnect the phone and see if it continues trying to make calls even with no phone connected.  If it does, proves its a line fault outside your equipment.

[#11]

Both of the handsets have been in a drawer, unplugged from the phone line and the mains, with no batteries in since before Christmas, during which time four more calls of less than a minute - two to 123 - have been made.