I am recently receiving 20+ unwanted calls on my landline.....suggestions??

[#1 Cowboys Fan]

About a month ago, I started getting 20+ unwanted calls per day. It happened to be at a time where we had lost power here in South Carolina.....I still don't think that had anything to do with it...but maybe??

I then went into the Do Not Call Registry....which can take 31 days....I am on day 41.

I got another 22 today.....I might get a couple more....they usually start around 9am, and end before 8pm.

I called my Landline provider company...no suggestions there.

I have reasons to keep my landline.....so please don't advise me to 'cut' that.

I have turned my phone's Ring DOWN...so that the 20+ daily calls don't bother us quite as much.

I was thinking the Election was part of the 'spam'...and now Medicare Enrollment.....not sure.

I answered twice today....just to see who might be calling......nothing there. I suspect now that might OFTEN be the case

I have contemplated changing my phone number...but will THAT get rid of it?

(Please read ALL of my post....I have presented details so as to eliminated simple solutions such as "....get rid of the landline, etc. "

Thanks

 

[Passepartout]

You might try answering them and ANGRILY tell them to NEVER CALL THIS NUMBER AGAIN!!! As soon as the person on the line gets into their sales spiel. Or get a boat air horn and blow it as soon as a human answers.

Not perfect, but it'll definitely reduce them.

You can also ask your landline provider for the code to block numbers. I don't remember it, but it's a star or pound symbol and 2 digit number. Call their customer service number for it.

 

[DrQ]

I answered twice today....just to see who might be calling......nothing there. I suspect now that might OFTEN be the case

That is a robo dialer. It doesn't care that you are inconvenienced, it has made a connection and is waiting for the next scammer in the boiler room to take the line before it times out.

My land line gets a mix of Medicare scams as well as open enrollment, timeshare relief scammers and unsolicited home sale offers. Sometimes I toy with them like a cat bats a mouse before the kill. I like wasting their time. I had one that was so outraged that he called back 6 times before I just let the answering machine pick up.

If they lead in with the line: "Have you ever considered selling ...", I cut them short and say "NO" and hang up.

 

[pedro47]

My spouse send our landline calls to her cell phone and she can block all telephone calls not in our calling registers. It’s works for us.

 

[dioxide45]

Are you tied to your current land line provider? Can you block all unknown numbers or do you need certain calls from unknown numbers to go through? You could try buying an Ooma VOIP system and porting your phone number to it. We have Ooma and it utilizes NoMoRobo to block known spammers. Though we also have it setup to block all calls from people not on our contact list and it sends them to voicemail. We rarely get calls but do get several 3 second voicemails a day. We receive the voicemails via an attachment to email or we can call into the voicemail system. If we get a call from someone we know we want the call to ring the next time, we can easily add them to our contact list in our Ooma account online.

I know Costco usually has a good deal on an Ooma Telo bundle. You do need to sign up for their Premier plan to get the ability to block calls as we do, but we pay less than $18 per month.

 

[TolmiePeak]

You might try answering them and ANGRILY tell them to NEVER CALL THIS NUMBER AGAIN!!! As soon as the person on the line gets into their sales spiel. Or get a boat air horn and blow it as soon as a human answers.

Not perfect, but it'll definitely reduce them.

You can also ask your landline provider for the code to block numbers. I don't remember it, but it's a star or pound symbol and 2 digit number. Call their customer service number for it.

That would just encourage them to call more. The phone is a useless communication device in 2024. I never answer my cell phone. I also dropped the landline 10 years ago. I saw no reason to pay $25 a month for the "privilege" of getting 10 spam calls a day.

 

[sue1947]

Do you have an answering machine attached? My mother still has her landline with answering machine and lets all calls go to the answering machine before picking up. The volume is set high enough that she can hear who is there; most of the time it's nobody. If it is somebody, they know to give her time to get to the phone i.e. call back in a few minutes. Or she wants the message on her machine so she can play it back. Usually, she can't understand it and needs to play it back several times (or I listen to it and deal with it).

Reality check: spammers don't care about the Do Not Call list. They are criminals and following the rules just isn't something they care about. Most are robodialing; yes it may be illegal, but they are criminals and/or the cost of any fines is a lot less than the business they get. (and who in the world still does business with these people...).

It's all really annoying, but that is the world we live in now.

 

[gravityrules]

My seldom used VOIP line has a feature requiring a would be caller to press a randomly specified number to be connected ... that seems to have stopped robocalls.

 

[Luanne]

I just don't answer numbers I don't recognize and delete the calls. I figure if it's someone I need to talk to they will leave a message.

 

[Passepartout]

That would just encourage them to call more. The phone is a useless communication device in 2024. I never answer my cell phone. I also dropped the landline 10 years ago. I saw no reason to pay $25 a month for the "privilege" of getting 10 spam calls a day.

I understand what you're saying, but the OP SPECIFICALLY wrote and repeated that dropping the landline wasn't an option for him. So be it. Then make the caller pay the price for disturbing them and why not get some 'savage amusement' out of harassing the callers? I just provided some suggestions for fighting back.

 

[TolmiePeak]

I understand what you're saying, but the OP SPECIFICALLY wrote and repeated that dropping the landline wasn't an option for him. So be it. Then make the caller pay the price for disturbing them and why not get some 'savage amusement' out of harassing the callers? I just provided some suggestions for fighting back.

