phone scam???

[look 171]

I kept getting calls from this local number on my cell phone. When I try to answer, there's nothing, no sound for a long time. if they are trying to sell something someone would have started their sale pitch already. I call back and its a no good umber. What are they trying to scam here? I get it several times a day. Oh, that goggle sales drive me nuts. I continue to key in the delete my number off their list, but its bullsiht.

[Dantilla]

Maybe have your cell provider block that number?

[stomachmonkey]

Block the number.

My rule is if I don't recognize the number it does not get answered.

Likely not an option for you considering your business.

[GH85Carrera]

Many robocalls are done by computer. They are waiting for you to say hello. Some of the ones we get at work are 100% computer calls. It does a pretty good job of guessing an reply if you ask a question. Just block the number. They will just call with a different number but you can keep blocking them.

If you ever see the caller ID as your own number it is 100% a scam sales call. Just hang up.

[look 171]

already blocked. what are trying to fish by not saying a work or make any noise?

[GH85Carrera]

It is a computer waiting for you to say something. They don't know if they called an answering machine or a burglar alarm or a human. They don't care.

Keep saying Hello, someone or something will answer.

We get calls regularly that there is a pause and they hang up. ?

[Rusty914s]

Actually by you answering, you have told them that you're a live # which then gets bunched up in a list and sold as an active # to telemarketers, etc.

Don't bother w/trying to remove yourself from their calling list, it's all a scam. Hang up. I have a contact called DO NOT ANSWER in my phone, anytime that I get a call like this, I simply add it to that contact. You'd be surprise that after a year, you'll start getting calls from your DO NOT ANSWER contact.

YMMV.

[Aragorn]

It might be a phantom call.....

More Phantom Phone Calls - True Stories

[look 171]

what a pain in the ass. Thanks guys. I was wondering what's up with the long silence. I mean long.

[BeyGon]

I push the # or * for them, I hope it makes them think the number is a fax number

[Aragorn]

Originally Posted by look 171

what a pain in the ass. Thanks guys. I was wondering what's up with the long silence. I mean long.

could be a woman...giving you the silent treatment...

[GWN7]

https://www.donotcall.gov/

Register your numbers for the do not call list. When you get a call file a complaint. Eventually they do get caught.

When I get a call I put the phone down till they hang up. They pay for their long distance by the second. The more time I waste the more it costs them.

[spuggy]

Originally Posted by GWN7

https://www.donotcall.gov/

Register your numbers for the do not call list. When you get a call file a complaint. Eventually they do get caught.

Unless they're out of country entirely - like India or Canada - in which case your Federal lists won't apply unless you can get them to admit to who they are, and they have a US office... Good luck with that.

If they have no US presence at all, they could tell you precisely who they are - and there would be nothing you could do.

When I get a call I put the phone down till they hang up. They pay for their long distance by the second. The more time I waste the more it costs them.

Really? "Long distance"? Wow. That's so 20th Century...

I pay for outgoing international calls by the minute. 2c a minute or less (often as little as $0.008 to landlines). And I'm Joe Blow. Why would someone making (presumably) lots of phone calls with an autodialer buy a plan where they paid more than me?

Heck, I make US/Canada calls for free. Anywhere in the country. Don't pay a penny for those. Even when I'm outside the US.

If they're merely verifying that the call was picked up, why even connect a human to the call? Simply examine the call logs for status afterwards. Putting the phone on the desk won't affect that one jot - it logged "ANSWER" on the outbound trunk the instant you picked it up - and likely flagged it as voice when it didn't detect you whistling V.8 bis dual frequency tones at them.

Use call screening. Add them to a contact group that plays the telco error code, tells them "this number is disconnected" and hangs up. All without ringing your phone, or even forwarding a call to it.

The ability to filter calls into groups - which you can then select HOW or IF (e.g. put through, call screened or not, straight to voicemail, tell them you don't exist) to answer - or WHEN (some groups can be set to go e.g. to voice mail in your "quiet times" - but other groups can get through anytime) - is one of the single best points of Google Voice, IMHO.

[JJ 911SC]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

It is a computer waiting for you to say something. They don't know if they called an answering machine or a burglar alarm or a human. They don't care.

Keep saying Hello, someone or something will answer...

and it usually start with "Hello"... And I answer "I said that first..." 90% of them hang up right there

[atcjorg]

if you can use this try it out it's free and works pretty well https://www.nomorobo.com/

[Rusty914s]

Originally Posted by spuggy

Use call screening. Add them to a contact group that plays the telco error code, tells them "this number is disconnected" and hangs up. All without ringing your phone, or even forwarding a call to it.

The ability to filter calls into groups - which you can then select HOW or IF (e.g. put through, call screened or not, straight to voicemail, tell them you don't exist) to answer - or WHEN (some groups can be set to go e.g. to voice mail in your "quiet times" - but other groups can get through anytime) - is one of the single best points of Google Voice, IMHO.

Does this work with mobile phones? Excellent info, did no know about it. Thank you.

[stomachmonkey]

For landlines nomorobo.com.

Have had it from near the beginning.

It works and the number of calls has dropped dramatically, as in I now get less than 1/10th of what I used to.

[spuggy]

Originally Posted by Rusty914s

Does this work with mobile phones?

Yup, just set up your mobile as a "backend" number that GV forwards to. In fact, there's 3 types of forwarding numbers (Home/Work/Mobile). Only "Mobile" #'s get SMS messages forwarded, obviously. Although you can choose to also get SMS's sent to the GV # as an email anyway.

You can forward calls to a mobile or a "real" landline - or even a SIP ATA, or a SIP softclient on a PC/smartphone. There just has to be a US DID in front of the SIP because it won't let you use a SIP URL or a non-US number...

The idea is that you have your "published" number, and any number of forwarding lines behind it that ring when the published number is called.

Which is useful when you've got a number you've had for a long time/everyone knows. You simply set up a new phone service as a forwarded number - but don't tell anyone the new numbers; not only is there no need to - because the original # still rings your phone(s), but this gives you the freedom to swap SIMs/providers whenever you feel like it.

So not only does your number not change, now incoming calls all go through the GV screening/filtering etc.

When (not "if" ) whoever is providing the "published" number ticks you off, you can port it into GV permanently for a one-time $20 fee. (obviously, you can test the service with a Google-assigned number before you do this step).

For mobiles, I like no-contract BYOD plans (for example, Straight Talk re-sell "unlimited" T-Mobile service for $45 a month).

The ObiHai SIP ATA ($39 to buy from Amazon and you're done - no fees) works great with both Google Voice and SIP. Simply plug any POTS gear into the RJ-11 on the back. Very easy to set up and Just Works.

Some carriers get really pissy about porting numbers to Google Voice. Like Vonage will refuse outright. The trick then is to port it via T-Mobile (possibly via a pre-paid SIM), and then to Google Voice.

Excellent info, did no know about it. Thank you.

Heh. There's a bunch of other neat features. You can record a call, for example. Voicemail can be set to email you a transcript (often useful, sometimes hilarious) and the WAV.

Or my favorite: Switch. You take an incoming call on your desk phone, start chatting to a buddy and then realize you have to (say) go out and mail something. Hit the magic key (*), all the phones registered to the GV number will ring again. Simply pick up on another phone and hang up the one you answered first... Lather rinse repeat.

It's not without foibles. It'll drop a call at exactly 3 hours. Which can be irritating on 4+ hour change window calls. And sometimes it can be a little funky. But it's incredibly useful, not to mention having saved me $1000's over the last 5-6 years, so it's hard to get too excited.