Robo/unknown/fake name calls on the increase.
 

It seems the last couple of weeks the telemarketing calls have increased significantly.

Especially utilizing the new tactic of using fake names. And now they even employ repeat calls from the same name and number.

Are you experiencing this as well?

My Cell phone service is set not to ring if number is not in my contacts. I do receive notification of call and if important they can leave message. Option on iPhone turn on Silence Unknown Callers, go to settings, phone turn option on bottom of list.

About the same

I ask where they are located and if not given a quick answer I will waste their time.

Like to ask them questions about silly things while I get some exercise.And than I block the number which sometimes slows them down

Did get one last week who said they were from the SS administration and my payments were blocked. Even gave me a badge number.

When I told them that I also worked there and didnt realize they were using that sequence of numbers he hung up real fast

Landline and cell has block on any non contact number.
Phone never rings unless it’s someone we know

My question is, who is the bigger scammer, the telemarketers who keep calling people, or the Federal Government who keeps telling the public that they are going to stop the telemarketers?

Suspect the telemarketers buy enough congressman so nobody wants to fix the do not call list.

Yes, I am. I get calls and texts.

I'm getting more texts - most of them are for [null] from "Amazon" about a delivery waiting for my authorization. Every time I get one I block their number. The numbers are different each time.
I'm also getting more texts for Simone, who is the name of the person who had my phone number before I did. She moved, got a new phone and new phone number, her old number was recycled and I got stuck with it when I got my new phone service.

Simone was - or still is - some manner of "adult entertainer." I don't know if she's a full-fledge prostitute, or just a phone-sex gal but I got a text from one guy who "met" her on meetup.com or hookup.com saying I know why he was calling and he wanted to date me and he knew I was Simone. I reverse-looked up his phone number while he was texting me and found out who HE was - and told him if he ever called this number again, I'd call the Dallas Department of Public Education and let them know that one of their elementary school teachers was soliciting for porn. He never called again.

I still get texts and calls for Simone, but most of them are approving her non-existent loans, and offering her non-existent money-making schemes. I just block them when they come in.

Getting slightly more.

Mine have picked back up to 4-5 per day. They had reached 10-12 per day before the China virus pandemic. Mostly landline but a few on my cell phone

Another posting string about robo junk callers! Is this with your landline or cellphone? If it’s your cellphone, iPhone or Android? Would you like to permanently stop the robo junk callers? It’s your choice to live with the robo junk callers, or immediately and permanently end the robo junk callers.

If you have a landline, buy a Digitone Call Blocker box for $90, one time cost. Program the call blocker box with the telephone numbers that normally call you. After that point in time, your landline will only ring when it’s one of those programmed telephone numbers. All other numbers will not ring your landline, but they can leave a voicemail. Junk callers almost never leave voicemail. When a legitimate caller leaves a voicemail, add that telephone number to your list. That list is called a “white list”. Blocking numbers, or “black lists” are useless, since there are hundreds of billions of possible numbers to block.

If it’s your cellphone with the junk caller problem, and an iPhone, turn on “Silence Unknown Callers”. The Android cellphones have an equivalent way to block junk callers. If you have T-Mobile service, they have another method to stop junk callers.

The choice is yours! You can keep complaining about the robo junk callers, and keep living with the annoying problem, or you can immediately and permanently end the annoying robo junk calls.

The system you describe will work as you say, but it is not appropriate for everyone. Some people don't want to block calls from unknown numbers. They may miss calls from people they know, but don't have them listed on their white list for several reasons. The caller may be calling from another number, or it may be a doctor's office or a new friend or business associate, or maybe someone gave away your contact number without telling you. And, a lot of people do not leave voicemail messages. They expect the person they called to return the call because their phone will show a missed call. Or, if somenoe leaves a voicemail, often when you try to return the call, the business is closed or you can't reach the person. I rarely leave voicemails, and I would not feel comfortable using a white list to screen my calls.

I have had a scammer call me using my phone number. When I called the phone company about it they said there’s nothing they could do.

I've had a lot more scam calls, texts and emails lately. The "spoofing" (disguising a communication from an unknown source as being from a known, trusted source) has also turned into them phoning me with a number that's almost identical to mine. Confusing. Also the typical ones about me owing the government money. My least favorite is emails that say they know my password (they showed me the right one), sure made me change them ASAP.

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Re many of these calls, I appreciate the reminders that my warranty is expiring. I must have some memory issues, but this helps.
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Telemarketers
 

Yes
If no one ever responded they would go out of business. They don’t need many people to fall for their schemes to make it worthwhile.

