Consumer Svs.- The new Rachael scam

[wayupnorth]

For over 4 years now I have been getting these annoying calls on a daily basis, all from different numbers throughout the country. For a while, my name and number was showing on my caller id but now they are all Consumer Svs. I have contacted the FCC and they say there is nothing they can do to stop them. My local phone company charges you per number to block unwanted calls, so that wont work. I am not interested in their URGENT message to lower my credit card interest and if I am not at home, they still leave messages. I have been simply hitting answer and immediately hit hang up but they wont take the hint that I am NOT falling for their scam. Does anyone else have this same annoying problem and is there anything you do that stops them permanently?

 

[iheartmaytag]

It is a scam

They have been fined for violating the No call List, but being based in Guam they are immune to FTC and simply start up again using a different number. Some are even generating caller ID that the call is coming from you own House. (Remember "When a Stranger Calls."

Anyway, what the our local DA and BBB are advising is to answer and immediately hit the # sign repeatedly very quickly. This tricks the auto dialer into thinking it reached an non-working number and will remove you from their system.

By answering and hanging up it is indicating to the dialer that someone was present, also pressing #3 to remove you from the list doesn't work, that just encourages them to call more often. You will also find, as I did, that if you press 1 to speak to a representative, the will immediately start cussing you calling you names.

I log into the No Call List everytime I get a call. If they ever go class action you may be eligible for a cash reward.

http://https//complaints.donotcall.gov/complaint/complaintcheck.aspx

 

[wayupnorth]

I am on the Do Not Call list, but it makes no difference with them. I have reported them numerous times on that link. When they first started calling I did press the 3 to be removed and the calls continued with more frequency. I did press the 1 and screamed and swore at the jerk on the other end and he just hung up and they called right back. But I will try the ####### on their next call.

 

[davey7]

It seems to me I've heard (we had a similar problem at work) that if you actually talk to them, you are considered to have done business with them (or even have called them) and they can call freely, plus they sometimes attempt to bill your phone, especially on landlines. Same problem with the "press x to remove" action (though it worked for faxes for us).

 

[washdaddy]

I just ignore the phone and let it ring if I know that it is some type of sales call. If your caller ID is showing "CONSUMER SVS" or your own number than simply ignore it. Don't answer the phone and then disconnect the call. They could assume that you are there and might try again. If it is some type of legitimate call they will leave a message for you to return the call. You can then make that determination at your own leisure.

If you ignore it often enough the calls do stop coming.

 

[iheartmaytag]

The problem with caller id

They are tricking it into saying it is even your own number, or random out of state numbers. 

 

I was ignoring all out of state calls that I didn't know, but then I ignored one and it turned out to be the response center for my mother's life line button, she had fallen, and I ignored the call because of Rachel.  Luckily they called the next in line on the protocol which was my desk phone and I was able to respond, but not before they had dispatched the fire dept. 

 

[wayupnorth]

Yes, I am getting random out of state numbers I dont know and dont leave messages, plus mine has shown up. A neighbor gave up his landline and I was getting calls from them. He obviously was quite mad and he found out that Verizon originally owned those numbers and then sold them off to these scammers. My phone company told me to hit answer and immediately hang up, but that does not work. If I dont cancel their call, Rachael leaved an URGENT message to contact them on my answering machine. So far today, no calls but 3 yesterday. I am going to try the ####### next time and hope that may work.

 

[mich]

@Harley

I think there's a law or some sort of standard procedure in place that makes Monitoring Companies (ADT in our case) call the Fire Department first before calling the emergency contacts on the list. 

 

We have a Smoke Detector in our Kitchen that's connected to our Home Alarm. Every time it's set off (every few years) they call the Fire Department first, and than us. We've asked ADT a couple of times to change that, but I think state law requires them to Dispatch first... and ask questions later. 

 

Every second certainly counts. And in some cases, that button could be a heart attack. I kinda understand their reasoning. Although... I think, it probably causes more false alarms & wasted responders time than anything else. 

 

[blackstone]

Block the number.

When I get a call with an identifiable caller ID number, I can then block the number. If the call comes in on the home phone, I go to Xfinity's website to block the number (for free). I know this works, because I no longer get calls from a particular number that was calling daily.

If the call comes to my iPhone, I can easily block the number in the phone settings.

What I can't seem to stop are calls asking me to update my Google business listing. Problem is, I don't have a Google business listing. I kept the phone number from our family business, and use it on my iPhone. I just wanted to save this number, since it was set up in the 1940s, as a 5-digit number. However, the number still shows up on Google searches as being from the business, even though it's been nearly 10 years.

No, I don't want to update the "business" listing, but I will take the $20,000 cash advance, as long as I don't have to repay it

 

[DADoES]

 
Rachel's friend Bridget got #ed a minute ago.  She hung up on me this time.  The long-term effect remains to be seen.

 

[ea56]

I use the Xfinitey call locking on these numbers too, and it works every time and is so easy. It's really a shame the the Do No Call Registry doesn't do what it was meant to. It's just like the law that was passed a few years ago making it illegal for commericals to be louder that the programming that preceeds them. Hah, what a joke that is! Just another law to be broken. Every commercial is way too loud, and always louder than the preceeding program.

