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Robo-calls (1 Viewer)

TheIronSheik

SUPER ELITE UPPER TIER
These things are bad enough as it is, but for the past year, about once a week, I get a call that is entirely in Chinese.  I'm not sure if it's a telemarketer or what.  But I don't know how they flagged me as a potential person who this would work on.

Do other people get these calls from spoofed numbers?   :confused:

 
These things are bad enough as it is, but for the past year, about once a week, I get a call that is entirely in Chinese.  I'm not sure if it's a telemarketer or what.  But I don't know how they flagged me as a potential person who this would work on.

Do other people get these calls from spoofed numbers?   :confused:
Just saw an article about foreign-born college students receiving these calls. For those that speak the language, they are being told that a criminal complaint has been filed against them in China for money-laundering and that they will soon be arrested and extradited to face the charges...unless, of course, they follow a specific set of instructions, including paying thousands of dollars "in fines" as directed in the call. If you don't speak Chinese and hang up, they move on to the next number.

Link

 
Just saw an article about foreign-born college students receiving these calls. For those that speak the language, they are being told that a criminal complaint has been filed against them in China for money-laundering and that they will soon be arrested and extradited to face the charges...unless, of course, they follow a specific set of instructions, including paying thousands of dollars "in fines" as directed in the call. If you don't speak Chinese and hang up, they move on to the next number.

Link
The crew calling me has not gotten the last part of this message.  They are persistent.

 
Yes I get these and they leave long voicemails entirely in Chinese.

Also, started getting calls for Lithuania.

 
The crew calling me has not gotten the last part of this message.  They are persistent.
yeah- I get these all the time, usually at work. we have a central line, but then separate direct lines to each employee. when they call, everybody's direct line rings at the same time. 

I've come back to my desk sometimes and 2 or 3 messages waiting for me- all in chinese. and they're different messages as far as I can tell.

the worst has been "oh... (fumbling with something)... HI! it's Jan... sorry- just fixing my microphone... something-something-something... travel resort... something something". I actually tried to talk to the thing the first time before realizing it was robo and hanging up.

what makes this one the worst is that it always piggy-backs onto a local number that looks kinda like mine- so it doesn't seem like a random call from Iowa that I'd obviously have nothing to do with. but I'm at a point where if it's a local number I don't recognize, I don't pick up... and  I've missed some important calls because of this.

 
I am not sure which is weirder, getting calls from Lithuania or being able to tell the call was in Lithuanian.
The call comes through with a number and the location says Lithuania and they hang up immediately. I don't actually answer it. According to Google, the scam is they want you to call back and then they get some percentage of the long distance fee.

 
Using an app like Trucaller may help reduce. They have free versions with ads and a premium version for under $10/mo. I just use the free version. Many of the robocalls are just assigned unused numbers, many times a number with your cell phone prefix. Don't answer calls you don't recognize the number. If its important they will leave a message. Some of the carriers, are now offering robocall screening for free, but you have to opt in. We did this with Sprectrum on our home phone and robo calls have pretty much been eliminated. Might get one a week. 

 
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Who is this @TheIronSheik guy?  ;)   Are you officially back?

I use Nomorobo on my home phone (free) and on my cell (cheap annual subscription).  It helps a lot.  On the home phone, which only works with VoIP I think, it's nearly flawless.  Phone rings 1x - if it's a robocaller, it just stops after that.  I just want a home phone that doesn't ring till the 2nd ring, and I'll be all set.  

On my cell, it works much better for robocalls, but I still get live-person spam calls.  90% of them are from my cell phone's area code, which is in Virginia.  The only people that call me from VA are in my contact list, so if I get a call from a VA area code, I just ignore it.  In retrospect, the best thing I did was keep my VA cell phone number when I moved to NJ - They spoof numbers I know aren't actually for me.  I rarely (never) get an NJ area code that isn't legit.

 
I sometimes get 3-4+ a day, other days I'll get none.  I do get a lot of them from the same prefix as my cell, which is odd (??).  

 
I got a bunch of these a few months a go and blocked all of them. Not sure if the block function is through AT&T or Samsung, but I didn't have that option through my previous carrier on a different cell phone. It's been a while since I've received a robo-caller, but I also don't answer every call either.

 
Hello Mr. Sheik,

I noticed your car warranty is about to expire.  You must act now or risk losing coverage.  Please press "1" and we will take all your credit caed info. 
This is definitely in the Top 2.  The other being:

This is a call from your credit card company.  There's no issue, but we wanted to talk to you about lowering you interest rate. 

