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04-15-2017, 12:36 PM
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#41
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: On a hill in the Pine Barrens
Posts: 9,719
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Android + Mr. Number = Peace and quiet.
A few spam calls get through initially. Over time its accuracy goes up.
Tracfone plan for $99/year keeps our old landline number handy on an additional phone. Also functions on wifi for various lookup tasks while watching movies, etc.
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04-17-2017, 12:51 PM
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#42
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: May 2013
Location: ATL --> Flyover Country
Posts: 6,649
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Quote:
Originally Posted by easysurfer
Yes, at the Play Store. Here is a link:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...us.bestblocker
I think was about $5 and not $3 when I purchased in-app. Well worth the sanity, IMO .
If you want to not have go to voicemail, then leave phone and call blocker on (with setting to hang up). If you turn off phone, I think it goes to voicemail if a spammer calls. I just leave my phone on (at idle) for that reason as I want the hang up, no voicemail.
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WARNING!!! Read the most recent reviews. It appears that the developer made his cash and has run away. The FCC list hasn't been updated in quite a while and I started getting calls that were filtering thorough in some form or fashion (even though I had it set for the strongest level: contacts only, all others to voicemail). Long story short, I dumped it and have gone with Calls Blacklist which is very similar to the above app. You can also opt to not block texts. I have used it for about 2 weeks and it works great. Not a contact of mine? Talk to the voicemail! And as long as you don't mind the ads at the bottom, it is free.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/d....easyblacklist
__________________
FIRE'd in 2014 @ 40 Years Old
Professional Retiree
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04-17-2017, 01:27 PM
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#43
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 13,142
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ExFlyBoy5
WARNING!!! Read the most recent reviews. It appears that the developer made his cash and has run away. The FCC list hasn't been updated in quite a while and I started getting calls that were filtering thorough in some form or fashion (even though I had it set for the strongest level: contacts only, all others to voicemail). Long story short, I dumped it and have gone with Calls Blacklist which is very similar to the above app. You can also opt to not block texts. I have used it for about 2 weeks and it works great. Not a contact of mine? Talk to the voicemail! And as long as you don't mind the ads at the bottom, it is free.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/d....easyblacklist
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Interesting. I haven't had any issues. I have the app set up to hang up on any number not on my contact list and have never had a caller slip through. Is your phone on all the time? I suspect if the phone is off or maybe if you are in mid call, a caller not on the call list can slip through. I leave my phone on all the time as I don't like having to delete voicemails of people I don't know.
Glad you found one that fits your needs. Does the easyblacklist app hang up and not go to voicemail? That's a feature I really want in a blocking app.
__________________
Have you ever seen a headstone with these words
"If only I had spent more time at work" ... from "Busy Man" sung by Billy Ray Cyrus
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04-21-2017, 10:19 AM
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#44
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 13,142
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ExFlyBoy5
WARNING!!! Read the most recent reviews. It appears that the developer made his cash and has run away. The FCC list hasn't been updated in quite a while and I started getting calls that were filtering thorough in some form or fashion (even though I had it set for the strongest level: contacts only, all others to voicemail). Long story short, I dumped it and have gone with Calls Blacklist which is very similar to the above app. You can also opt to not block texts. I have used it for about 2 weeks and it works great. Not a contact of mine? Talk to the voicemail! And as long as you don't mind the ads at the bottom, it is free.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/d....easyblacklist
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(Bold added by me...)
ExFlyBoy5,
A couple minutes ago, I just had a call sneak by (using the call blocker I recommended) despite having the block and hang up all calls not on my contact list . The blocker eventually hung up but not until after about 10 seconds of the spammer's robocall.
__________________
Have you ever seen a headstone with these words
"If only I had spent more time at work" ... from "Busy Man" sung by Billy Ray Cyrus
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04-21-2017, 11:22 AM
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#45
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jun 2016
Posts: 1,961
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I used to wait for a humanoid and ask to be put on their do-not-call list.
Then one of the humanoids responded with "We can do that! Please wait for the tone"
the next sound I heard was a click and the dial tone... it was infuriating and funny at the same time.
