Spam phone calls... GRR!

[minka]

Originally Posted by Ducman69

Do this:

Or another fun trick is to just keep saying yes. No matter what they ask, just say yes. They will get so angry and hang up on you. Or just tell them you are so lonely and your kids never call you anymore, so its nice to hear a friendly voice, and just start asking them a whole bunch of personal questions and keep driving the conversation off topic. Its especially fun to tell them you think they sound sexy, especially if they are the same gender as you.

This.

Originally Posted by katachtig

I was talking about both spam on landlines and cell phones. And it is legal for third parties to charge your phone. If they have your cell phone and a recording of you saying yes to a question where someone asks "do you authorize it?" then you have an even harder time getting these charges reversed.

http://www.smartmoney.com/spend/fami...s-bills-22687/

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...ell-bills.html

Like Ducman said, I'm pretty sure everyone here is smart enough to not continue saying yes if the person asks 'Would you like a text message sent to you every hour on the hour?' 'And you authorize this?'.....

 

[katachtig]

Originally Posted by Minka

This.


Like Ducman said, I'm pretty sure everyone here is smart enough to not continue saying yes if the person asks 'Would you like a text message sent to you every hour on the hour?' 'And you authorize this?'.....

But if you aren't paying close attention? or the question is worded in a way that is confusing and you aren't sure what they asked?

 

[cheshirecat]

IMO the do not call list is a joke. I've been on it since the beginning and still get calls. I've re-registered and checked my numbers and it still says that I am on it but I still get calls.

I got one today from the same 800 number that I have been ignoring for days. My phone has an ignore feature but it will only ignore 30 numbers and I've exceeded that.

So I just ignore the calls from 800 numbers and out of state/country area codes. If it's from somebody legit they will leave a message.

 

[natalie_ca]

Originally Posted by Winchester

Although we're on the Do Not Call list, we keep getting phone calls of all kinds.

Ditto!

In fact I just got one about 1/2 hour ago.

It was an automated one congratulating me on being one of the few selected for debt mediation.

Interesting considering I don't have any debt other than my rent and utilities!

I guess I was supposed to listen to the whole message and then remain on the line. I hung up after the first sentence.

Yesterday I got a call from some insurance company. AIC I think it was. I didn't answer the phone. I only know who it was because the number appeared on the call display on my television while I was watching tv.

 

[margecat]

I block spam numbers on my cell phone, which seems to help, at least for a few months. It's illegal for someone to spam your cell phone. The worst part, it's sometimes my carrier!

The Do Not Call list usually works very well. Not 100% (I don't think you can really do that), but about 90%+.

To deter would-be thieves who could be calling to see if we're home: I recorded an upbeat, cheerful answering machine message, "Hi! We can't come to the phone right now. We're probably getting roughed up [ruffed up? LOL] by our big, goofy Rottweilers, so please leave a message, and, when they're done mauling us, we'll call you back! Have a GREAT day!" As if on cue, my neighbor's BIG dogs outside barked, and it actually got on the message! I had virtually NO messages, just a few hang-up clicks...wonder why?

 

[catbehaviors]

All day long... and no, I've never gotten rid of them.

 

[minka]

Originally Posted by katachtig

But if you aren't paying close attention? or the question is worded in a way that is confusing and you aren't sure what they asked?

If this happens to you it would explain why you are getting spam calls in the first place...

 

[katachtig]

Originally Posted by Minka

If this happens to you it would explain why you are getting spam calls in the first place...

Spammers use automated dialing. What you do has little to do with how many calls you get.

And in case you are interested, I get very few spam calls and report every one to my carrier.

 

[katachtig]

Originally Posted by Minka

If this happens to you it would explain why you are getting spam calls in the first place...

Spammers use automated dialing. What you do has little to do with how many calls you get.

And in case you are interested, I get very few spam calls and report every one to my carrier.

 

[minka]

Originally Posted by katachtig

Spammers use automated dialing. What you do has little to do with how many calls you get.

And in case you are interested, I get very few spam calls and report every one to my carrier.

Then why has my dad gotten NO spam calls in the past ten years except one meant for my mom? Because he's smart about who he gives his info to.

 

[thembcat]

Since I've moved out I've been getting spam calls constantly on my cell phone. They pretty much call the same time every day using different numbers. One number is a central Chicago, IL number, another is from the Portland, OR area, then there's also a Kansas City number, and a TX number. Its so iratating. Luckly I hardly ever answer phone calls from numbers I don't know and if they don't leave a message then I figure its not important and I don't bother calling back. I answered them once because I was getting curious (in a fed up way) who kept calling...and then I hung up on them lol.

Each number has their own exact time that they ALWAYS call, the Chicago# at 8:20 PM and 9:50AM, the Portland # at 6:30PM, the KC # at 9:30AM and the TX # at 4:15PM.

I keep meaning to get on the no call list but I keep forgetting

 

[katachtig]

Originally Posted by Minka

Then why has my dad gotten NO spam calls in the past ten years except one meant for my mom? Because he's smart about who he gives his info to.

And you, do you get any spam calls?

 

[dusty's mom]

I keep getting robo calls for a named person who doesn't live here and who may have had the tel number before we got it. "Press one if you are Cynthia Torres. Press two if you are not Cynthia Torres." There is no way I can tell them that I don't know who the heck Cynthia Torres is, and don't call again. I just used the link at the beginning of this thread to register my home phone again as well as our cells.