And they actually say "credit card company."  Like that's not suspicious right off the bat.

 
This is definitely in the Top 2.  The other being:

This is a call from your credit card company.  There's no issue, but we wanted to talk to you about lowering you interest rate. 

And they actually say "credit card company."  Like that's not suspicious right off the bat.
I get the Chinese one and health insurance 

 
I get 2 calls a day offering me health insurance at a great rate.  Um... I actually have phenomenal, 100% company paid health insurance scammer guys...  You are barking up the wrong tree.  I actually kind of miss the "This is IRS.  You are being sued.  ALL YOUR BASE ARE BELONG TO US" phones calls. 

 
Hello Mr. Sheik,

I noticed your car warranty is about to expire.  You must act now or risk losing coverage.  Please press "1" and we will take all your credit caed info. 
I always play along and get connected.  When they ask what car I want to extend the warranty on I always tell them they should know as they have been trying to contact me numerous times and this is their last attempt.

After wasting a few minutes of their time, I then tell them it's a 2003 Chevy Trailblazer with 175K miles.  Of course they can't insure that, and ask about my other vehicles.  To which I ask them if they're going to insure my bicycle, as it's the only other ride I have. 

Figure if I can waste a few minutes of their time, they aren't scamming some other person.  Some afternoons I'm bored and answer these calls when there is nothing better to do. 

 
Is the general feel that Cellular companies don't care about these telemarketers making phone lines worthless?  It sucks that I have to schedule almost every call because of the amount of BS calls I'm ignoring all day.   It's text or email, then I send that person to my conference line with a calendar invite since my own phone is rendered useless most of the day. 

How long before people come up with a different way to do voice calls (e.g. a Skype type of service, etc.)?

 
Hiya has a way to stop numbers that come from your prefix.   

It has gotten next level meta for me though, because people inside my prefix, real people, are calling me saying to stop calling them about their credit card debt.  They are leaving VM also.  So I assume people are spoofing my number also and wasting my time 2nd level.  

There are apps that can hand people off to a robot to answer their questions and mess with them.  I've been known to play dumb with some of these just to string them along if they catch me at a dull moment in the car or something. 

 
I get a few spam calls a day sometimes.  Like everyone else, I don't answer if I don't recognize the number and I block all of the spam numbers, although it doesn't seem to make a difference since they call from a different number every time.

 
It's been a minute, but I was getting those Chinese calls as well.  The cellular no-call list is a joke.
Totally agree. These no-call lists shouldn't have expiration dates, and they SHOULD WORK! All my family's numbers are on lists but that doesn't stop my cell from getting what seems like calls once a day. Laws need to be better about not receiving unwanted soliciations -- it's a privacy issue. let alone an incredibly annoying hassle. And the current controls and rules and enforcement are completely devoid of any efficacy.

The call comes through with a number and the location says Lithuania and they hang up immediately. I don't actually answer it. According to Google, the scam is they want you to call back and then they get some percentage of the long distance fee.
The calls coming through in Chinese, Luthuania, from foreign numbers, etc. are not my experience (yet, I guess, seeing how prolific they seem to be from this thread). All the robo-calls I get are from numbers spoofed to not just use the same area code as my phone, but also the same first 3-number prefix.

Who is this @TheIronSheik guy?  ;)   Are you officially back?

I use Nomorobo on my home phone (free) and on my cell (cheap annual subscription).  It helps a lot.  On the home phone, which only works with VoIP I think, it's nearly flawless.  Phone rings 1x - if it's a robocaller, it just stops after that.  I just want a home phone that doesn't ring till the 2nd ring, and I'll be all set.  

On my cell, it works much better for robocalls, but I still get live-person spam calls.  90% of them are from my cell phone's area code, which is in Virginia.  The only people that call me from VA are in my contact list, so if I get a call from a VA area code, I just ignore it.  In retrospect, the best thing I did was keep my VA cell phone number when I moved to NJ - They spoof numbers I know aren't actually for me.  I rarely (never) get an NJ area code that isn't legit.
Love the suggestions, including @culdeus's Hiya recco. I need to find something that really works on my aging iPhone as I'm at a Network level of rage (mad and not taking it anymore).

