Robocall Madness

[John Galt III]

Twice in the last week I have picked up my landline phone to make a call and there is a robocall person already on the line! I have my ringer off, so maybe just a coincidence that I picked up after they had just called. It would be awful if the robocallers could connect to your line without making it ring, and just lurk there until you picked up. Oh no, I just gave them an idea....

 

[scrabbler1]

The number which called 6 times since Monday called me again. Bu this time, I answered it, hoping a human would come on the line. A woman did, and I yelled to her that they had called me all those times and demanded they stop calling me. To my surprise, she said she would take me off their list. Wishful thinking?

 

[Cobra9777]

I guess people like to complain about this. But if you actually want to solve this problem, just dump your landline and get a Google Voice number with a VoIP device like the Obi-200. I don't know how they do it, but Google eliminates these calls entirely. And it's free!

Don't fret about dumping your old number that you've had since the Eisenhower administration. It's hopelessly contaminated at this point. The effort to change your number at a couple doctors and family is nothing compared to the frustration of endless robo calls. Just do it. I made the change 5 years ago and still no robo calls on the GV number. I even changed my mobile phone to Google Voice using Hangouts. My mobile phone has an actual phone number but I disabled it using Ting's device set-up. I only use the GV number for voice and text via the Hangouts app.

My MIL's phone rings continuously all day with robo calls and telemarketers. She answers every call (as I shake my head). Fortunately, her hearing is so bad, she just hangs up after a couple minutes of not understanding what they're saying. UN-fortunately, the same thing happens with important calls. Ugh.

 

[easysurfer]

I've been quite happy with my latest robcall madness battle. For home phone, Switched from ATT Landline paired with Sentry call blocker to Ooma Premier. For mobile have a free call blocker app. Both Ooma and call blocker app are whitelist based with options for callers to leave voicemail. Since almost all are robocalls, this approach is pretty effective. Not 100%, but pretty close.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

I guess people like to complain about this. But if you actually want to solve this problem, just dump your landline and get a Google Voice number with a VoIP device like the Obi-200. I don't know how they do it, but Google eliminates these calls entirely. And it's free!

I think you might be on to something. I also have a GV number that I have had for years but don't really use too much. After reading your message I took a look at the call history and there are two spam calls so far THIS YEAR. Last year, there were SIX...TOTAL. On my primary number (that I have had for several years) I probably get six A DAY, but I use the native Android blocker, so the phone will only ring if it's one of my contacts.

I have also "parked" a local number at NumberBarn. I was able to pick a number that is easy to remember and a Google search didn't show any history with that number. I will sit on it for a couple of months and see if it stays "spam free" and if it does, I will make that my new permanent number.

 

[scrabbler1]

I hit the century mark yesterday...…..I have now received calls from 100 unique "neighbor spoofed" numbers on my cell phone. All the calls of this type came from 100 of my "neighbors," that is, they all began with my area code plus first 3 digits of the cell phone even though I know nobody whose phone number begins that way.


When a call comes in from one of those numbers (or from any number not in my contact list), I just flip open the primitive cell phone a half inch then let it close, ending the call without burning any minutes and without having to listen to the somewhat annoying ring tone and without giving it a chance to go to voice mail which is another minor nuisance to retrieve.


How long will it take to get the next hundred of these neighbor spoofed numbers? And remember, I get lots of other junk calls from other unknown numbers......LOL as I am typing this post up, one of those just came in (I do the same thing as with the neighbor spoofers).

 

[KenZ71]

Been getting robo calls from what I can only describe as "some weird Asian Lady talking in her native tongue". Hope that did not sound offensive.

Enabling MagicJacks spam block worked great except in-laws could not understand how to get through so I get the stink eye from them.

 

[Go-NoGo]

Been getting robo calls from what I can only describe as "some weird Asian Lady talking in her native tongue". Hope that did not sound offensive.

Hey I have received a call from her too!

If you have ATT download their "ATT mobile security" app. It has ".. AT&T Call Protect for more control over nuisance calls at no additional charge." which will block nuisance/spam calls.

 

[Sunset]

We have been getting them too with our area code and first 3 digits.
We have an answering machine that uses the automated "leave a message" .

I want to switch out the message to a very LONG message , one that will fool their automated system to think someone has answered, so they get a human on and then listen to the ramble.. wasting maybe a minute of their time (times a million people and they are screwed).

However, with voice ID, the last thing I want is to supply my voice so they can hack bank accounts.

 

[scrabbler1]

Been getting robo calls from what I can only describe as "some weird Asian Lady talking in her native tongue". Hope that did not sound offensive.

Enabling MagicJacks spam block worked great except in-laws could not understand how to get through so I get the stink eye from them.

I have been getting a few voice mails off my cell phone with a rambling Asian lady. They are a minor PITA to retrieve because my cell phone doesn't ring - the caller called the voice mail system directly and left a message that way. Has that happened to you, or to anyone else?

