Robocalls

[lazyjj]

Is it just me or is anyone else seemingly getting more and more unsolicited calls during the COVID pandemic. I get several a day, anything from vehicle warranties to credit card offers.

[Iwritecode]

Originally Posted by lazyjj

Is it just me or is anyone else seemingly getting more and more unsolicited calls during the COVID pandemic. I get several a day, anything from vehicle warranties to credit card offers.

I wouldn't know. I never answer my phone unless I actually recognize the number.

And even then it's not certain that I'll answer...

[aray]

Many cable or telco service providers offer Nomorobe https://www.nomorobo.com/ for free, upon request. While it doesn't eliminate all calls, it does significantly reduce them. You might check to see if it's offered in your area.

Ray

[WanderMore]

Sometimes I just mess with them. Extended vehicle warranties are one of my favorites. I tell them I have a 2026 Intergalactic Star Cruiser.

Another scam was ‘every citizen is entitled to a government grant’ (prior to COVID). I told them I don’t qualify as I’m a Nigerian Prince.

[wildcatter]

I have been getting the one where they want to buy my house, I usually just hang up on them but I am so going to jack with them.

[MR.M]

most seem to come from my home area code . i'm in Fl but they all have Colorado prefix . most are robot calls warranty or goggle business for me . i just block them all but they keep calling and an endless supply of annoying me every afternoon . I thought this was illegal . used to be a federal no call list but now it seems open season on the scammers .

[BehindBars]

If you know what the calls are selling, you must have been answering the phone. Answering the phone probably puts your number on a premium call list and you will then get even more robocalls. The solution, although it may be too late for your phone number, is to not answers calls from unrecognized parties. If it's really important, they'll leave a message.

If you answer the phone just to "mess with them", you'll probably just get harassed even more frequently. Have fun with that.

[Germanrazor]

Originally Posted by Iwritecode

I wouldn't know. I never answer my phone unless I actually recognize the number.

And even then it's not certain that I'll answer...

Bwaaaaa ha ha, you sound like me! If it is important, they will leave a message.

[hobienick]

Messing with them is so much fun. You need to see how long you can keep them on the phone. My record is 32 minutes for a car warranty.

Once I started wasting thier time the number of calls I get reduced. I kind of miss harassing them. Being able to work from home gives me the flexibility to do this.

When in the office I give my phone to my Indian friends and they have a blast. My wife speaks three languages and changes languages mid conversation. She always starts with English to hook them.

You can either get mad about the calls or find a way to avoid or enjoy them.

[Homebrew]

I love messing with them! I had the one guy cursing at me for 5 min, then I blocked his number.

[NJKris]

YES lazyjj. I had a Ooma phone (VOIP, internet phone service) that came with NOMOROBO. FAIL!!! The scum have random number generators that look like caller ID from legit callers and masquerade as local calls. It got so bad that on average of once an hour the phone would ring.


At my wife's urging, I finally cancelled the home phone service, now we just have our cell phones, which have good service at our home. Now I'm saving a couple hundred bucks a year, and most importantly, SILENCE...... The phone will never ring again. I don't get that many scam calls on my cell phone, so no big deal.

[NJKris]

BTW, we can land and fly helicopters around Mars, but our feckless legislature is POWERLESS to stop the criminal scum from ruining the home phone tradition.

[Jfkmk]

Originally Posted by NJKris

At my wife's urging, I finally cancelled the home phone service, now we just have our cell phones, which have good service at our home. Now I'm saving a couple hundred bucks a year, and most importantly, SILENCE...... The phone will never ring again.

I’ve been trying to convince my wife to do this for years. Prior to meeting her, I only had a cell phone and loved it. On our house phone about 1 out of every 20 calls is NOT a scammer.

[NJKris]

Yup, about 1 in 20 calls is legit, like you said. Since wife started working from home half the week (earlier in year 5 days a week), she said the ringing phone was driving her nuts. PLUS, I have sick and elderly parents, and every time the phone rings I was filled with dread. It was really taking a toll on me mentally.