Yeah, I don't even answer the phone anymore unless it's a number I recognize and even then, I'm about 17% likely to pick up.  Text me if you need me.
I don't answer them as well, but I think I need to diligently hit decline as they've filled my VM with a recorded voice that usually says, please hold for more information, then transfers to yet another recorded message. Infuriating.

 
OK, maybe this is too :tinfoilhat: , but did some quick research to find more blocking options, and noticed that there are carrier-level blocks offered. I have Verizon, and found this:

Verizon Wireless lets subscribers block up to five numbers for 90 days for free and up to 20 phone numbers for $10 a month. The carrier also offers a Caller Name ID app for iOS and certain Android phones and two call-blocking hardware devices: the $70 CPR Call Blocker Shield and the $100 CPR Call Blocker V5000.
I would bet they actively lobby for limits on registries and lax on enforcing spam calls through their network specifically because they can make money on allowing them through.

This is totally non-customer centric, and I think there has to be more right for people to opt out -- once, permanently, and effectively -- out of any cold-call.

However, too much money to be made in allowing it (and all other forms of data collection for use in marketing) to actually respect my right to privacy. That ship has long sailed, unfortunately.

F'n ridiculous.

 
OK, maybe this is too :tinfoilhat: , but did some quick research to find more blocking options, and noticed that there are carrier-level blocks offered. I have Verizon, and found this:

I would bet they actively lobby for limits on registries and lax on enforcing spam calls through their network specifically because they can make money on allowing them through.

This is totally non-customer centric, and I think there has to be more right for people to opt out -- once, permanently, and effectively -- out of any cold-call.

However, too much money to be made in allowing it (and all other forms of data collection for use in marketing) to actually respect my right to privacy. That ship has long sailed, unfortunately.

F'n ridiculous.
See that's BS because these telemarketers just keep creating new phone numbers, so just blocking even 20 numbers might not end up working.  And $120/year for the privilege???  F U.

 
Don't try to register a number on the Do Not Call List

Due to the government shutdown, we are unable to offer this website service at this time. Information about unwanted calls can be found on the FTC’s website at: National Do Not Call Registry | Consumer Information

We will resume normal operations when the government is funded.

 
I've had a Pixel from Google since day 1. Now have a Pixel 3 and call screening is the single best feature of this phone. Messing with the spam callers is fun and most just hang up. Just a fabulous feature.

 
Had to break down and actually block a persistent number from Haiti, but if fi isn’t in my contacts I’m not answering unless I am specifically expecting a call (and then 99% of the time it is “we have important information about your car’s extended warranty...”) 

 
FTC cracked down on 4 major robocall groups.

What do you guys think this will do to the volume of calls we get?  Major reduction, or drop in the bucket?

I feel like there are 3 types I get:

  1. Calls where the number is spoofed to look like it came from my local prefix
  2. Calls from other US numbers
  3. Calls that appear to originate from Belarus, Lithuania, etc
Hopefully this will reduce types #1 and #2.  Two years ago I got none of these calls.  Then a few type 1's here and there.  Then the spoofed local prefix calls started coming twice daily.  Now it is mainly calls from overseas.

 
FTC cracked down on 4 major robocall groups.

What do you guys think this will do to the volume of calls we get?  Major reduction, or drop in the bucket?

I feel like there are 3 types I get:

  1. Calls where the number is spoofed to look like it came from my local prefix
  2. Calls from other US numbers
  3. Calls that appear to originate from Belarus, Lithuania, etc
Hopefully this will reduce types #1 and #2.  Two years ago I got none of these calls.  Then a few type 1's here and there.  Then the spoofed local prefix calls started coming twice daily.  Now it is mainly calls from overseas.
Many apps can deal with type 1.  I use hiya 

 
Fundamentally, it sounds like spoofing is illegal and FTC can do something about it and make it hurt.  Also, it sounds like the major carriers are rolling out free call authentication tools for users.  Is the spoofing business model dead now?

 
Fundamentally, it sounds like spoofing is illegal and FTC can do something about it and make it hurt.  Also, it sounds like the major carriers are rolling out free call authentication tools for users.  Is the spoofing business model dead now?
Not quite "now" .... I just got a spoof call. But I sure hope so.

 
I got one of those text responses that says "I can't talk right now, can I call you later." from some number I didn't know and didn't call.  Apparently some company was spoofing my number.  😠

 
Got SEVEN robo calls and voicemails from the same number in a ~2 hour window yesterday. Voicemail said nothing but "Goodbye" on all seven voicemails. Unbelievable. 

 
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