 

[orangeishcat]

Originally Posted by Minka

Then why has my dad gotten NO spam calls in the past ten years except one meant for my mom? Because he's smart about who he gives his info to.

I'm sure you aren't meaning to insinuate that I or anyone else isn't smart about who we give our information to, but it's pretty easy to take it that way. As it happens, I do not give my phone number out either, but I can't control what the person who had it before me does (or did at the time)- and furthermore, the calls are random spam trying a whole pool of numbers. People can acquire those from carriers without any further information attached, it's pretty simple- if you Google your area code and the first 3 digits of your phone number, you'll be stunned to see all the webpages that list hundreds of numbers that match that criteria.

 

[minka]

Originally Posted by katachtig

And you, do you get any spam calls?

Nope.

Originally Posted by orangeishcat

I'm sure you aren't meaning to insinuate that I or anyone else isn't smart about who we give our information to, but it's pretty easy to take it that way. As it happens, I do not give my phone number out either, but I can't control what the person who had it before me does (or did at the time)- and furthermore, the calls are random spam trying a whole pool of numbers. People can acquire those from carriers without any further information attached, it's pretty simple- if you Google your area code and the first 3 digits of your phone number, you'll be stunned to see all the webpages that list hundreds of numbers that match that criteria.

No, I was responding to Katachtig's claim that they just randomly dial people by saying that my dad has never received an auto dial call. And that's because he is smart with his info. He also does not reveal his name on his voicemail. He merely says "You've reached ***-****, please leave a message at the beep."
If anything, she made everyone here seem stupid by saying that we might accidentally say yes to 'And you want to authorize that?'

 

[katachtig]

Originally Posted by Minka

Nope.

No, I was responding to Katachtig's claim that they just randomly dial people by saying that my dad has never received an auto dial call. And that's because he is smart with his info. He also does not reveal his name on his voicemail. He merely says "You've reached ***-****, please leave a message at the beep."
If anything, she made everyone here seem stupid by saying that we might accidentally say yes to 'And you want to authorize that?'

I did nothing of the sort. I was warning against the stupid little trick that Ducman69 was suggesting and saying that it could be risky to play that game. He was suggesting to say yes as an answer to every question. Especially if someone isn't paying attention. I trust most people would ignore the spammers to begin with. Only immature idiots would risk playing this game.

And the autodialers are out there. You and your father are very lucky. But to say that everyone who gets spam calls are stupid and deserving is wrong. Spammers don't get their numbers from voice mail. They do autodialing or buy lists from companies.

I never used my cell phone for anything but family. But I still received some spam. I also am in a large metro area where I suspect auto-dialers just go through blocks of prefixes.

 

[minka]

Originally Posted by katachtig

But to say that everyone who gets spam calls are stupid and deserving is wrong.
I never said everyone who gets spam calls is stupid or deserving. Obviously if the number was someone else's first you can't do anything about it. But if you can't pay attention enough to only say yes to things that aren't 'are you authorizing this?', well then that would explain why you are getting at least some of your spam calls. You didn't pay enough attention to who you gave what to.
Spammers don't get their numbers from voice mail. They do autodialing or buy lists from companies.

No, but thats how they get your name. And then they can use that to look up more info on you, including your cell number (if the number they called was your house).

 

[katachtig]

Originally Posted by Minka

Originally Posted by katachtig

But to say that everyone who gets spam calls are stupid and deserving is wrong.
I never said everyone who gets spam calls is stupid or deserving. Obviously if the number was someone else's first you can't do anything about it. But if you can't pay attention enough to only say yes to things that aren't 'are you authorizing this?', well then that would explain why you are getting at least some of your spam calls. You didn't pay enough attention to who you gave what to.
Spammers don't get their numbers from voice mail. They do autodialing or buy lists from companies.

No, but thats how they get your name. And then they can use that to look up more info on you, including your cell number (if the number they called was your house).

May I ask you read what I have been writing? I do not engage conversations with spammers except to tell them that I want to be removed from their calling lists and I report them to my carrier. At no time do I say anything more. Again, you seem to think that people who get spammers are deserving it.

I was warning against a stupid game which can have consequences to your phone bill.

Also, I highly doubt that anyone gets your name from your voice mail. There are databases out there for sale from public and private sources that contain a lot more information.

 

[orangeishcat]

My voicemail says my first name and I don't really think it's necessary to change it... I don't think that's going to have any effect on the spammers whatsoever, since I'm doubting they listen to it at all.

I did keep that one creepy message, though- I wonder if there's a way to save it and upload it so you guys can hear it? It's really weird.

 

[Willowy]

I never give my cell phone number out at all (the only thing it's on is my dogs' name tags, and I don't think spam callers are looking at those!), but for a while I was getting a lot of spam calls. I never picked up, because if it's an auto dialer calling blocks of prefixes, if you pick up they know it's a good number and then you'd just get more calls. Although in that case I think either someone wrote their number wrong or it got in the caller's database wrong, because every message they left was for a name I had never heard before. But ugh! I hate getting unknown calls on my cell phone. Fortunately they seem to have given up on my number because it's been a few months since I got a call. I hope it stays that way.