Try the "The number you have reached . . ." trick on your answering machine.

[joeekaitis]

 

We screen our landline phone calls with the answering machine and ever since we recorded a greeting that sounds like a redirect message, we've been getting more hangups and fewer sales pitches.  It appears robo-dialers that connect you to an agent can analyze speech.  It doesn't matter what comes after but as long as the robo-dialer hears "The number you have reached" followed by a phone number, it hangs up. Our answering machine greeting is, in a monotone voice without audible breaths:

 

"The number you have reached, [our real phone number making sure all digits have the same inflection], is working just fine so leave your name and phone number after the tone.  I'm going to get something to eat, OK?"

 

Robo-callers that deliver a message appear to either wait for the tone regardless of the wording or hang up after "The number you have reached." Friends and family will, of course, recognize your voice.

 

Worth a try.

 

[mattl]

On all my phone lines (3) I get close to 0 calls that are not legitimate. I use No-Mo-Robo on my landlines, my cell has whatever T-Mo offers.

 

[tomturbomatic]

I remember someone reporting on duplicating the ascending beeps that precede the announcement that the number the caller reached is no longer in service as a way of stopping these calls.

 

[ea56]

No-Mo-Robo is useless as teats on a bull IMO. I’ve been using it for several years now and sometimes it works, but most of the time NOT. We get robo calls sometime beginning as early a 6 am. Its almost like they’ve seen our lights are on and they think we’re open for business to try and defraud us. And that Do Not Call system that the government set up several years ago is equally useless.

Since we now have caller id I just don’t answer ANY number that I don’t recognize. If its a legit call they can leave a message and I’ll return the call.

Long gone are the days of answering the phone every time it rings.

Eddie

 

[fan-of-fans]

Yes, I heard that if you put those three ascending tones at the start of your message, the robocallers automatically remove the number from the list, as those trigger it as a disconnected number. You can say whatever you want after those three tones, such as leave a message, etc.

 

[mattl]

Well if No-Mo-Robo is worthless I don't know how to explain the lack of calls.  I've had the same number for 50+ years so it's on every list out there. Had the same cell number  for 30+ years.

 

[fan-of-fans]

I stopped getting the spam calls lately on my cell phone. I might get one or two unknown numbers calling in a month, a few years ago it was far more frequent.

 

[ea56]

Matt,
Not everyone has the same experiences with different services. We’ve had the same phone number for over 37 years. I’m happy for you that NoMoRobo works so well for you, it simply doesn’t for us. Lucky you.

Eddie

 

[stan]

How do we

get on the same no not call list as the police department or hospital?
They ain’t callin them.
So if there’s a way to stop them from harassing those phone numbers, there has to be a way to stop them from calling us!
Who’s gona share the secret?

 

[whitewhiskers]

Been using Voice over IP as my pseudo-landline for 15 years now. It took a few years for the technology to mature and products to become available, on both the software and hardware side. The worst experience was subscribing to Comcast's VoIP service. Within minutes after the tech left the house after connecting up the new cable modem, the phone was ringing constantly with junk calls. It's like Comcast had made a deal with several marketing firms to give out subscriber telephone #'s in exchange for whatever. It became an intolerable situation.

With Google Voice and an Obihai box, I receive ZERO junk calls. I can even configure GV to only allow incoming calls on my contact list. Anybody else is immediately sent to voicemail with the phone not even ringing.

Sadly Obihai is no longer available. Ooma is available and claims to work with GV, so if my current magic box fails there's an available solution. The trend these days is for people to not have a landline and use their cell phone exclusively. Cell phones are pretty good today at blocking spam calls. There's also on Android phones the ability to integrate with GV.

 

[daveamkrayoguy]

I wonder if I should just make my message:

The number you are trying to reach [ my phone number--home/land-line, with each number given in similar inflection ] is no longer in service...

 

 

 

-- Dave

 

[48bencix]

They could but will not

I would like the phone companies to ensure that *69 would always work. That way you could call them back and make them as miserable as they make us. I do think it is important to not be on the Do Not Call List. We only get a couple of calls on the VOIP landline. Hardly any on the cell. I also still have my TeleZapper on the landline which sends a tone when picking up the line, supposedly to say the number is not in service. I do not know if it really helps. I do still have an answering machine and could try your idea.

 

[rinso]

I was able to get those three tones recorded onto my answering device. My message follows in ascending loudness, and in my sister's voice:

"The number you have dialed, is not a working number; The number you have dialed, is not a working number, The number you have dialed is not a working number." "This is NOT a recording!" Works every time.