Robo calls have stopped for me!!!

[retro-man]

Not a lot of info was published about this last week for good reason before hand. The FTC FCC FBI and others along with a couple of attorney generals from a few states made dramatic raids on numerous robo call centers in the Chicago area. These centers they raided have been responsible for billions and billions of calls. Since that time my calls went down 50% the first day which was last Thursday and by Friday they were no longer coming in at all. Nice to not have my cell phone ringing 10-15 times a day of course not answering them any time. Was wondering if anybody has noticed the drop off of calls.

Jon

 

[askolover]

Now that you mention it, I've only received one and that was yesterday...it was a Nashville number so I'm not sure it wasn't just a wrong number.

 

[yogitunes]

still getting them here.....usually around 3pm to 7pm....

its the same ones over and over.....even if you block their number, a new one pops up, for the same ad...

I used to like because of a cell phone we didn't get them, used to be landlines only...

first the caller ID would display a state...that alone told you it was a telemarketer, now their popping up with local numbers and a business name, until you answer it, realizing it is not even from them...

 

[frigilux]

Haven't had an unidentifiable call for several days, now that you mention it---and I'm certainly not complaining. Thanks for the info, Jon; I hadn't heard about it.

This is my policy: If the phone rings and it isn't from my contact list, I let it ring out. If it's someone who knows me, they'll leave a message. If not, then it's probably a robocall.

 

[ea56]

Ours have slowed down too, except we are still getting at least one robo call every evening about 8:30 with a local prefix, but a different number each time. And like Eugene, we also don’t answer any call unless we recognize the number, if its important they’ll leave a VM.

But last night something curious happened. Right after I’d finished the dinner dishes and sat down, a call with a Chicago area code popped up on the caller ID on the TV, but the phone didn’t ring! I immediately checked the number on the reverse directory, and sure enough SCAM in big red letters appeared advising a high probability of fraud. So I guess Comcast has found a way to head them off at the pass.

But never fear, in six mo.or less these fraudsters will have found another way to try and hoodwink the unsuspecting. Crime never rests.

Eddie

 

[moparwash]

I have been getting fewer...the ones I used to get would happen the first 2 weeks of the month and begin with my prefix of '977' with the 412 area code...I never answered them..If I don't recognize the number, I don't answer...solves that problem.

 

[rp2813]

For the first time in a long time, yesterday I received two or three calls that displayed my own phone number on the caller ID.  Just for kicks, I picked up to see who was stupid enough to try that trick.  It was a synthesized female voice claiming to be from Microsoft.

 

I read an article in the newspaper recently about a major federally mandated crackdown on robocalls in the offing, and it mentioned the telcos having he ability to stop them.  As a telco veteran, I've been saying this for years.  The telcos have always had the technology.  To claim anything different is like saying you don't have the ability to lock your own doors to prevent a burglary.

 

I haven't noticed a significant decrease in calls yet, but they tend to vary from day to day.  So far today, my phone has not rung.  Seeing as how it's the first of the month when calls tend to flood in, I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

 

[fan-of-fans]

Still coming in here

They seem to come in here every day or two around 5-8PM. Usually will get two or three calls a day/evening.

Since I've got some things I'm advertising for sale, I've been expecting calls. So when it shows a local number, I answer just in case, even though I know it's likely not a real caller. But, when I answer these calls, I just pick up and don't say anything. If they start their spiel, I blow into the receiver as loudly as I can, and hang up.

Yesterday a lady answered and said it was Rachel from Card Member Services... gave her a good earful of wind and hung up. I don't know if it does anything on their end though, but it gives me a good laugh.

I think the 'fake local number' and 'call from your own number' game might have come to an end by now, but apparently not.

 

[petek]

Get Ooma and they're gone. If we get a robo call it's perhaps every 2-3 months if that.

 

[askolover]

Every once in a while I get a call from someone saying something about my student loans....which I haven't had in about 15 years.

 

[polkanut]

Every so often we get a robo call where our own no. shows up on the caller id.

 

[sfh074]

Yeah, I got Ooma ....

and haven't ever had any spam calls to speak of. They have always had built-in spam filters. Also they allow you to select different levels of filtering based on just how aggressive you want to be with it.

You can also set custom number filters whereby turning off all numbers starting with xxx* which you can get very creative with if you get spam calls from a specific area code as well. In the 2nd pic you can see I set up filters so that .... if any 844, 855, 866 number comes in, they immediately get rejected, period.

I like the call log page where you can review who called. There is a block button by each name/number so you just click that and never get a call from that name/number again.

I paid $50 for a used Ooma box on ebay and $20 to active it. The monthly charge is about $6 a month thereafter .... and I pay for the upgraded spam filtering and voice-mail service at $99 per year. I've been with them since 2012 and scoff at all the AT&T, etc ads on tv for land-line. "Bundle with internet and tv and our phone service is ONLY $20 a month (for the first 2 year)". PFFT!

In 2011 I had the regular hardwired land-line and was being charged $41 a month after all the added fees and taxes tacked on, which back then was "local and long-distance" service, which equated to $492 a year. My Ooma yearly is about $172 or $14.50 per month. Hell I would pay that just for the spam filtering they provide! So over a 7 year period having Ooma, I have saved $2240 vs the old land-line and maybe get a spam call 6 times a year.

One last thought. I was in Israel a couple of months ago and used the Ooma smart phone app to make all my calls back to the US. Not one penny added to the bill. If you can get on wifi, you can make a call from anywhere. Also in the same app, if you are away from the house set all calls to forward to the cell phone, or whatever number you will be at. Never missed a call while away.

Bud - Atlanta[this post was last edited: 7/3/2019-08:34]

 

[golittlesport]

We've been using the free Nomorobo app. Seems to work very well. Phone rings once and disconnects before the number or caller ID appear if it is a robocall. If you get a second ring it is a real call.

I tried to get it for my mom's phone as she is harassed by robocalls, but she has AT&T service and they don't support it. I'm trying to get her to dump AT&T for that reason.

 

[petek]

I don't have a cellphone, don't want one, although hubby has his iPhone. If I'm going out of town I take one of his old deactivated cellphones or my old Ipad, both have the Ooma app loaded on them and I can make phone calls if required from any wifi hotspot, which usually extends to the parking lot of many retailers and fast food joints,, so I don't even have to go inside, just sit in the car and make calls.