Uptick in Spam Calls

[carvers4math]

Not a technology issue. They can pretty much tell what toothpaste you used that morning from a technology standpoint.

Political issue. Including some privacy and freedom to do business stuff.

Shocking.

They want us to answer the damn insufferable political calls plus raking in campaign dough from swines doing this?

 

[jbhtexas]

Not a technology issue. They can pretty much tell what toothpaste you used that morning from a technology standpoint.

Political issue. Including some privacy and freedom to do business stuff.

Shocking.

I guess I overlooked the "right to impersonate someone else when doing business" amendment...

 

[crs8975]

I got about 10 calls from the area code of where I grew up, over the span of 3 days at the end of last week. No Voicemails left. Haven't had a call from them since.

I've been getting a lot of these and I haven't lived in the state for close to 10 years. Same thing, area code I grew up at where my parents still live. When they leave a VM its some BS credit card thing about how they can lower my rates that I dont need.

 

[BCClone]

They want us to answer the damn insufferable political calls plus raking in campaign dough from swines doing this?

My pigs take offense at your comparison.

 

[carvers4math]

My pigs take offense at your comparison.

My apologies, that was unfair of me. Maybe compare them to Sauron.

 

[Cycsk]

Doesn't seem to do any good to "press 9 to be taken off the list" so I've started having fun with them. I listen to the spiel about whatever that particular caller is trying to sell me and then ask if I can get fries with that. Had one caller get mad at me for wasting his time....

I wish I had the guts to do that, but I don't want to mess with someone who has my mobile phone number and is already spamming me!

 

[everyyard]

Deregulation.

 

[khardbored]

Most of the big cell services have a spam mgmt offering now and I think it is no charge or minimal if any. They do a decent job of filtering out the obvious ones but the local spoofing calls will get through. Gets about 1/2 for me. Verizon has an interface that makes it very easy to block numbers as well. I catch a few more that way.

If they get through you need to do 1 of 2 things. Take the call and make sure there is an option to press a number to be removed from the list. If they don't offer that option you need to report them - again, Verizon offers a pretty simple interface to do that through. Not sure on the others.

Really important to do those items so that CAN-SPAM laws take effect on them. They are relying on you to not report them.

Oh, also do a search on CAN-SPAM and go to the govt registration site to register on the do-not-call list. Here is the link - https://www.donotcall.gov/register/reg.aspx

Won't get them all but keeps it down considerably and only way we can push back against it.

I don't understand what good reporting them will do, when the phone number is not their "real" phone number? Clearly a lot of these spammers have figured out a way to make it look like they're calling from a local number when they're not.

Like others have said, you call the number that shows on the phone, you might be calling some local person or business.

 

[khardbored]

Some of these are kind of amusing if they leave a voicemail or if I actually answer.

So far this year:

- "I'm calling from the 'federal department of rent' "
- "You're about to be arrested since you didn't pay your taxes . . . but you can pay us now!"
- "Federal agents MAY be on the way to your house right now, unless you make a payment!"

 

[Farnsworth]

I don't understand what good reporting them will do, when the phone number is not their "real" phone number? Clearly a lot of these spammers have figured out a way to make it look like they're calling from a local number when they're not.

Like others have said, you call the number that shows on the phone, you might be calling some local person or business.

Exactly. You just have to ignore them.

There have been apps for years where you can spoof yourself to any number you want to.

 

[Cycsk]

One of the more interesting ones was a guy with an Indian accent who claimed that he was calling from Verizon. He said they had overcharged me and wanted to send me my refund, but they needed to know my PIN number to do so. Nice try!

 

[Chitowncy]

Some of these are kind of amusing if they leave a voicemail or if I actually answer.

So far this year:

- "I'm calling from the 'federal department of rent' "
- "You're about to be arrested since you didn't pay your taxes . . . but you can pay us now!"
- "Federal agents MAY be on the way to your house right now, unless you make a payment!"

Oh man, you're in trouble. The Federal Dept. of Rent takes no prisoners!

Better leave the country pronto and transfer your bank accounts to me while you're gone. I'll take good care of them.

Seriously though: technology has made life easier in some ways, but harder in others. I get about 4 - 6 calls a day too. So annoying.

 

[SECyclone]

When I get spam calls, I go ahead and block the numbers. I haven't had much of an issue with spam calls since doing that. The past few days I have gotten about 6 spam calls from varying numbers. (says Des Moines). I ignore the calls and no voicemail is left. One of them I tried to call back and i got a recording from Verizon saying it is no longer in service. Is anyone else noticing more spam calls lately?

I did this too and they use real cell numbers. Just recently ran into a family member that got a new phone number and it was a number I had blocked lol

 

[deadeyededric]

I got a call the other day saying that I lied on my taxes and there was a warrant out for my arrest. The number was from Washington state.

 

[VeloClone]

I got a call the other day saying that I lied on my taxes and there was a warrant out for my arrest. The number was from Washington state.

Whatever, it's still Washington. You should be skeered

 

[BoxsterCy]

Have four calls since yesterday from a number in Eagan, Minnesota. I don't know anyone in Eagan. Probably not that much interested in making new "friends" from there either.

 

[kingcy]

You just have to mess with them, get them all confused. Ask them how the weather is in what ever city came up on your phone. Use a lot of cuss words. When they give your their American name tell them that is not their real name. Tell them to get to the point and then tell them you want the same thing you got last time. They wont stop calling but at least you have a lil fun at their expense.

Do people really buy anything from these crooks?

 

[cmjh10]

Do not call list helped a lot for me, still get an occasional one here and there

 

[Cydkar]

I’ve gotten to the point where if I don’t recognize the number I don’t answer. If it’s truly important they’ll always leave a voicemail

I've done this for years.

 

[BoxsterCy]

Do people really buy anything from these crooks?

They aren't doing this as a hobby, so yes, some people get sucked in. Think really naive or adults who are vulnerable. It's likely the people who can least afford to get cheated who end up getting scammed.

Of course I am so suspicious that I got a voicemail for what I thought was a credit card scam. Called the number on my Visa and found it was legit. There were a bunch of fraud charges that had rolled up on my account.