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04-21-2017, 11:50 AM
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#46
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jan 2017
Posts: 2,657
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Both our Android phones started doing this a while ago: The phone rings and the display says "Possible Spam" along with an option to answer, hang up, or hang up and block.
If I answer a call, then hang up in the few seconds, I'm prompted to mark the caller as Spam and block the number.
I can also go back into my call history and mark any number as Spam.
I get the impression that Google is collecting these Spam numbers, blocking the ones I asked to block, and letting other users know it might be spam when they get a call from a number I've identified (and vice versa.)
I didn't ask for this, and I didn't install any apps to do this. The Android phone just started doing this on it's own, presumably after an update.
Check it out, see if there's a setting for blocked calls on the menu (three lines) of your phone app, and see if you can select a phone number and mark it as Spam.
I love it. It feels good to not only hang up on the spammers, but to alert others. A small service to humanity.
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04-21-2017, 12:26 PM
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#47
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Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Charleston, SC
Posts: 549
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What worked for me -- I keep a copy of the SIT wave file on my desktop. You know, that annoying 3-note atonal burst that announces "you have reached a non-working number"
When I get an unwanted call, I turn up my speakers and let 'er rip. The caller's software reads the "non-working" tone and will remove your number from their list. If you crank your speakers up to 11.....you can cause some permanent ear damage to whoever is monitoring the calls.
You're Welcome......
Special Information Tones (SIT)-- sit-tone.wav --
__________________
He who thinks he 'knows it all' has a very limited understanding of the word ALL.
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04-21-2017, 07:02 PM
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#48
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: May 2013
Location: ATL --> Flyover Country
Posts: 6,649
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Quote:
Originally Posted by easysurfer
Glad you found one that fits your needs. Does the easyblacklist app hang up and not go to voicemail? That's a feature I really want in a blocking app.
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Ah, sorry I missed your reply for so long, that is my bad!
It will send the "not in your contacts" number to voicemail, but if they happen to leave one (I would say that 1 in 10 do), you can add them to the blacklist and select "hang up". I personally prefer this since there are times that I do business with folks and I may not know what # they may call me from.
Quote:
Originally Posted by easysurfer
(Bold added by me...)
ExFlyBoy5,
A couple minutes ago, I just had a call sneak by (using the call blocker I recommended) despite having the block and hang up all calls not on my contact list . The blocker eventually hung up but not until after about 10 seconds of the spammer's robocall.
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That's how it started "acting up" for me. When I went to look at the settings, I noticed that the FCC database hadn't been updated in quite a while (and refreshing it didn't show a newer date). That's when I went to the app store to see if there was an update and I saw the high number of recent reviews with similar complaints. It really looks like the guy made some decent cash..and well, maybe he went full FIRE. SO...if that developer is here, right now..YOUR APP SUCKS NOW! I hope you are enjoying retirement!
After I got several calls making it through for a few days straight, I deleted it from my phone.
I now have been using Calls Blacklist for going on week 3 and it has worked flawlessly. Hopefully, I don't jinx it!
__________________
FIRE'd in 2014 @ 40 Years Old
Professional Retiree
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04-22-2017, 07:11 AM
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#49
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 13,142
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ExFlyBoy5
Ah, sorry I missed your reply for so long, that is my bad!
It will send the "not in your contacts" number to voicemail, but if they happen to leave one (I would say that 1 in 10 do), you can add them to the blacklist and select "hang up". I personally prefer this since there are times that I do business with folks and I may not know what # they may call me from.
That's how it started "acting up" for me. When I went to look at the settings, I noticed that the FCC database hadn't been updated in quite a while (and refreshing it didn't show a newer date). That's when I went to the app store to see if there was an update and I saw the high number of recent reviews with similar complaints. It really looks like the guy made some decent cash..and well, maybe he went full FIRE. SO...if that developer is here, right now..YOUR APP SUCKS NOW! I hope you are enjoying retirement!
After I got several calls making it through for a few days straight, I deleted it from my phone.
I now have been using Calls Blacklist for going on week 3 and it has worked flawlessly. Hopefully, I don't jinx it!
