Preemptively? Hadn't heard about that. I only answer calls from numbers I recognize. If one I decline doesn't leave a vm specific to me, I manually block the number. Sure, they can just roll to another list of numbers, but I never hear from the same one twice. I don't get that many calls like that. Maybe 5 per week, at most.

The robocallers use spoofing. They "fake" the number for the caller ID that shows on your phone. The servers making these IP based calls could be anywhere on the planet. Blocking that last number that shows on your phone will do no good. That just means there are 9999 other 704-550-xxxx numbers for them to use - and they will randomly cycle through all of them.

Life in America. I get 2-7 daily , every day for years now. Sometimes it slows off. It always picks back up.
Do not call list makes zero difference. Actually seems as if I get more calls right after I register .
I just jerk them around and have fun with it. Or refuse to answer if it is an unfamiliar # . I used to get all upset and yell at them. Life is too short.
I dont think this is going away any time soon, just like spam in your inbox, and junk mail in your mailbox .

As glen said go watch the John Oliver video I posted. It’s a very in depth explanation of this issue. Sadly there isn’t much we can do to stop it right now.


Anyone know how we can set up our own robo dialers to do what the last week tonight team is doing? Maybe if we all were dialing our reps every hour, they’d finally do something.

The FCC does nothing. The Phone companies do nothing. A private start-up (nomorobo) can stop them cold.

We aren't getting the law enforcement we are paying for.

This is what I do, and no, they don't go away, not soon enough. 24+ calls in 12 days is NOT going away.
I have blocked every one of the 24 different numbers they have called from so far. It doesn't do any good because they call from a different number every time 704-550-xxxx where xxxx is different for every call.

I looked into Nomorobo but I have to buy it from the app store which I just don't feel like dealing with right now. For the moment I'd rather be annoyed by a robocaller than by Apple Inc.

Correct: we're getting the laws and enforcement paid for by the telecom and direct marketing lobbies.

I got a medium number of nuisance calls on my home land line and took the route of not answering the phone if I didn't recognize the number and letting it go to the answering machine. I actually didn't expect any positive results from doing that. However I can report after the passing of a number of months, those types of calls have diminished to maybe two a month, which is a pleasant surprise.

I put an anti-spam app on my cellphone. "Mr Number". It alerts me that some calls are scams, and actually blocks others. That has helped. I've also stopped answering cellphone unless I recognize the caller. That has helped more.

I don't use the home phone anymore, just for outgoing calls. The voicemail on the home phone is perpetually full and I never bother to check it.

This is not an ideal state of affairs.

Robocalls...we all get 'em. Just another PITA of life today. Some days, since I'm retired, I'll mess with them a bit...take up their time so they don't bother somebody else.

(edit) I think they don't go into their speil if the land line call goes to our answering machine. All it's messages seem to be legit after we've been gone for the day. Cell phone is usually off unless we're out and about, so none there.

I can imagine that would bother me as well.
Does numb your phone ring sensitivity after a while, I guess

I've been getting about 30 of those calls per day.

The problem I have with not answering if you don't recognize the number is that I have to stop what I'm doing and get my cell phone out to see what number is calling. Actually pushing the answer button isn't the burden, it's wiping the grease, oil, dirt, bread dough (depending on what I'm doing) off my hands to pick up the phone. It's only a problem if I'm expecting a call from a contractor or if I've got something up on Craig's list and I'm expecting a call from a buyer.

The worst part, is the most annoying calls of them all, political phone calls near election day. We were getting 30 or 50 calls per day from the politicians right before the last election. Of course the politicians exempted themselves from and spam call restrictions.

Usually just put my phone on speaker phone and press any numbers they tell me to. When I get a real person I just keep saying Hello.

Some times I say just a minute, take the phone to the bathroom and flush the toilet.

I also use HiYa app on my Phone. it compares incoming calls to their spammers and spoofers list. Stops a lot of calls.

arm the FCC
 

A tax on outgoing spam calls, something like $0.01 per call. Then, weaponize the FCC, black combat wear, guns, tactical glasses, the whole bit. Have the FCC raid them. Perp walk them. Send the buttholes to Guantanamo for water boarding. Then, kill them.

Some of these spoofers do nothing but collect active phone numbers, and then sell the lists to other scammers.
if you answer the first type, your number goes on the list. if you answer enuff, you might get on lots o'lists.

In that case it could take a long time to get off those lists.

I used to get 4 or 5 of these calls a day, now I get maybe one or two a week.

Any number with my area code and prefix goes unanswered.

I have the AT&T app that tells me if it’s a telemarketing call. I just ignore it.

I do go back to recent calls and block them for future calls.

^^^ This! Seems appropriate. Give them all a 30 day warning. Then implement your solution. After one or two high profile cases they will all go away.

They "lobby" (bribe) our elected representatives to be sure that nothing will be done.

Actually, the campaign and "polling" calls are some of the worst.