Nuisance phone calls

jbolty · 11-16-2017, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by greeleyhill

https://www.donotcall.gov/

unfortunately criminals don't pay any attention to that.

I read online someplace that if you have a young child in the house hand the phone to them and tell them it's Santa calling.

Otherwise I don't answer or just hang up and block the number or say "hang on a second" then set the phone down and leave it for a while.

Biggd · 11-16-2017, 12:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jbolty

unfortunately criminals don't pay any attention to that.

I read online someplace that if you have a young child in the house hand the phone to them and tell them it's Santa calling.

Otherwise I don't answer or just hang up and block the number or say "hang on a second" then set the phone down and leave it for a while.

I also think it's an age thing. The older you are the more scam calls you get. They try to prey on older people that may be living alone and might be experiencing early signs of dementia. It's pretty sad but that's the world we live in today. If you have elderly parents you have to educate them just like you did with your children.

Barney Bear · 11-16-2017, 02:22 PM

Must be why we are receiving so many of these calls. We have caller ID. If we do not know who is calling, we do not answer. We check for voice mail messages regularly. ⏳

Crusty · 11-16-2017, 03:21 PM

Now that I'm retired, I am available to take lots of unwanted phone calls. I used to be polite, realizing that the person calling was just doing his/her job. Gradually, rudeness crept in. Now, it's a game. If it's a human caller, I generally announce that we're on "a recorded line". That frequently gets an immediate hang-up (and they don't call back).

Another fun one is to ask the caller "What credit card will you be using"? When they express confusion, I come back with "I charge $35 for the first 10 minutes and $10 for each additional 5 minutes." I don't let them change the subject. As of now, nobody has given me a card number.

My favorite though, is the guy who calls from "technical support" (or "Microsoft support" or "computer support'), ostensibly because they've "detected a virus" on my computer. I take on the persona of a put-upon consumer who is waiting for the return of his computer and berate the caller with demands for its immediate return. "You guys promised you'd have it fixed two days ago! What's the hold-up. I don't want excuses... where's my computer..."

The latest thorn in my side is the "interactive" robocall. These actually attempt to engage you --rather convincingly-- in a conversation. They will even answer your questions in a somewhat reasonable fashion. So far, I can reveal their mechanical origins by asking "Excuse me, but what is 3 plus 5?" They'll answer, but never with "8" (or any other number). Despite what the pundits say about the dangers of artificial intelligence, I fear that undetectable robocalls are truly the greatest menace to civilization.

SIKSUKR · 11-16-2017, 03:34 PM

Damn I thought it was just me. I had registered on the do not call list many years ago and had noticed it has gotten pretty bad the last year or so. I figured I needed to reregister. When I tried to it said I was already on the list. Hasnt helped at all. I know when it is voting season I'll get those and those are allowed but the non stop sales are annoying. I too dont answer any I dont know and luckily they pop up on my tv so I dont have to move to see whos calling this time. I only have a landline cuz my cell coverage is spotty. My answering machine almost never has a message from these but when I look at the missed call list i'll have the same number a dozen times. WTF? I'm in the same boat as an above poster in that for both my home and cell I dont answer any I dont know and if they need me they will leave a message.

Biggd · 11-16-2017, 03:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crusty

Now that I'm retired, I am available to take lots of unwanted phone calls. I used to be polite, realizing that the person calling was just doing his/her job. Gradually, rudeness crept in. Now, it's a game. If it's a human caller, I generally announce that we're on "a recorded line". That frequently gets an immediate hang-up (and they don't call back).

Another fun one is to ask the caller "What credit card will you be using"? When they express confusion, I come back with "I charge $35 for the first 10 minutes and $10 for each additional 5 minutes." I don't let them change the subject. As of now, nobody has given me a card number.

My favorite though, is the guy who calls from "technical support" (or "Microsoft support" or "computer support'), ostensibly because they've "detected a virus" on my computer. I take on the persona of a put-upon consumer who is waiting for the return of his computer and berate the caller with demands for its immediate return. "You guys promised you'd have it fixed two days ago! What's the hold-up. I don't want excuses... where's my computer..."

