Velos Posted November 28, 2015 Report Share Posted November 28, 2015 We have not had a land line since 2001 when we hit the road full time. We each have a cell phone and enjoyed the peace of no telemarketing calls for several years. I don't know who got a hold of one of our numbers but we have been getting a couple of robo-calls a week this month. Yesterday and today I received a call from 360-322-4870. We make a practice of not answering our cell phones unless we recognize the number. I Googled the number https://www.shouldianswer.com/phone-number/3603224870 and found it to be a scam saying it was the IRS calling. This scam has been in the news. We have Verizon service and I went online yesterday afternoon to block the number. I can block up to 5 numbers per phone for 90 days for "free". I don't know how long it takes to activate but apparently more than 24 hours? On the above website I found a link to an app called "Should I Answer"https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.mistergroup.muzutozvednout&referrer=utm_source%3Dhomepage%26utm_medium%3Dreferral%26utm_campaign%3Dweb_detail_US_3 I was wondering if anyone here has tried this app or something similar? Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AFchap Posted November 28, 2015 Report Share Posted November 28, 2015 On my Verizon phone I can highlight a number that called me and several choices pop up. One choice is "add to reject list." I have not encountered a limit on that list as yet. The call hits your phone, but you likely will never know. At most, you may see a notification that a # from the list has been rejected. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dutch_12078 Posted November 28, 2015 Report Share Posted November 28, 2015 We have the "Call Control" app installed on our Android phones. It does a good job of blocking most telemarketing, survey, and political calls. The app uses a user community reported list of offending numbers, and you can add other numbers as needed. The free version works well, but the ad-free $7.99 lifetime subscription version has a few more features. On our VOIP phone service, we use the "NoMoRobo" service to block calls. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LindaH Posted November 28, 2015 Report Share Posted November 28, 2015 On my Verizon phone I can highlight a number that called me and several choices pop up. One choice is "add to reject list." Thanks for this information, Paul! I never knew this, but tried it on my phone and it works! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GR "Scott" Cundiff Posted November 28, 2015 Report Share Posted November 28, 2015 Add them to your phonebook and assign the a ring tone of silence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LFDR3116 Posted November 28, 2015 Report Share Posted November 28, 2015 There is a phone # you can call to stop telemarketing calls on your cell, a "do not call list" just like they did with the landline phones. Some ignore and call anyway and the scammers certainly would, but you could stop other unwanted calls by registering on that list. I do not have the number handy but you should be able to find it online by doing a search. We did that and very seldom get any unwanted calls. It did help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat & Pete Posted November 29, 2015 Report Share Posted November 29, 2015 About the 'Do Not Call Registry' : http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2014/07/26/3-things-need-to-know-about-do-not-call-registry.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerryneal Posted November 29, 2015 Report Share Posted November 29, 2015 If you have an iPhone, go to the recent calls, tap the circled "i" next to number and go to the bottom of the screen and select Block This Caller. Works great plus no limit to the amount of callers you can block. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bja1234 Posted November 29, 2015 Report Share Posted November 29, 2015 I like the app,"whitepages ID". It is free for android. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirk W Posted November 29, 2015 Report Share Posted November 29, 2015 Thanks for this information, Paul! I never knew this, but tried it on my phone and it works! There is also the ability to block a number on I-phones. But you have to block each one and some spam operations used multiple phone numbers, so it isn't 100%. There is a phone # you can call to stop telemarketing calls on your cell, a "do not call list" just like they did with the landline phones. Part of the problem with these registries is that there are more than one of them and the scammers can move and change phone numbers very easily and quickly. But they don't harm anything so if you Google "do not call" you can list on several of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LFDR3116 Posted November 29, 2015 Report Share Posted November 29, 2015 As the article pointed out states at the end it is still a good ideas to register your land lines and cell phones on the list. We do get unsolicited calls on our cell phone occasionally, so they do gain access to the numbers somehow and can call. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Velos Posted November 29, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 29, 2015 Thank you all for your tips and suggestions. DH has a flip phone and it doesn't have a number lock feature that I have been able to fine. Its at least 10 years old and still cooking so he doesn't want to change:( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJTroy Posted November 30, 2015 Report Share Posted November 30, 2015 The problem isn't just that these spammers have multiple numbers, it's that they can spoof the calling party number. We get calls pretty regularly where the calling party number is our own house landline number. Or it will be some odd long number string that isn't properly formatted (and it's not an international number, I know that plan very well). Blocking & the Do Not Call list help against reputable companies, but are completely ineffective against spoofing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dutch_12078 Posted November 30, 2015 Report Share Posted November 30, 2015 The problem isn't just that these spammers have multiple numbers, it's that they can spoof the calling party number. We get calls pretty regularly where the calling party number is our own house landline number. Or it will be some odd long number string that isn't properly formatted (and it's not an international number, I know that plan very well). Blocking & the Do Not Call list help against reputable companies, but are completely ineffective against spoofing. One of the settings we use in the "Call Control" Android app we use blocks calls with a spoofed caller ID. I don't know just how it detects them, but it does seem to work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dewilso Posted December 3, 2015 Report Share Posted December 3, 2015 Default ring tone on my phone is set as silent, anyone who I want to hear from is given a "real" ring tone. If someone calls and my phone doesn't ring, they are welcome, and encouraged to leave a message. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Velos Posted December 3, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 3, 2015 Default ring tone on my phone is set as silent, anyone who I want to hear from is given a "real" ring tone. If someone calls and my phone doesn't ring, they are welcome, and encouraged to leave a message. Great idea. Thanks for sharing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docj Posted December 3, 2015 Report Share Posted December 3, 2015 Default ring tone on my phone is set as silent, anyone who I want to hear from is given a "real" ring tone. If someone calls and my phone doesn't ring, they are welcome, and encouraged to leave a message. Seems like that would be a real nuisance when trying to get callbacks from doctor's offices and similar places. I would hate to get voice mail from them and then have to try to return their calls. JMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RV_ Posted December 3, 2015 Report Share Posted December 3, 2015 I recently started getting spam SMS text messages and blocked them as they were all ads for local services and events. They all had an obvious five digit number only. I just checked and it also blocked a text I sent from my computer to SMS so I unblocked that one. We're still learning the new Windows phones we got a couple of months ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray,IN Posted January 16, 2016 Report Share Posted January 16, 2016 There are exceptions to the "do not call list". Religious organizations, non-profit may be another, can't remember for sure. http://ag.ca.gov/donotcall/faq.php Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandsys Posted January 16, 2016 Report Share Posted January 16, 2016 Politicians are another exception to the do not call registry. Get ready for your phone to ring a lot as another political season has started. Linda Sand ps. This is a phone post not a political one. Please, do not respond with a political rant that will get us all in trouble. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RV_ Posted January 16, 2016 Report Share Posted January 16, 2016 Oh we are on Verizon too. BTW we got really angry at the political calls recently for our Louisiana Gubernatorial election. My guy won but we always interrupt early in the call and politely tell them we answer no surveys or other personal info questions online or off on the phone or in snail mail. The poor dears they get to volunteer think they are doing the right thing and I have been in their position when I volunteered to help my candidates. I also refuse to answer questions from my own candidates. Just me and my Significant Harassment's choices. YMMV But last election it was robo calls every night! Don't they know those will anger even their own people after a few days, never mind months? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray,IN Posted January 17, 2016 Report Share Posted January 17, 2016 Like Linda alluded to, once you put your phone # on the do not call list, it is fair game for those "exceptions". I choose to pay $1/month for an unpublished number, it is different than an unlisted number, not even a telephone operator has access to an unpublished number. Nothing will prevent an auto-dialer from hitting the lottery and dialing my number though. Now I've gotta learn how to manipulate our smart phone as detailed already. Each state has a do not call registry, which is correlated to the national registry. You only need to register at one site.There is no separate cell registry either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dutch_12078 Posted January 17, 2016 Report Share Posted January 17, 2016 The "Call Control" Android app I mentioned earlier has a setting that lets you choose the blocked categories, including "Political". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckbear Posted January 17, 2016 Report Share Posted January 17, 2016 We've been using a free app called Calls Blacklist on our Verizon Android phones. It does a very good job and will block calls and unwanted text. They also have a paid version. The scammers and spammers keep changing and spoofing numbers so we always add a few every week. But it has made a big difference. Once they have your number it gets sold from list to list so the calls will grow. There is no list or agency that is going to stop it. Good Luck. Chuck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docj Posted January 17, 2016 Report Share Posted January 17, 2016 The "Call Control" Android app I mentioned earlier has a setting that lets you choose the blocked categories, including "Political". My version of Call Control doesn't seem to have any such ability. Where did you find this? Did you pay for an upgrade? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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