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We SCREEN EVERYTHING!>

- Cell phones, NEVER answer unknown #s

- Home/landline, same

- Email, never open links unless we know the sender

-We are so careful now, that when the doorbell rings - we slide our SCREEN door closed before we look and talk to the person. Better safe> sorry.
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I have 2 responses. I keep a whistle by the phone. Hopefully, I blow out their ear drums. Best advice is never answer the phone or open your door to unknown people. Unless I know you're visiting, I haven't opened my front door since 1991 when I was robbed.

My cell software has been doing well ID'g fake calls.


But............now I'm getting texts.

Robo calls
 

Get
The app Nomorobo. It will block those calls. And I agree, the number of those calls has increased exponentially!!

I would not use a whistle because the caller has your number and can do the same thing to you.

Stu from Brooklyn -- once again another great post

A way I’ve stopped this is to set up my phone to only accept calls in my contact list. All other calls go to voice mail and don’t even ring. The voice message tells them if they get voice mail, they are not in my contacts list and leave a detailed message if they want a call back. Literally stopped all calls that were a nuisance.

I am in a position where I expect calls from unknown numbers, HOWEVER, I have an answering machine. If I do not recognize the caller or number, I DO NOT pick up. If they start to leave a message pertinent to me, I WILL pick up and explain my position. They always understand. Simple. I will never get rid of my landline.

We have Ooma, set to the next highest security level short of blocking all calls. Last week on Wednesday, we got 21 spam calls. Wednesday and Friday seem to be the days that are the worst. It does no good to use call blocking. Ooma claims they use NoMoRobo but if so, why are they letting all these calls go through? Would the Digitone gadget mentioned above work on VOIP calling like Ooma?

the gov't is useless in this instance.

"Are you experiencing this as well? " yes, yes & yes. they all seem to hit @ once. Ones from SS-also 'stolen' numbers, supposed car warranties expiring (where none exist) , & grandkids needing $$ for some emergency matter. I got upset @ 1st, but since being bored with covid, i will now play along with them & have a bit of fun before hanging them out to dry. :popcorn:

NoMoRobo does what it claims to do: eliminates automated/digital dialing calls (robo calls) from getting through. It doesn't eliminate actual people calling you on the phone, no matter what the reason.

So if there's a real person on the other end of the phone punching in the phone number manually, then it's not a robocall, and NoMoRobo will allow it to get through.

Absolutely.
They say they are on a recorded line

I look forward to my daily phone call informing me that this is the final call regarding my ability to take out an extended warranty on my auto before they close my file...been going on for months now....we can set our watch by it...comes a little after 4pm.

Fake texts very bothersome
 

I’m glad you mentioned fake and robo text messages as I’m also having this issue. Up until the last few months, texts only came from friends and family. But now I’m getting texts stating “you have a package from USPS” or Amazon, etc. Also I get texts about diet pills. I block and delete them, but they keep showing up.

Yes, it’s all day long. I get calls at 8am !!!! I changed my recording on my machine and said if you are a solicitor please take us off your list. It seems to be working as I am not getting repeat calls.

Unless you enjoy robocalls and spam calls, you need to develop a thorough contact list in you mobile phone....including friends, neighbors, relatives, doctors, pharmacies, contract workers (lawn, pool, cleaning, etc). Then you have a 'white list' to cut out most. If someone you know has a new number and didn't notify you, they can leave a message and you can add it to your contacts. The government and phone companies will not resolve the problem until they step up. The govt is too busy with politics, and the phone companies with 5G installation. Anything done by the phone companies to stop all will be useless until there is a law by the govt to allow prosecution.

Spoofing
 

I received a call the other day from a man who asked if I had called him. I had not. He said the call was from my number and showed my name as the caller. The call was a Social Security scam call saying his Social Security number had been compromised and asking for personal information. I called my carrier, T-Mobile, but they said that since the call had not originated on their system there was nothing they could do. It's getting scary out there.

Yes they are call centers that get paid to confirm phone numbers and persons. I always say you have the wrong number ! An accent works good too!

As soon as they say why recorded line, they say for my protection.

So I hang up for my protection

The problem is we keep getting calls from this area code that are new to us and we want to take. For example last week one from our DR office asking about our health.

Yes and it is annoying. I block them but they use many many different numbers. Some times i answer and play with them.

Yes, and the doctor is not always going to call from the same number. And, some doctors will block the incoming caller ID.

So just something else we have to deal with these days, as our daughter would say First World Problem.