telemarketing calls today, all from insurance companies

[fh2000]

Today,

Every 20 minutes or so, our home phone rings. Below are the calling company names from our AT&T Uverse call log. We do not answer these calls if numbers are not known.

What is going on? We have group insurance. Not retired yet. Not old enough to begin medicare. Not AARP member. So, why are all these insurance from different states calling us?

ID INSURANCE
USA INSURANCE
DIRECT HEALTH V
WA INSURANCE
NE INSURANCE
ID INSURANCE
DIRECT HEALTH M
IN INSURANCE
DIRECT HEALTH T
FREEBERG ELAINE
IA INSURANCE
DIRECT HEALTH W
DIRECT HEALTH T
DIRECT HEALTH T
KY INSURANCE

 

[easysurfer]

Is the AT&T Uverse call log spoof proof? If not, then I'd bet some of the company names that show up aren't really insurance companies but just spoofed names trying to get you to pick up.

 

[redduck]

Today,

Every 20 minutes or so, our home phone rings. Below are the calling company names from our AT&T Uverse call log. We do not answer these calls if numbers are not known...

ID INSURANCE
USA INSURANCE
DIRECT HEALTH V
WA INSURANCE
NE INSURANCE
ID INSURANCE
DIRECT HEALTH M
IN INSURANCE
DIRECT HEALTH T
FREEBERG ELAINE
IA INSURANCE
DIRECT HEALTH W
DIRECT HEALTH T
DIRECT HEALTH T
KY INSURANCE

Hey, it's me, Elaine Freeberg. Next time I call, pick up, I need to talk to you about your filthy carpets.

 

[Sunset]

They can spoof (fake) the names that show up on caller ID. Also they can fake the number that shows up as well.

Last week I got a call from: 000-000-0000
I also got a call from: LOCAL POLICE

We don't live in "LOCAL" and the police would identify themselves by the city name.
I figured if Police really wanted us, they could stop by the door.

 

[GravitySucks]

I got on the same list about six months ago. It went on for a week.

Every time I bothered to pick up it sounded like someone was calling from a coffee / tea shop in India. I think we got on a suckers list that was sold to scammers. I don't use the home phone, so I just turned off the ringer.

 

[fh2000]

OP is here.

So, late yesterday afternoon, I called AT&T tech support line. A person from India (Raj) picked up and tried to help me. Normally they would go with an English name, but not Raj.

We struggled to understand each other for almost a hour. Finally, I think I understand what he did. He said there is a national not-to-call list. With $1.99 a month, he could add our phone number to that list for me. I said I added my phone number to that list years ago (still valid, since I just checked before I call them) for free. So, thanks but no.

He said AT&T also keeps their own not-to-call list, and will add my home phone to their list without a fee. I said please do.

After that call, my phone became quiet. Let's see how long it will take to start ringing again.

 

[Car-Guy]

Very seldom get any unwanted calls anymore. And when we do, we won't answer if we don't recognize the phone # on caller ID.