 

[scrabbler1]

Rather than start a new thread, I thought I would add a new type of garbage call I have gotten twice today.


"I'm Kyle (or some other name), a hearing administrator calling on a recorded line." The first time, I hung up right away. The second time, from a different local (not neighbor spoofed) number, I stayed on the line and the caller hung up after the above intro.


Anyone know what they are trying to do? I post to 800notes.com and one number was blank while the other one had other scams.

 

[SecondCor521]

Anyone know what they are trying to do

Separate you from your money by devious means of dubious legality. Details are irrelevant (although I'm curious how scams work too).

 

[TrvlBug]

We've had a new one for the last couple of weeks...'private caller.' I guess since we don't pick up the local ones, the scammers think this one might pique our interest as to who's calling. NO.

 

[easysurfer]

I just got a voicemail from a "Virginia Rogers" in regards to my student loan. No wonder I have these I haven't studied for my finals recurring dreams .

 

[scrabbler1]

Busy day here for the robocallers. It is not quite 7 PM and the cell phone has gotten 6 calls already, one while I was out at the pool, interrupting me while I was reading a book in the shade. I later checked my land line back in my apartment and saw that I had gotten 2 calls while I was at the pool. That's 8 calls in under 7 hours.


I don't actually answer the cell phone. I just flip open the receiver an inch and close it right away, stopping the somewhat annoying ring tone without using up any time on it (I pay per minute).

 

[Dawg52]

Busy day here for the robocallers. It is not quite 7 PM and the cell phone has gotten 6 calls already, one while I was out at the pool, interrupting me while I was reading a book in the shade. I later checked my land line back in my apartment and saw that I had gotten 2 calls while I was at the pool. That's 8 calls in under 7 hours.


I don't actually answer the cell phone. I just flip open the receiver an inch and close it right away, stopping the somewhat annoying ring tone without using up any time on it (I pay per minute).

I was with a friend the other day and he was getting a couple of calls every hour. Luckily i'm not a popular guy as I rarely get any. None today. I used to have Mr. Number spam blocker but they converted to a pay service so I ditched it. Hasn't mattered tho. So far that is.........

 

[ziggy29]

There is something to be said for getting cell phone service with an obscure area code where no one you know actually lives or has a number. Then when you see that area code and your prefix on the caller ID, you know it's a robo and don't have to answer anything.

 

[scrabbler1]

OMG the cell phone keeps ringing! In the last hour, and only 6 minutes apart, two more robocalls came to the cell phone. One of them, like one of the earlier ones today, was one of those "neighbor spoofing" numbers which match my area code+first 3 digits of my cell phone. Those 2 calls represent the 106th and 107th calls of that type in the last 3 years. That's 8 junk calls today on the cell phone, everyone's favorite receptacle for these junk calls, it seems.

 

[Paulz]

When someone in a store asks for my phone number I simply say "Sorry, it's unlisted." I've never had a pushback to that.

I got a free google voice number that I give out so only family has my cell number. I never answer the google voice number, so its a great filter for all the calls.

 

[BuysToys]

Robocalls have been bad here. We're getting 7-8 every day now. DH can't just let the phone ring, he has to answer it.

 

[easysurfer]

If I don't have list based call screening on both my Ooma and mobile phones, I'd get a bunch of calls a day. I have both set to if not on my accepted list of contacts, then send to voice mail. Since the majority of calls are automated robocalls that don't leave a voice mail, I may only get about 1 or 2 that slip by every few weeks. That's manageable .

 

[ERD50]

I got a free google voice number that I give out so only family has my cell number. I never answer the google voice number, so its a great filter for all the calls.

Not giving out the number isn't related to the issue. The robo-dialers just dial all numbers. They don't "get them" from anywhere or anyone.

555-0000
555-0001
555-0002, and so on.

-ERD50

 

[blueskyk]

There is something to be said for getting cell phone service with an obscure area code where no one you know actually lives or has a number. Then when you see that area code and your prefix on the caller ID, you know it's a robo and don't have to answer anything.

When we moved to a different state, we kept our cellphone numbers and now know any unidentified calls from our old location area code are spam. This has been pretty handy.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

Best defense to this is the blocking feature on most Android friends (called do not disturb on mine). Set to "contacts only" and my phone rings only when it's a contact. Robocallers seldom leave voicemails.

 

[Spock]

Not giving out the number isn't related to the issue. The robo-dialers just dial all numbers. They don't "get them" from anywhere or anyone.

555-0000
555-0001
555-0002, and so on.

-ERD50

That's the first wave... the dead air robo calls.
There are companies that do the sequential dialing and make a sublist of active numbers to re-sell to other robo-dailers.
The more active lists you get on the more calls you'll get.
The callers do "get them", google "buy phone list" or some such and see the number of places you can buy lists of phone numbers from.