The latest thorn in my side is the "interactive" robocall. These actually attempt to engage you --rather convincingly-- in a conversation. They will even answer your questions in a somewhat reasonable fashion. So far, I can reveal their mechanical origins by asking "Excuse me, but what is 3 plus 5?" They'll answer, but never with "8" (or any other number). Despite what the pundits say about the dangers of artificial intelligence, I fear that undetectable robocalls are truly the greatest menace to civilization.

You must be really bored in retirement. If I have to resort to this type of behavior in retirement I'll go back to work.

At least I will get paid for my consultation/conversation.

winni83 · 11-16-2017, 04:10 PM

I agree that it has gotten much worse and the Do Not Call List seems to be pretty much useless. I have filed complaints with the Feds several times, to no avail. What I have noticed recently is that the spoofed numbers now often appear to come from a number with the 253 prefix, which is my exchange. On several occasions the spoofed number actually had a name associated with it which I recognized, but the number was not that of the named person I knew.

Biggd · 11-16-2017, 04:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by winni83

I agree that it has gotten much worse and the Do Not Call List seems to be pretty much useless. I have filed complaints with the Feds several times, to no avail. What I have noticed recently is that the spoofed numbers now often appear to come from a number with the 253 prefix, which is my exchange. On several occasions the spoofed number actually had a name associated with it which I recognized, but the number was not that of the named person I knew.

I have seen the same thing. They know people aren't answering so the somehow get a number, with a name, to come up that you recognize and those I get caught on. They must be able to hack your phone for names and numbers that you have answered before. Thankfully those are scare but I'm sure more of the scammers will get this technology soon.

mcdude · 11-16-2017, 06:55 PM

I find it pretty amusing that they are calling an old retired person about his overdue student loans.....REALLY?

Has anyone else been harassed by SIRIUS after your subscription ran out?

Tomt · 11-16-2017, 09:16 PM

Sometimes when I get the right call, maybe something that pertains to my computer having a virus I tend to have fun with it. I will follow the keystrokes they tell me to a point, then i'll say I messed up and closed the window and they will start again. All the time pretending to be concerned about a computer virus. I try to string them along as long as I can. One time I actually got him to laugh when after not getting the computer to respond the way he was telling me I finally asked "Should my computer be on"?? he laughed then hung up. Sick amusement I know.

rsmlp · 11-17-2017, 09:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tomt

Sometimes when I get the right call, maybe something that pertains to my computer having a virus I tend to have fun with it. I will follow the keystrokes they tell me to a point, then i'll say I messed up and closed the window and they will start again. All the time pretending to be concerned about a computer virus. I try to string them along as long as I can. One time I actually got him to laugh when after not getting the computer to respond the way he was telling me I finally asked "Should my computer be on"?? he laughed then hung up. Sick amusement I know.

I'm most certainly not advocating for telemarketers but at the end of the day these are poorly paid low skill people trying to make ends meet. No need to be cruel about it.

As I stated in a prior post, just don't answer the phone!

Billy Bob · 11-17-2017, 09:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rsmlp

I'm most certainly not advocating for telemarketers but at the end of the day these are poorly paid low skill people trying to make ends meet. No need to be cruel about it.

As I stated in a prior post, just don't answer the phone!

I have no idea where you get that infromation but these are not the low paid customer service people calling . These are VERY highly compensated sales people capable of closing on unsuspecting easy marks.
They are knowingly breaking the law calling you and don’t deserve kindness.
Treat them well and they will keep calling

rsmlp · 11-17-2017, 10:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Billy Bob

I have no idea where you get that infromation but these are not the low paid customer service people calling . These are VERY highly compensated sales people capable of closing on unsuspecting easy marks.
They are knowingly breaking the law calling you and don’t deserve kindness.
Treat them well and they will keep calling

So $26K/ year is "highly compensated"?

https://money.usnews.com/careers/bes...arketer/salary

DRH · 11-17-2017, 10:35 AM

We receive on average a half dozen junk calls every day on our landline number, even though we registered it with the FTC's "Do Not Call" list years ago. Recently a good number of these junk calls have shown an "875" exchange, which is correct for Alton where I live, but the following four digits are fake. (Faking the numbers Caller ID displays is easy and it is a technique often used by scammers.) For 99% of these calls, no messages have been left.

