My Rant About Mom

[RobbieB]

With due respect to OP's Mother, who sounds like a kind person, I am a little surprised that anyone of any age thinks it's "rude" to "screen" one's calls with an answering machine.

I consider it an absolute must. I never answer the phone until I hear a real live person on the other end. Half the time I send them packing. I am so utterly cold and heartless in this regard that I don't even record my own message, I just leave the pre-recorded "machine voice" on the box.

I'm a bad man -

 

[meierlde]

When I get such a call and they introduce themselves I just say no thank you and hang up. I told one charity solicitor that they just ensured that I would never make a donation to them.

 

[Another Reader]

I have nomorobo, but the phone still rings once before the call is transferred. I get 5 to 10 annoying calls a day. Nomorobo misses some, but I do not pick up the phone if I do not recognize the number. I would immediately call back anyone I know that left a message. That never seems to happen.

 

[gayl]

Mom died in 2012. I am still getting charity requests for her

 

[meierlde]

Mom died in 2012. I am still getting charity requests for her

My Dad had made a political contribution in 2002 before he died in 2002. Up until recently the political party kept sending mail and calling looking for more money. I would tell them he had past but the left hand did not tell the right hand. Of course he got called for jury duty 6 years after he died, because the left hand of the state did not tell the drivers license bureau that he had died, nor did the drivers license division check the social security death index.

 

[jim584672]

I just got a call from the "Windows Technical Department", hahahaha. Hung up on him.

Thought of this thread.

 

[Souschef]

I just got a call from the "Windows Technical Department", hahahaha. Hung up on him.

Thought of this thread.

I just got a message the Microsoft has locked my computer and to call an 888 number. I also thought of this thread

 

[Golden sunsets]

My Rant about Mom-UPDATE

Just an update to this topic. After continued issues with callers trying to get my Mom to "Collect her winnings" from various lotteries and contests that she had not entered and finally convincing Mom that the President of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York was indeed not who he professed to be, my Mom agreed to change her phone number. She was reluctant to agree to this but just couldn't seem to screen her calls. Her hearing is not good nor is her eyesight so her ability to effectively use caller ID as a screening tool just didn't work. The great news however is that Time Warner, her phone provider, has a very easy to use service, with no cost, which enables the customer to select, "no spoof calls", "no anonymous calls" and "no robo calls". Problem solved. No need to change her number. Once these features are selected from the My TWC dashboard, your phone rings once and then is redirected to a voicemail response to the caller stating that the person the caller is trying to reach does not accept calls from anonymous callers, callers who use spoof numbers or auto dialed callers.

We activated the same features on our phone and no longer field calls from Rachel from cardholder services or Microsoft, etc.


My Mom is reporting that she gets 8-10 one ring calls a day now but is no longer bothered.




Thanks to all of those who tried to help me with this issue. I love my Mom and am so happy that we succeeded in protecting her.

 

[Golden sunsets]

I just got a message the Microsoft has locked my computer and to call an 888 number. I also thought of this thread

Interestingly this happened to my Mom just yesterday. Yes my 91 year old Mom uses a computer. She called me yesterday and I accessed her computer remotely. (Thanks to Teamviewer free version). I assumed that this was a scam of some sort but the only way I was able to delete that screen and continue working was to shut down the computer by literally turning it off from the physical button on the machine and rebooting. Only then did it begin working correctly. She does have Norton anti-virus on so I'm not sure how this message effectively froze her screen. I hope it doesn't keep happening.

 

[braumeister]

If you don't have Malwarebytes on it, please start using it now.

 

[Golden sunsets]

If you don't have Malwarebytes on it, please start using it now.

This is software over and above Norton anti-virus? Is it free?

 

[GrayHare]

and "no robo calls".

How does TWC know when a call is a robocall? Is there a device I can use to detect and block such calls?

 

[Maenad]

This is software over and above Norton anti-virus? Is it free?

There is a free version, but I've found it's worth paying for. The paid version updates more quickly to keep up with new malware.

 

[Golden sunsets]

How does TWC know when a call is a robocall? Is there a device I can use to detect and block such calls?

I'm not sure if there is a "device" out there for sale. One of the posters on this string did mention nomorobo, which I believe is a service which intervenes when robocalls are detected. I suspect that is available on the market for subscription. In my case TIME Warner offers the nomorobo feature free, but it goes beyond blocking robo calls, and also offers "call blocker basic" and "call blocker plus", actually separate features from nomorobo. With basic, only anonymized calls are blocked, and with Plus both anonymized and spoof phone numbers are blocked.

As far as "how does TWC know" - technology I assume. It's not surprising to me that their system can tell, but it was a revelation to me that this service existed from TWC, which in most other circumstances I feel is part of the evil empire.

 

[Golden sunsets]

There is a free version, but I've found it's worth paying for. The paid version updates more quickly to keep up with new malware.

