Harrassing Phone Calls - Inquring Minds...

[rotor]

I got a call like that 15 minutes ago. The Federal do not call site does NOTHING to stop them. The really criminal thing is that you can not call block these out of area phone numbers. Why is it that the phone company does not allow me to block these numbers? I can block my neighbors from calling but not the crooks. This technology would be so easy for the phone companies to adapt. They already have it but only for local numbers. Do a google search sometime on the number that shows up when you get one of these calls. You will find many complaints about the numbers but nothing is done. Same thing for cell phones, you can't (at least with AT&T) block them. You can complain but you can't block.

[nightmare69]

When telemarketers used to call my parents house all the time to get them to stop calling I would tell them they were deceased. It worked.

[Syntyr]

http://nomorobo.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Works like a charm. The only issue is you have to use a system that supports simulring. Which is where incoming calls ring more than one number.

1. Sign up for free at nomorobo.com
2. Add the nomorobo number to your simul ring
3. Almost no autodialers or other marketing spam calls.

They block all calls that they see coming from known spammers and if it is suspected they answer the phone with a message that tells the person (assuming is a real person) what numbers to press to send the call through.

Works great. I am down from 7 or 8 calls per day to 1 or 2 per week!

[Syntyr]

When telemarketers used to call my parents house all the time to get them to stop calling I would tell them they were deceased. It worked.

Hehehehehe the Houston College Republicans used to call my wife once a day. I would say she isn't there could I take a message. She never answers the phone. They would say no and hang up. They were calling from a private number otherwise I would have called them back. Finally got one to stay on the line and told them that if they called again my entire family would be voting democrat for the next decade!

They stopped calling...

[jimlongley]

I got a call like that 15 minutes ago. The Federal do not call site does NOTHING to stop them. The really criminal thing is that you can not call block these out of area phone numbers. Why is it that the phone company does not allow me to block these numbers? I can block my neighbors from calling but not the crooks. This technology would be so easy for the phone companies to adapt. They already have it but only for local numbers. Do a google search sometime on the number that shows up when you get one of these calls. You will find many complaints about the numbers but nothing is done. Same thing for cell phones, you can't (at least with AT&T) block them. You can complain but you can't block.

One of the reasons you can't block the numbers you see on Caller ID is that there is extensive use of spoofed CID numbers. The number you see on your CID unit is not necessarily the number the telephone company's automatic number identification sees. CID is transmitted as a data burst in band between rings whereas the number and routing information of the call is transmitted out of band between central offices and really only available to the phone companies, but that may be where call blocking fails, because you enter a call to be blocked based on what you saw on your CID, but what they receive though ANI is something different.

I also have a tendency to answer those calls anyway, and explain my $100 charge for marketing calls to my home, and that it must be prepaid before they are allowed to finish their spiel.

[rotor]

Thanks for the info. No matter how much we try someone always has a gimmick to beat us.

[VMI77]

Like others have said.....the do not call list is useless....just don't answer. Whether at home or the office I don't answer any call from a number I don't recognize. Should the call be one I need to answer they'll leave a message. Most of the time when I don't recognize the number no message is left --meaning scammer. Also, at the office when I don't recognize a number I google it, and 90% of the time I find it is the number of some kind of telemarketer or scammer.

[Tic Tac]

Custom ring tones are great. My default ring is a silent MP3. People worth talking to get a different ring tone.

[StewNTexas]

Being retired, and home most of the time, I get a number of these phone calls.

I tried something a week or two ago, that is becoming fun. When I get a call, for example a special rate of a credit card, I ask the person to hold on a moment. I say that my wife mentioned getting a different card, and for them to please hold while I get her on the line.

I then lay the phone down, go about my business. Sometime later I will hear the beep, beep letting me know they gave up.

I have gotten tired of wrong numbers, especially the ones that seem to ask for the same name time after time. I had one guy that called at least once a week looking for her. I told him she was busy in the back bedroom with a new pizza delivery guy, and it might take a while.

He has not called back since.

[rotor]

Some of the worst are from "law enforcement" organizations in Texas. Especially dislike it when they use my first name.

[chasfm11]

I got another "get better credit card rates" call again this morning. The frequency is definitely up so something that I'm doing is wrong. I like the tones on the answering machine idea and will try to implement that tomorrow. Thanks.

To be clear, I went for months where I never picked up the phone and just let the answering machine take the calls. As others reported, nearly 100% of them detected the answering machine and hung up immediately. Their repeated call backs was why I started answering the phone. When Cardmember Services would get the answering machine, they were prone to call back two more times that day. I figured that if a couple of their call center people got a dose of some salty language, they might put me on the do not call list voluntarily.

We have DirecTV so if the TV is on, the name and number flash up on the screen. I don't even need to get up to look at the caller ID. I've gotten especially frustrated with all of the calls this week because I'm in the middle of laying wood floors in the living room and have had to stop to check the Caller ID. I have 3-4 things going on where I would like not to play phone tag with the callers so I have to at least check to see if it is a number that I recognize. If it goes to the answering machine, I may not link up with the caller for a day or two.

[JSThane]

I got another "get better credit card rates" call again this morning. The frequency is definitely up so something that I'm doing is wrong. I like the tones on the answering machine idea and will try to implement that tomorrow. Thanks.

To be clear, I went for months where I never picked up the phone and just let the answering machine take the calls. As others reported, nearly 100% of them detected the answering machine and hung up immediately. Their repeated call backs was why I started answering the phone. When Cardmember Services would get the answering machine, they were prone to call back two more times that day. I figured that if a couple of their call center people got a dose of some salty language, they might put me on the do not call list voluntarily. .

Given that "Cardmember Services" is a spam and identity theft ring, what you're "doing wrong" is possessing money they want to steal. It doesn't cost them anything to pester you, but if you give in just once, it can cost you a lot.

Might I recommend an air horn or a shrill whistle?

Edit: My wife says to pass on her tricks and techniques. When she gets a spam-call, she's incredibly polite, but she'll start talking in a normal tone of voice, and get quieter and quieter as time goes by, until the caller can't hear her. When they ask her to speak up, she'll ask them to repeat themselves one or two more times, then say "my husband doesn't let me do that over the phone" or something similar, and hang up. She doesn't get that many spam calls any more.

[Jumping Frog]

... I regret to say that the NRA is also one of my frequent callers. ...

Well, everyone else has weighed in on the rest of the issues, but I'll speak to this. If you call NRA Member Services, you can customize your contact preferences, including telephone, email, and snail-mail. Tell them you do not want to be telephoned and they will not call.

[jmra]

... I regret to say that the NRA is also one of my frequent callers. ...

Well, everyone else has weighed in on the rest of the issues, but I'll speak to this. If you call NRA Member Services, you can customize your contact preferences, including telephone, email, and snail-mail. Tell them you do not want to be telephoned and they will not call.

I have done this and still get called at least every other week. The only solicitation call I get more is the cruise line recording where you here the fog horn as soon as you answer the phone.

[Jumping Frog]

I have done this and still get called at least every other week. The only solicitation call I get more is the cruise line recording where you here the fog horn as soon as you answer the phone.

Wow, that is surprising. I haven't received a single NRA telephone call in years.

Maybe it is worth calling them again. Threaten to send money to anti-gun groups if they don't stop!