Interestingly, however, we have received several calls this year from the "IRS" that have included messages. The spiel usually goes that a warrant for our arrest has been issued due to non-payment of taxes, and that if we don't call a certain number immediately we will be hauled off to jail and our house will be confiscated. The voice is computer-generated and is quite ominous. I have yet to call the provided numbers and so far, at least, I haven't been handcuffed and taken away in the back seat of a cruiser.

About a year ago I ordered a call blocking device that plugs into a telephone jack. Since then, when we receive a call from a number we don't recognize and no message is left, we simply press the "Blacklist" button on the call blocker unit. From that point on if the number calls us again, the phone only rings once and then the call is automatically disconnected. This unit works well, but we continue to get junk calls from new numbers on a daily basis.

winni83 · 11-17-2017, 10:49 AM

To follow up on the local number spoofing issue. I just got a call with a name and a 253 number on caller ID. I answered it and it was Resorts International. An automated recording which prompts you for answers. A profane answer resulted in a hang up. Usually, I just delete the caller id info, but this time I called the number back and asked the person who answered if this was the number for Mr. "Jones" and it was. Told the woman who answered that their number was being spoofed. Further intrigued, I checked the name on the Moultonborough Tax site and they live not far from me. An on line search of the number shown on the caller ID matches the name.

tis · 11-17-2017, 05:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by winni83

To follow up on the local number spoofing issue. I just got a call with a name and a 253 number on caller ID. I answered it and it was Resorts International. An automated recording which prompts you for answers. A profane answer resulted in a hang up. Usually, I just delete the caller id info, but this time I called the number back and asked the person who answered if this was the number for Mr. "Jones" and it was. Told the woman who answered that their number was being spoofed. Further intrigued, I checked the name on the Moultonborough Tax site and they live not far from me. An on line search of the number shown on the caller ID matches the name.

Yes, we get that one all the time too. And the problem is, a couple of times I ignored it and it wasn't them. I may or may not answer. I would hate to not answer one of my customers and I certainly don't know all their numbers.

September · 11-17-2017, 06:28 PM

My thought is that it is only because "it works!" that these calls keep coming. Everyone says they hate them. Everyone says they never buy anything. But if "everyone" really did hang up and never buy anything, the industry would not continue to use this method. Somebody is buying, somebody is listening; we just need to educate people to simply hang up! Because, if "everyone" did this, robo calls and things like this would go the way of the door-to-door fuller brush man.

rsmlp · 11-17-2017, 06:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by September

My thought is that it is only because "it works!" that these calls keep coming. Everyone says they hate them. Everyone says they never buy anything. But if "everyone" really did hang up and never buy anything, the industry would not continue to use this method. Somebody is buying, somebody is listening; we just need to educate people to simply hang up! Because, if "everyone" did this, robo calls and things like this would go the way of the door-to-door fuller brush man.

An excellent point. Still don't understand why anyone would answer a call from an unrecognizable #.

Doobs41378 · 11-17-2017, 10:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rsmlp

An excellent point. Still don't understand why anyone would answer a call from an unrecognizable #.

I think everybody’s situation is different. For me my office routes my calls to my cell phone so there would be no way I could tell if it was a client or a telemarketer. I’ve been getting calls where they leave 3 minute voicemails about Jesus lately too.

Sent from my iPhone using Winnipesaukee Forum mobile app

TiltonBB · 11-18-2017, 08:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rsmlp

An excellent point. Still don't understand why anyone would answer a call from an unrecognizable #.

There are many reasons. I advertise rental properties and boat slips so a substantial number of calls are from numbers I don't recognize. I would rather take the call and deal with it than spend a substantial amount of time listening to voice mail and playing phone tag later on. I find that many people call during a break from work and cannot take an incoming call.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rsmlp

I'm most certainly not advocating for telemarketers but at the end of the day these are poorly paid low skill people trying to make ends meet. No need to be cruel about it.

As I stated in a prior post, just don't answer the phone!