 

[112561]

I got a call from Teton Volkswagen in Idaho Falls, ID last week, I wonder if that's something besides trying to sell some unknown Floridian a new Volkswagen.

 

[petek]

http://www.bbb.org/blog/2014/06/why-is-my-number-calling-me-a-crazy-new-scam/

 

[gusherb]

When we had a real copper landline I had two different sets of Panasonic cordless phones that each could block 20-30 numbers so I was able to use that for annoying callers.

Now that I'm with a VoIP provider I can route and filter calls any way i'd like. I set it up with a "white list" a "black list" and anyone that's on neither list goes to a recording of me saying "if you are a live human please press 1. If you are a robocaller please stay on the line and your call will be disconnected shortly."
Pressing 1 rings the phones in the house, and in case any human annoyances call I also have a "time period" during the morning hours that sends all calls that aren't black or white listed directly to voicemail.

This has stopped 99.99% of nuisance calls. We get about 20 of those per day that don't make it through the system I have in place.

 

[polkanut]

What I do when I get a "Rachael" call is stay on the line until I get a live person, and then when they answer I start asking all kinds of personal/inappropriate questions.  I'll ask them if they're wearing any underwear and what type, if they're straight, gay, or bi, favorite sexual position etc.  So far, it's been nearly 4 months since the last call.  Fingers crossed!

 

[iheartmaytag]

Michael

The ordinance in place for our location is that the monitoring company has to follow protocol before they notify 9-1-1.  This is to offset false alarms.  There is a three minute delay in which time they must follow the call pattern set by the customer, in my case, they call my home # in case it was an entry error or mis-key on the key pad, my cell phone, and then my work #, if not answer then they contact my brother's number, and if he doesn't answer they notify emergency.    If any of the phone notifications give voice approval to dispatch they do so then, or if anyone fails to give the proper password they automatically dispatch. 

 

Failure to follow this protocol is a $50 fine the first time, $150 the second and $500 there after and can result in the homeowner losing their alarm license, and 9-1-1 will not respond to a system alarm. 

 

 

That is for my security system.  My mother's system is a lifeline alert system she wears around her neck, they follow close to the same protocol, but when pressed they are in voice contact with her at the location, if they are then unable to contact me they dispatch. If they are unable to voice contact her they dispatch.  If they voice contact, and it is urgent they dispatch then run protocol. 

[this post was last edited: 3/24/2015-22:31]

 

[wayupnorth]

I tried the ####### three times on them and it obviously did not work as they still keep calling back. Anyone got other ideas?

 

[rp2813]

Knocking on compressed sawdust . . .

 

Rachael hasn't called here in quite a while.  I do get calls from others who don't identify themselves making similar "final" offers, along with offers for carpet cleaning and lowering my utility bill. 

 

I went on Amazon and bought a NLA "Tele-Zapper" made by V-Tech, but apparently dialer software has been updated in a way that renders the zapper ineffective.  It's too bad.  We had a zapper about ten years ago and it worked beautifully -- the calls stopped and we eventually got rid of the zapper, which was built into an answering machine.

 

The most recent laughable solicitation I've received is a recording from some guy with a mid-eastern accent advising that the IRS has discovered I committed fraud on my taxes and that I'll be forced to appear before a "magistrate" (like anybody in the U.S. uses that term) if I don't pay up.  He leaves a number to call -- not even an option to press a key to reach a live person. 

 

I'm tempted to call back and ask which 7-11's ATM they want to meet me at to withdraw the cash and settle up -- before they even get a chance to instruct me.  This is a scam that has been reported in the past.  How can people be so stupid?  They don't even know your name.  Even on line when you search the originating number there are posts asking that same question about this bullshit scam.

 

The U.S. telcos have the ability to track down where these calls originate from.  The problem is that if they originate "off shore," which the majority of them do, there's no way to prosecute.  Having worked for The Phone Company, I know the technology exists to prevent these calls from getting through, but they are a moving target that would require vigilance.  The telcos have no incentive to address this problem, so we are left to put up with it.

 

Congress needs to act on this.  These scammers have made a mockery of the Do-Not-Call List.

 

[perc-o-prince]

(like anybody in the U.S. uses that term)

Um, I remember appearing before a Clerk Magistrate here in MA when I had a speeding ticket a number of years ago.

I like when the computer monitoring department, or sometimes "Microsoft" calls me to let me know that they've noticed inappropriate downloads and outgoing emails coming from my computer. I had the time yesterday, so I said, "Oh no! Can you help me?"

I was transferred to a supervisor who asked me to turn my computer on. This took a while (it was already on). He then gave me directions on what to hit on my keyboard. I played along and gave my best guess as to what was supposed to happen. Finally it got to a point, maybe 5 minutes later, where he was getting a little annoyed at my "stupidity." The next time he asked me to tell him what was on my screen, I told him that I had my email up, I wasn't stupid enough to do anything he said, and that I was just wasting his time! I actually hung up before he did!

The calls that seem to be coming in repeatedly now are from electric suppliers trying to get me to switch to them because of the high rate increase recently implemented by Mass Electric. They won't let you get a word in edgewise so I just hang up.

Chuck