[wildcatter]

Originally Posted by BehindBars

If you know what the calls are selling, you must have been answering the phone. Answering the phone probably puts your number on a premium call list and you will then get even more robocalls. The solution, although it may be too late for your phone number, is to not answers calls from unrecognized parties. If it's really important, they'll leave a message.

If you answer the phone just to "mess with them", you'll probably just get harassed even more frequently. Have fun with that.

Not everybody has the option to just let every call they don't recognize go to voice mail, there are calls I am waiting on (clients) that I may not know the number they are coming from. I might as well have fun with the one that are bothering me.

[NJKris]

We never answer the calls and still USED to get bombarded. I don't believe it could have been any worse than it got.

[emm-dee]

Last yearI got a new phone number from a provider just to see how their service would work (it didn't go well). Robocalls, spam texts, whatever else that annoys us all started coming in almost nonstop. This new (to me) number apparently had belonged to someone named Sue. I soon figured out that Sue was not very creditworthy based on the content of her text messages. Then I started getting calls from bill collectors. Based on some hints from a friend I started conversing with these collectors just to pass the time of day if I wasn't busy otherwise. Here's a typical conversation:

Caller: Hello, could I speak to Sue?

Me: Probably, but who is calling?

Caller: This is an attempt to collect a debt but I can only discuss it with Sue (standard statement I found out about later).
Me: Ok, I'll get her.

Hold my hand over the phone microphone to muffle the transmitted voice and holler "Hey, Sue..there's someone on the phone who wants to talk to you about some money you owe". Keep in mind there is nobody around named Sue.

Short pause, then

Me: Sorry sir but Sue says she doesn't want to talk to you.

Caller: Tell her she has to talk to me to resolve this issue.

More muffled sounds of me talking to Sue

Me: We'll sir, Sue just said you might as well go away because she has no intention of paying you any money at all.

Caller (now with a shocked sound to his voice): Sir, it is imperative that I speak to her. She is responsible for this matter and we need to work out a solution.

more muffled conversation between me and the non-existent Sue

Me: Sir, Sue says that if y'all were stupid enough to extend all that debt to someone with a credit rating like hers then you're not intelligent enough to work out a payment arrangement.

Caller: ....... click

[flyflotrtim]

Yes the number of calls is increasing, we are signed up with no more robo call options but still get 3-4 a day. As others stated, we have the option to just not answer, they will leave a message if it is important.

[yukongold]

Robo calls are certainly increasing for me. I sometimes get 8-10 or more per day. Rare day that I don't get at least 2-3-4. I also don't answer if I don't recognize the number but that doesn't do much good - - for me, anyway. It seems that robo calls that leave messages are increasing, too. I don't have a "smart" phone - just an old flip phone that gets and makes calls, so those "no more robo call" services don't work for me.

In the last week I have had at least 10 or 11 that have left messages - - -
3 from an extended warranty service telling me this is my last chance to buy an extended warranty (on my car) before they "close" my file.
3 from an extended warranty service telling me the same thing about my refrigerator (we recently bought a new one).
4 warning me that if I don't return their call (number provided) they will be forced to sic the law on me - not quite clear why.
2 telling me that I have won a free cruise - I just need to pay for the airfare and hotel.
I can't count how many that did not leave a message.
I used to get upset by them. Now it's - - - what are you gonna do?

My email is now beginning to receive junk emails from outfits I have never heard of. Health spas, refinancing outfits, travel agents, you name it. At least I can configure the email client to mark a message as "junk" or "spam" and have it deleted and not accepted (from that sender) ever again with just 2 clicks of the mouse.

[kenandterry]

Originally Posted by wildcatter

I have been getting the one where they want to buy my house, I usually just hang up on them but I am so going to jack with them.

I play along with these ones all the time.
I especially love it after quite some time when I tell them......shouldn’t we bridge in the landlord to get their take on this fantastic offer?