I don't know where your calls are coming from but most of the ones I get are from people with their feet in the sand and their camel tied to a palm tree outside their tent. That is why the US telemarketing laws are not stopping them. And for any calls from the US, if these are truly "poorly paid low skill people" anyone helping to support them is keeping them down. If these "annoy the public" telemarketing jobs did not exist maybe the bottom feeders would find it necessary to learn some skills and look for real jobs that pay more.

tis · 11-18-2017, 08:48 AM

Some of the most annoying nuisance calls I ever got was from people all over the country who were looking to rent a house I own in Northern NH. I do not own a house in northern NH. Apparently the lady who owns it had put my cell number on the vacation rental site. Everybody that called I asked if they ever got her right number to please remove my number from that site. It drove me crazy for a year and a half. I emailed the site and they told me I had to call. I called and had an extended wait and forget that. It apparently has finally ended. (fingers crossed)

Chickie · 11-18-2017, 10:31 AM

Since about July I have been receiving calls from the same person, saying he has a “very important message for me.” The number to call to get that very important message is an 800.900 number. From what I have determined 900 nunbers are pay per call numbers and if I were to call or click on it, I could be charged big bucks. Has anyone gotten that one? Very persistent and keeps calling. Sounds like a new scam to me.

11-16-2017, 02:22 PM	#3
Barney Bear Senior Member Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 962 Thanks: 495 Thanked 274 Times in 175 Posts	Age Thing Must be why we are receiving so many of these calls. We have caller ID. If we do not know who is calling, we do not answer. We check for voice mail messages regularly. ⏳

11-16-2017, 03:21 PM	#4
Crusty Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Columbus OH / Smiths Pt Posts: 128 Thanks: 176 Thanked 158 Times in 57 Posts	Moving "nuisance" to the other end of the call. Now that I'm retired, I am available to take lots of unwanted phone calls. I used to be polite, realizing that the person calling was just doing his/her job. Gradually, rudeness crept in. Now, it's a game. If it's a human caller, I generally announce that we're on "a recorded line". That frequently gets an immediate hang-up (and they don't call back). Another fun one is to ask the caller "What credit card will you be using"? When they express confusion, I come back with "I charge $35 for the first 10 minutes and $10 for each additional 5 minutes." I don't let them change the subject. As of now, nobody has given me a card number. My favorite though, is the guy who calls from "technical support" (or "Microsoft support" or "computer support'), ostensibly because they've "detected a virus" on my computer. I take on the persona of a put-upon consumer who is waiting for the return of his computer and berate the caller with demands for its immediate return. "You guys promised you'd have it fixed two days ago! What's the hold-up. I don't want excuses... where's my computer..." The latest thorn in my side is the "interactive" robocall. These actually attempt to engage you --rather convincingly-- in a conversation. They will even answer your questions in a somewhat reasonable fashion. So far, I can reveal their mechanical origins by asking "Excuse me, but what is 3 plus 5?" They'll answer, but never with "8" (or any other number). Despite what the pundits say about the dangers of artificial intelligence, I fear that undetectable robocalls are truly the greatest menace to civilization.

11-16-2017, 03:34 PM	#5
SIKSUKR Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 5,075 Thanks: 215 Thanked 903 Times in 509 Posts	Damn I thought it was just me. I had registered on the do not call list many years ago and had noticed it has gotten pretty bad the last year or so. I figured I needed to reregister. When I tried to it said I was already on the list. Hasnt helped at all. I know when it is voting season I'll get those and those are allowed but the non stop sales are annoying. I too dont answer any I dont know and luckily they pop up on my tv so I dont have to move to see whos calling this time. I only have a landline cuz my cell coverage is spotty. My answering machine almost never has a message from these but when I look at the missed call list i'll have the same number a dozen times. WTF? I'm in the same boat as an above poster in that for both my home and cell I dont answer any I dont know and if they need me they will leave a message. __________________ SIKSUKR

11-16-2017, 06:55 PM	#9
mcdude Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Rock Haven Lake - West Newfield, ME Posts: 5,367 Thanks: 374 Thanked 1,057 Times in 495 Posts	I find it pretty amusing that they are calling an old retired person about his overdue student loans.....REALLY? Has anyone else been harassed by SIRIUS after your subscription ran out? __________________