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Thanks for the reply. I'm going to keep an eye on my calls and see if more sneak through. If so, back to the drawing board and will have to try another app like the one you suggested or another.
That's a shame the guy that wrote that app apparently took the money and ran. I actually corresponding with him in the past and he gave really good customer service. He even refunded an app purchase when I initially purchased but didn't know if I shut off the phone calls would go to voice mail. Maybe his leaving wasn't of his own choice. Who knows. Could be health reasons or anything else.
I like your strategy off adding spam voice mailed calls to a blacklist then select hang up. I'd do that for repeat spammers.
__________________
Have you ever seen a headstone with these words
"If only I had spent more time at work" ... from "Busy Man" sung by Billy Ray Cyrus
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04-22-2017, 07:20 AM
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#50
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 6,173
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I use Calls Blacklist on my Android phone and PhoneTray on our land line. Both work great. I have some fun with Phone Tray, since one can play a recording to respond to a call. I have recorded several "interesting" replies that either fools the caller into thinking they are talking to a real person, or responds with some fictitious corporation/dept that probably scares some of them.
__________________
FIREd date: June 26, 2018 - "This Happy Feeling, Going Round and Round!" (GQ)
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04-22-2017, 08:01 AM
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#51
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Little Trailer Down By The River
Posts: 190
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Easysurfer: On my iPhone 6, when the phone rings the number calling is displayed (or if not transmitted is blank). If I do not recognize it, I press the button in the upper right corner that is the turn me off if you hold me long enough. I decline to memorize whatever Apple decides to call things. The phone stops ringing audibly, and when it has rung the number of times it is going to then the call goes to voice mail. If legitimate, there is a message, otherwise not. All I know is that I used to get 10 or so calls a day, now I get one or two.
__________________
"Here's to them who would read,
Here's to them that would write.
There's none ever feared that the Truth would be heard,
But those whom the Truth would indict."
Robert Burns
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04-22-2017, 08:14 AM
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#52
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 13,142
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Quote:
Originally Posted by poorcarver
Easysurfer: On my iPhone 6, when the phone rings the number calling is displayed (or if not transmitted is blank). If I do not recognize it, I press the button in the upper right corner that is the turn me off if you hold me long enough. I decline to memorize whatever Apple decides to call things. The phone stops ringing audibly, and when it has rung the number of times it is going to then the call goes to voice mail. If legitimate, there is a message, otherwise not. All I know is that I used to get 10 or so calls a day, now I get one or two.
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For me, I still want a hang up, don't go to voice mail option. But if not, then I'll have to live with go directly to voice mail (if not on contact list). There's a balance between simplicity and spending too much time making the blocker "work". The "turn off" on the corner of the iphone6 sounds like a good feature.
__________________
Have you ever seen a headstone with these words
"If only I had spent more time at work" ... from "Busy Man" sung by Billy Ray Cyrus
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04-22-2017, 08:30 AM
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#53
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Southern Cal
Posts: 4,032
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No problem here. If the number is not in our contact list, the call will not be accepted. We don't pickup landline anymore.
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04-22-2017, 08:31 AM
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#54
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Central MS/Orange Beach, AL
Posts: 9,071
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Quote:
Originally Posted by REWahoo
I haven't read this entire thread but if it hasn't been mentioned, the "Mr Number" free app works really well to screen unwanted calls. It intercepts spam/telemarketer calls after a single ring.
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Agree. It works really well. It's rare a spam call gets through.
__________________
Retired 3/31/2007@52
Investing style: Full time wuss.
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04-22-2017, 05:35 PM
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#55
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Moderator
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Eastern WV Panhandle
Posts: 25,340
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We are very happy with this CPR CallBlocker V500 that I bought on Amazon a few weeks ago. It comes with a known 5,000-number database of scammer, robocallers phone numbers, etc. To block others, just hit the big red "Block Now" if you're there, or it records the originating numbers of the last 20 callers so you can block those too if one is one you don't want. So far we've only had to block an additional eight numbers and the robocalls have dropped to nothing. Out of the box there was a noticeable drop in the number of robocalls before we added any.
