Why you should block calls from your own number

[FUEGO]

I'm not 100% sure how my cell phone works but I rarely get calls on it, and never from unwanted numbers. So I guess I'm doing something right to screen calls, perhaps at the risk of missing important calls (which will go to voicemail, get transcribed, then emailed to me with the text and the audio as an attachment).

 

[REWahoo]

If you lost your phone, how could you use it to call yourself?

That was an attempt at a joke...

 

[Amethyst]

What is wrong with using cellphone voicemail (as Bestwifeever noted) same as we use a answering machine on our landline?

We never pick up a call unless we a) recognize the number and/or b) get a pertinent message.

EDIT: Oh, I see the issue is not with taking the call, but having the phone ring and wake you up. Maybe at night, you could set it to vibrate or whatever. Unless you are on call for something or someone.

 

[Dawg52]

That was an attempt at a joke...

 

[Whisper66]

I've been getting more robocalls recently so looking for options to screen them. Seems like https://www.truecaller.com/ may be able to block many incoming spam calls on Windows or Android phones. It uses a crowdsourced database of spam numbers that is generated by input from users of the app. When they recognize a number as spam, they click a button and the data goes into the database for all to use. When the user gets a call from a spammer in the database, it shows up as incoming call from "Spam" and won't ring if setting are set right. Pretty neat idea. Unfortunately IPhone security measures means it doesn't work like that for my Iphone so still looking for other options. Right now, I do as most do and just don't answer numbers I don't recognize.

Edit: Just reading a bit more about apps. I may try Mr. Number (mentioned earlier by someone) or Hiya app to see if they work better on iphones.

 

[REWahoo]

EDIT: Oh, I see the issue is not with taking the call, but having the phone ring and wake you up. Maybe at night, you could set it to vibrate or whatever. Unless you are on call for something or someone.

That's why we use the 'do not disturb' feature at night, blocking calls or messages from anyone not on our contact list. The fact our own cell phone number is on this list and is "spoofed" by robocallers is the reason for this thread.

 

[Lawrencewendall]

I've been using nomorobo.com for several years now. if the phone only rings once, it was a robo call that was disconnected. Free for landline and something like $2 a month for mobile. I love it on the landline.

 

[Rustic23]

AT&T offers a free call blocking service called "Call Protect" for mobile phones. It is powered by "HIYA" also a free app that does the same thing.

 

[Winemaker]

That was an attempt at a joke...

Okay, I thought I was missing something obvious, and I guess I did!

The coffee was brewing when I posted, so I hadn't had my jolt yet.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

I've been getting more robocalls recently so looking for options to screen them. Seems like https://www.truecaller.com/ may be able to block many incoming spam calls on Windows or Android phones. It uses a crowdsourced database of spam numbers that is generated by input from users of the app. When they recognize a number as spam, they click a button and the data goes into the database for all to use. When the user gets a call from a spammer in the database, it shows up as incoming call from "Spam" and won't ring if setting are set right. Pretty neat idea. Unfortunately IPhone security measures means it doesn't work like that for my Iphone so still looking for other options. Right now, I do as most do and just don't answer numbers I don't recognize.

The issue is that the spammer's software is such that it will spoof a number "on the fly", so where it may call you from 555-555-1234, it will also call your neighbor using 555-555-1235 and so on and so on...making it virtually impossible to block ALL the spam numbers; especially if they are now spoofing your OWN NUMBER. The *only* truly effective way I have stopped this is with an app that blocks all calls that aren't in my contacts list. I have been using "calls blacklist" with great success.

 

[ponyboy]

I cant remember the last time I had the volume on. I always have it on mute/vibrate. People that need to hear a chime every time they get a text, facebook alert, notification, email, calendar reminder, etc etc annoy me.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

I cant remember the last time I had the volume on. I always have it on mute/vibrate. People that need to hear a chime every time they get a text, facebook alert, notification, email, calendar reminder, etc etc annoy me.

The alerts can be very annoying and like you, I have turned them off (all the audio ones) for all but calls. Almost all the apps have some notification turned on by default and I think that it's not only annoying as hell, it leads to "phone fatigue". The only real reason my phone is around all the time is that my Dad is almost 90 years old and I am at his beck and call 24/7. I told my DW that once he's gone, the phone will probably be tossed in the car glovebox and not really used anymore.

 

[Goonie]

.......The only real reason my phone is around all the time is that my Dad is almost 90 years old and I am at his beck and call 24/7. I told my DW that once he's gone, the phone will probably be tossed in the car glovebox and not really used anymore.

+1
My Mom is 90, and I always keep my phone on in case she needs to get a hold of me. I have a few friends that ocassionally call or text me, but those are few and far between.

BTW....if I don't recognize a number on caller ID, I won't answer it. Also, I don't have voice mail set up (and never have in the 30 years that I've had cellphones), because I figure if I miss a call, if it's important, they'll call back until they reach me, and if it's a scammer, spammer, or robocall, they won't.

 

[scrabbler1]

I've been using nomorobo.com for several years now. if the phone only rings once, it was a robo call that was disconnected. Free for landline and something like $2 a month for mobile. I love it on the landline.

When I switched from Verizon to Optimum for my landline service last November, I was able to use nomorobo and it blocks most but not all of the garbage calls which come in on that line.

But my cell phone is another story. I have had the number for only 2 1/2 years, but about 90% of the calls I get on it are garbage calls. I pay about 11 cents per minute, so it adds up over time, especially if I have to retrieve a voice mail message and clear it out. Some of the garbage calls go right to voice mail (how?) and my phone never rings.

Another problem I have had with the cell phone is that I get a bunch of calls for the former owner of the phone number, asking for him by name. Often it was only the first name, so it took me nearly 2 years just to get his last name. When I found someone local with that name (a doctor), and I called his office, I was told by his staff that he never had my cell number (so it's another guy with the same name).

On the cell phone more than the land line, I get lots of calls from spoofed numbers, numbers with my area code and 3-digit exchange. And it's always the same bunch of robocalls, like the resort rewards or payday loans. I have asked this before but I'll ask it again - what kind of business model calls the same people over and over and over, knowing that they don't want to be called (re: the useless do not call list), just to annoy them while wasting everyone's time trying to sell them something they have no interest in? What is so hard about NOT calling people who do NOT want to be called?

I go to http://800notes.com/ a lot to see if others have gotten garbage calls from the same number, and those spoofed (local) numbers never have anyone else posting about them.

 

[PoorOldCountryBoy]

I've been getting "OUT OF AREA" with no phone number whatsoever on my spam calls. Has anyone found a way to block those?

 

[Whisper66]

Based on comments from this thread, I found and installed the "Hiya" app on my IPhone 5s. It's been doing a great job identifying spam callers for the several days I've used it. It works on an IPhone whereas Truecaller didn't really.