Telemarketer calls how to stop

[ramonesfreak]

The past year I am getting an increasing number of calls to my cell phone.

Blocking these calls doesn't seem to help since they call back using a different number, sometimes with a local area code even though I can hear that they are calling me from a call center in Calcutta

Many times, it's an unidentified number so I cant block it

I confirmed I am on the do not call list and have been for many years

What is going on? Is there any way to stop this harassment?

[Chocaholic]

Only answer calls from people in your address book. If caller doesn't leave a vm, it was a scam. Pretty easy actually.

[GH85Carrera]

Contact your national representative and and senator. The laws will have to change before the calls stop. Real genuine caller ID with no way to spoof the caller ID will stop it.

We get 2 or three calls PER DAY at work from callers claiming they are calling from "google" wanting us to update our business information. Why in heck is google not just googling us. Our web page is current. Nothing to update. I have no idea what the purpose of those calls are.

Laws will have to change and the telephone companies don't want that change.

They will stop the day AFTER all SPAM stops.

[ramonesfreak]

Originally Posted by Chocaholic

Only answer calls from people in your address book. If caller doesn't leave a vm, it was a scam. Pretty easy actually.

That's my usual approach. However, the calls, whether I answer them or not, are disturbing when I'm working, knapping etc.

Sometimes I even enjoy answering them and saying "go fuq your mother" and then hanging up

[ramonesfreak]

So basically the do not call list is useless

[sammyg2]

They have machines that call random numbers and make it look like it's coming from different places all over the country.

If you get a call and it starts out ... can you hear me? Or "are you there?" Do not say anything. Don't make a sound, just hang up. that's how they test to see if they got a real person.

When they do get a real number, they sell it and spread it around and call it relentlessly.

But if you hang up without saying anything it figures it's a bogus number and forgets it.

[legion]

Answering: "Interpol fraud office" seems to work pretty well.

[Jolly Amaranto]

I don't answer my land line or cell any more if I hear the generic ring tone. Every one in my phone book has a different ring tone. I just let them roll to the answering machine. If it is legitimate I can break in while they are leaving a message on the land line or I call them back if it is on my cell. Most calls hang up before then.

[RKDinOKC]

Some how stopped the google update calls...
Asked which business they were calling about. They hung up and haven't had them call back in 2 months.

Don't think it matters if you answer or not. As long as the phone stops ringing and an there is not a phone company error message gets your number on the list. The best you could do is play the fax connection tones.

[red-beard]

Spoofing caller ID is already illegal in the US, has been since about 2009.

[cstreit]

Yes. Whatever happened to the "Do Not Call" registry? It's still active but basically doesn't work at all. We get 5-6 solicitations by phone per day.

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by red-beard

Spoofing caller ID is already illegal in the US, has been since about 2009.

Making it illegal was a start. Like making heroin illegal.

Make it technically impossible. It can be done.

[red-beard]

The issue is overseas companies using VOIP. Makes it nearly impossible to stop.

OTOH, even my business, all of the outgoing lines broadcast our main number, not the individual phone numbers. Not illegal, since these are business lines and I own the main number.

The worst is where the number looks local, just a couple of digits off from my number. My wife and I have cell phones where only the last digit is different. I believe one time, the number showed up as my wife's line.

[Hugh R]

I ended up getting rid of my land line, I hadn't had a real call in over two years, but 3-4 telemarketers/day,

[rcooled]

Originally Posted by sammyg2

When they do get a real number, they sell it and spread it around and call it relentlessly.

A friend who works for Pacific Bell here in CA tells me that's pretty much how it works. You don't even need to say a word...simply picking up the call gives away that it's a legit number. Before getting a land line that allows me to block these numbers directly, I would answer some calls and there'd be no one on the line. They were phishing and I'd already given 'em what they wanted by just picking up the phone

[GH85Carrera]

At home I never answer unless it is someone I know.

At the office, we pretty much have to answer the phone. The caller ID often is just the name of some random city. Most of those are just junk but some are legit customers.

[gr8fl4porsche]

The telemarketing calls to work cell phones are getting out of hand. I get between five and 10 a day. It is so bad I will not answer my phone unless I know the number. That's not a great way to do business.

[Baz]

I don't answer any call unless I know via caller ID who's calling.

Both landline and cell have voice mail...they can leave a message.

I use email primarily for communication and cell phone only for emergencies.

And I don't carry my cell phone on my person. It stays in the truck.

I'm always very proud when I don't get any calls all day. I hold my phone up to my helper and say "Look...no calls!"

[ramonesfreak]

Originally Posted by sammyg2

They have machines that call random numbers and make it look like it's coming from different places all over the country.

If you get a call and it starts out ... can you hear me? Or "are you there?" Do not say anything. Don't make a sound, just hang up. that's how they test to see if they got a real person.

When they do get a real number, they sell it and spread it around and call it relentlessly.

But if you hang up without saying anything it figures it's a bogus number and forgets it.

Yea I got this one and it tricked me twice both times telling me a won a trip to Florida

Very clever

[stomachmonkey]

Maybe a little late now but get a throw away number.

I've had the same cell number 25+ years and am very stingy on who I give it to.

I have a google voice number that gets forwarded to my cell.

If I have to give out a number for a form or some other such thing where I can't control who ultimately gets access to it they get the google voice number.

It rings through with the originating number and if I don't recognize it I ignore it, my phone is on vibrate 99% of the time anyway so it's easy to ignore.

If it's a legit call they'll leave a voicemail and that gets sent to me converted to text.

Cold calls never leave a voicemail so if no notification I know it was bogus.

I generally leave the forwarding off anyway as I get the voicemail alerts.