Most of the time the phone never rings for a blocked call but once in a while we'll get one ring before it is blocked.
__________________
When I was a kid I wanted to be older. This is not what I expected.
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05-25-2017, 01:29 PM
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#56
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Rio Grande Valley
Posts: 38,139
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A couple of weeks ago, my phone suddenly starting displaying "Scam Likely" on some of the incoming calls. So I didn't answer them. And they must have been scam calls because for about 10 such ID'd calls so far, the caller has never left a message - a great filter.
It turns out that T-Mobile starting rolling out this Scan ID feature earlier this year.
https://www.theverge.com/2017/3/24/1...-call-warnings
So nice!
I won't have to block calls anymore. I had done that for some of the regular scammers, but they then just call from a different number.
__________________
Retired since summer 1999.
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05-25-2017, 02:22 PM
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#57
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: May 2006
Location: west coast, hi there!
Posts: 8,809
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Quote:
Originally Posted by audreyh1
A couple of weeks ago, my phone suddenly starting displaying "Scam Likely" on some of the incoming calls. So I didn't answer them. And they must have been scam calls because for about 10 such ID'd calls so far, the caller has never left a message - a great filter.
It turns out that T-Mobile starting rolling out this feature earlier this year.
https://www.theverge.com/2017/3/24/1...-call-warnings
So nice!
I won't have to block calls anymore. I had done that for some of the regular scammers, but they then just call from a different number.
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My beef is that one has to listen to the phone ringing. So it's not a total solution.
I think the blocking of calls only works if they are coming from the same source. I don't know how call spoofing technically works, but I think the telemarketers are using that technique from a single source. So the numbers are false ones and one is just blocking a false number.
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05-25-2017, 02:31 PM
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#58
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: May 2006
Location: west coast, hi there!
Posts: 8,809
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The Nomorobo site said that it was working on a solution for Android phones. There is a beta program for early access.
Apparently they have a solution for Iphones.
I just bought an Ooma (VOIP) for the house phone and with Premier Service ($10/month) their is Nomorobo on that. Hopefully that will help.
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05-25-2017, 02:31 PM
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#59
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Moderator
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Eastern WV Panhandle
Posts: 25,340
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lsbcal
I don't know how call spoofing technically works, but I think the telemarketers are using that technique from a single source. So the numbers are false ones and one is just blocking a false number.
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I've read that too and that's why we both like the callblocker that we bought. We're now up to 18 blocked numbers in addition to the ones that came with it. One of them used to call ~three or four times a day! I'll give them a point for tenacity though.
And I'm now getting recorded calls left on my cell phone number. I've had it for about ten years and use it about once a month and very few people have that number. So the robocallers must be dialing every number in a given exchange and if it answers they play the recording. I'd bring back public flogging for those vermin.
__________________
When I was a kid I wanted to be older. This is not what I expected.
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05-25-2017, 03:26 PM
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#60
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Rio Grande Valley
Posts: 38,139
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lsbcal
My beef is that one has to listen to the phone ringing. So it's not a total solution.
I think the blocking of calls only works if they are coming from the same source. I don't know how call spoofing technically works, but I think the telemarketers are using that technique from a single source. So the numbers are false ones and one is just blocking a false number.
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Can even turn off the phone ringing if you want - apparently you can completely block the call and not even get ringing. That is what DH is doing now. I may turn this feature on soon. The options for Scam ID and Scam Block are listed here: https://9to5mac.com/2017/03/24/how-t...hone-t-mobile/
And apparently this is just for scammers, not telemarketers, but of the 3 or 4 different calls I would get weekly with recorded messages trying to sell me this or that, these seem to be all blocked, so good enough for me. You can see how it works from the above article:
Quote:
T-Mobile says its service works by comparing phone numbers to a list of “tens of thousands” of known scammers. The database is constantly updated, the company says, by analyzing call patterns. So it sounds like T-Mobile might catch on to new scam numbers if it notices a bunch of subscribers immediately hanging up on a number they’ve never contacted before.
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Retired since summer 1999.
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