OK - well if this continues to happen I'll install it on Mom's computer. Thanks.

 

[travelover]

........... TIME Warner offers the nomorobo feature free, but it goes beyond blocking robo calls, and also offers "call blocker basic" and "call blocker plus", actually separate features from nomorobo. With basic, only anonymized calls are blocked, and with Plus both anonymized and spoof phone numbers are blocked.................

Pretty soon, we will have to pay protection to the post office not to deliver junk mail.

 

[scrabbler1]

I just got a message the Microsoft has locked my computer and to call an 888 number. I also thought of this thread

I once got a message like that and I couldn't close the window the usual way (click the X on the upper-right corner). I was able to open Task Manager (ctrl+alt+delete) and close the offending browser window. At worst, I'd have to close all the open browser windows. I then did a quick scan from Windows defender and another by Malwarebytes to make sure nothing toxic had been planted on my PC. It was fine.

My dad is 85 but he knows to hang up on anyone he doesn't know or is not expecting a call from, as he hates phone calls as much as I do. Luckily for him, he got a new phone number a few years ago when he dumped his phone company and took on the cable company's "triple-play" package which includes high-speed internet (he still had dial-up!), landline phone, and cable-TV, saving him a few bucks along the way while eliminating most of those unwanted calls. He forgot to give out his new phone number to a few people (his financial advisor; don't worry, I keep an eye that stuff) and one of them called me, all worried that something had happened to him!

 

[braumeister]

OK - well if this continues to happen I'll install it on Mom's computer. Thanks.

Actually, my point was that there may already be malware on her computer. You would have no way to detect it, but Malwarebytes can not only find it but eliminate it. No computer should be without it IMHO.

 

[Sunset]

OK - well if this continues to happen I'll install it on Mom's computer. Thanks.

You can always install the free version, try it, and later if you think it's worth it upgrade to paid.

 

[fritz]

Several neighbors are very happy with the free Nomorobo service mentioned in the Kiplinger article. Also, some phone and cable companies have a feature to block unwanted calls, which you access by logging in to the account. If you think you need to take a more active role in managing these calls, you can log in (with her password) and review call history and mark numbers to block. I personally ported my landline to Google Voice which offers spam blocking and other call screening/filtering features.

Just wanted to add to this reply, as we also ported our landline to a cheap cell phone - then to google voice.

This allowed us to keep our original landline number active, and for it to follow us wherever we go. (No need to change any numbers with contacts if/when we change cell providers). We no longer have a regular land line phone, only cell phones. Being that it was originally registered as a land line - it gets the marketing calls regularly. Google voice allows you to set up so that your registered contacts go directly through w/o any screening. Those not in your contacts have to record their name and then the call goes to you to accept or reject (go to voicemail). Most marketers/scammers hang up, or you get the voice mail ending of a robo call "press 2 to be connected" recorded. You have the option of marking it spam and blocking the call. Since most marketers/scammers just keep using phony numbers - setting Google voice up for screening works great at stopping them.

You can also get the Google voice app for your cellphones, which allows you to mask your actual cell number to your Google voice number. Your calls are ID'd as your Google Voice number. No one can capture your cell number... There is another free app you can install called Mr. Number. This allows you to block calls and to set your cell phone to accept only certain criteria. We have our main carry-with cell phone set to accept only "contacts" callers - leaving all other calls to be caught by the home cell phone. Between Google Voice screening, Google voice app, and Mr. Number call blocking - not too much gets through (there is very seldom a marketing caller that's willing to risk the hurdles to connect).

If your Mom is Ok with a cell phone (older flip phones would also work with Google Voice - just needs to be a cell phone) - you could set up a cheap cell phone, and also have anyone calling her previous landline number ring your cell phone as well for monitoring her calls.

 

[SumDay]

For those who don't have Time Warner, I have found Stop robocalls and telemarketers with Nomorobo to be really effective, and free. I get a couple of one ring calls each day. It warms my heart.

 

[Texas Proud]

For those who don't have Time Warner, I have found Stop robocalls and telemarketers with Nomorobo to be really effective, and free. I get a couple of one ring calls each day. It warms my heart.

Looks like only for VOIP phone... my mom has AT&T landline...

 

[haha]

Actually, my point was that there may already be malware on her computer. You would have no way to detect it, but Malwarebytes can not only find it but eliminate it. No computer should be without it IMHO.

Agree, the paid version will always be on my computer.

Ha

 

[Golden sunsets]

Got it. Thanks.


Sent from my iPhone using Early Retirement Forum

 

[ERD50]

Looks like only for VOIP phone... my mom has AT&T landline...

NoMoRoBo will work on any phone that has a simultaneous ring feature. I don't know if AT&T landline supports that or not.

You might be able to also use a feature that would ring NoMoRoBo for maybe 4-6 seconds, and then ring your home phone, I dunno.

-ERD50