11-17-2017, 10:35 AM	#14
DRH Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Meredith Posts: 1,689 Thanks: 1,204 Thanked 677 Times in 179 Posts	We receive on average a half dozen junk calls every day on our landline number, even though we registered it with the FTC's "Do Not Call" list years ago. Recently a good number of these junk calls have shown an "875" exchange, which is correct for Alton where I live, but the following four digits are fake. (Faking the numbers Caller ID displays is easy and it is a technique often used by scammers.) For 99% of these calls, no messages have been left. Interestingly, however, we have received several calls this year from the "IRS" that have included messages. The spiel usually goes that a warrant for our arrest has been issued due to non-payment of taxes, and that if we don't call a certain number immediately we will be hauled off to jail and our house will be confiscated. The voice is computer-generated and is quite ominous. I have yet to call the provided numbers and so far, at least, I haven't been handcuffed and taken away in the back seat of a cruiser. About a year ago I ordered a call blocking device that plugs into a telephone jack. Since then, when we receive a call from a number we don't recognize and no message is left, we simply press the "Blacklist" button on the call blocker unit. From that point on if the number calls us again, the phone only rings once and then the call is automatically disconnected. This unit works well, but we continue to get junk calls from new numbers on a daily basis. __________________ DRH

11-16-2017, 04:10 PM	#7
winni83 Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Moultonborough, NH Posts: 435 Thanks: 17 Thanked 213 Times in 135 Posts	I agree that it has gotten much worse and the Do Not Call List seems to be pretty much useless. I have filed complaints with the Feds several times, to no avail. What I have noticed recently is that the spoofed numbers now often appear to come from a number with the 253 prefix, which is my exchange. On several occasions the spoofed number actually had a name associated with it which I recognized, but the number was not that of the named person I knew.

11-16-2017, 09:16 PM	#10
Tomt Senior Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Revere Ma & Moultonborough Posts: 89 Thanks: 22 Thanked 8 Times in 6 Posts	Sometimes when I get the right call, maybe something that pertains to my computer having a virus I tend to have fun with it. I will follow the keystrokes they tell me to a point, then i'll say I messed up and closed the window and they will start again. All the time pretending to be concerned about a computer virus. I try to string them along as long as I can. One time I actually got him to laugh when after not getting the computer to respond the way he was telling me I finally asked "Should my computer be on"?? he laughed then hung up. Sick amusement I know.

11-17-2017, 10:49 AM	#15
winni83 Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Moultonborough, NH Posts: 435 Thanks: 17 Thanked 213 Times in 135 Posts	To follow up on the local number spoofing issue. I just got a call with a name and a 253 number on caller ID. I answered it and it was Resorts International. An automated recording which prompts you for answers. A profane answer resulted in a hang up. Usually, I just delete the caller id info, but this time I called the number back and asked the person who answered if this was the number for Mr. "Jones" and it was. Told the woman who answered that their number was being spoofed. Further intrigued, I checked the name on the Moultonborough Tax site and they live not far from me. An on line search of the number shown on the caller ID matches the name.

11-17-2017, 06:28 PM	#17
September Member Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Wolfeboro Posts: 30 Thanks: 6 Thanked 5 Times in 5 Posts	Why do they keep calling? My thought is that it is only because "it works!" that these calls keep coming. Everyone says they hate them. Everyone says they never buy anything. But if "everyone" really did hang up and never buy anything, the industry would not continue to use this method. Somebody is buying, somebody is listening; we just need to educate people to simply hang up! Because, if "everyone" did this, robo calls and things like this would go the way of the door-to-door fuller brush man.

11-18-2017, 08:48 AM	#21
tis Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 6,767 Thanks: 754 Thanked 1,462 Times in 1,018 Posts	Some of the most annoying nuisance calls I ever got was from people all over the country who were looking to rent a house I own in Northern NH. I do not own a house in northern NH. Apparently the lady who owns it had put my cell number on the vacation rental site. Everybody that called I asked if they ever got her right number to please remove my number from that site. It drove me crazy for a year and a half. I emailed the site and they told me I had to call. I called and had an extended wait and forget that. It apparently has finally ended. (fingers crossed)

11-18-2017, 10:31 AM	#22
Chickie Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 368 Thanks: 0 Thanked 67 Times in 38 Posts	New Scam Call? Since about July I have been receiving calls from the same person, saying he has a “very important message for me.” The number to call to get that very important message is an 800.900 number. From what I have determined 900 nunbers are pay per call numbers and if I were to call or click on it, I could be charged big bucks. Has anyone gotten that one? Very persistent and keeps calling. Sounds like a new scam to me.