Yeah I like the scam baiters on YouTube. They waste hours of their time. Very entertaining....

Kitboga

Everyday there are scammers taking advantage of people. I call them to waste their time, walk people through their "script" and lies, report info when I can, and otherwise make light of a dark situation.

www.youtube.com

 

[Passepartout]

@#1 Cowboys Fan, you can also get a fairly inexpensive caller ID device with built-in blocking. Here's one from Amazon for about $50. https://www.amazon.com/MCHEETA-Land...-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1

 

[Glynda]

My husband and I are getting about 10 calls a day, each from within our own cell phones' area codes. Each call is from a different town within those area codes. Neither area code is where we actually live. We don't answer and I block each caller afterwards but it feels like a useless effort. Are they trying to get someone to answer to actually talk to? I give them credit in that they don't call at night or as much on weekends. Some days they call beginning at 9 in the morning and other days they don't start until later afternoon. It is annoying.

 

[LannyPC]

On the other end, is it more robocalls or humans calling?

 

[DrQ]

On the other end, is it more robocalls or humans calling?

Robo-dialers are always making the initial dial and then waits for a pick-up then hands the call over to a human. The human then can make the call on a redial.

 

[loosefeet]

I had a spam on my cell phone "is this Mrs X" I said "who's calling" and they repeated, is this... I said I'm not answering your question until I know what you are calling about--he said "don't be such a Bit.." I was suprised, but at least it was a person (the conversation ended there of course). Then--he Called Back!! I couldn't believe this--it's harassment, but there is nothing that can be done.

 

[SmithOp]

My husband and I are getting about 10 calls a day, each from within our own cell phones' area codes. Each call is from a different town within those area codes. Neither area code is where we actually live. We don't answer and I block each caller afterwards but it feels like a useless effort. Are they trying to get someone to answer to actually talk to? I give them credit in that they don't call at night or as much on weekends. Some days they call beginning at 9 in the morning and other days they don't start until later afternoon. It is annoying.

It's called ID spoofing, they are not calling locally but spoof the caller ID because you may be more likely to answer and it does not good to block the number because it changes all the time.

I have an Android cell phone and use the Do Not Disturb feature, you can add exceptions like let calls through that are in my contact list. Calls ignored go to voicemail so if it's important they can leave a message.

 

[easyrider]

About a month ago, I started getting 20+ unwanted calls per day. It happened to be at a time where we had lost power here in South Carolina.....I still don't think that had anything to do with it...but maybe??

I then went into the Do Not Call Registry....which can take 31 days....I am on day 41.

I got another 22 today.....I might get a couple more....they usually start around 9am, and end before 8pm.

I called my Landline provider company...no suggestions there.

I have reasons to keep my landline.....so please don't advise me to 'cut' that.

I have turned my phone's Ring DOWN...so that the 20+ daily calls don't bother us quite as much.

I was thinking the Election was part of the 'spam'...and now Medicare Enrollment.....not sure.

I answered twice today....just to see who might be calling......nothing there. I suspect now that might OFTEN be the case

I have contemplated changing my phone number...but will THAT get rid of it?

(Please read ALL of my post....I have presented details so as to eliminated simple solutions such as "....get rid of the landline, etc. "

Thanks

The first thing you should do is get rid of the land line and port your phone number over to your cell phone. Your cell phone will know many spam calls and you can block the rest. Our cell phone numbers were our land line numbers.

We use the what's app for the calls I should answer. Everyone that calls me on my regular number leaves a message or text. I was adding up to 10 numbers a day to my block list. Now it might be 2 or 3 a month.

Bill

 

[AnnaS]

I have a landline also and get a few calls a day. I thought all the "spam"/"selling" calls would go to my landline only/mostly. I do not answer if I do not recognize the number. Leave a message/if I am home and hear it, I will pick up if I know you. (There has to be some sort of "event/medical/death" where I might be tempted to answer while waiting for calls but will hang up right away if it's not call I wam waiting for).

BUT - for a while now, getting calls on cell also. Texts are also out of control. Mostly political and job offers. I gave up on blocking and report. Does nothing. Delete, delete.

I don't understand why some legit texts come in showing a few numbers - don't know who it is and yet some, from same place has a message. My dentist office is one of them. I was afraid to check on that message but my kids tell me as long as I don't click on any links, I am good.

 

[#1 Cowboys Fan]

Can anyone explain why 6 weeks ago I was getting perhaps 2 per day, and now closer to 25 !!!!!!

I thought perhaps I got knocked off the Do Not Call Registry....but after re-registering and waiting the 31 days.....no luck at all !!!!

 

[DrQ]

Can anyone explain why 6 weeks ago I was getting perhaps 2 per day, and now closer to 25 !!!!!!

I thought perhaps I got knocked off the Do Not Call Registry....but after re-registering and waiting the 31 days.....no luck at all !!!!

They don't care about the Do Not Call list. They are operating offshore and usually spoofing phone numbers, which is also illegal. The original contractor to these offshore boiler rooms are shady entities hidden behind LLCs that change whenever the feds get close to figuring out who's really behind the curtain.

These @$$holes have campaigns where they send their "sucker" list to their offshore call center to try to get contacts to:

• Make reservations with Timeshare Relief scammers that are in the area like gypsies
• Make Medicare Advantage enrollment or changes during open enrollment
• Scam Medicare enrollees with promises of new services or benefits available to their "NEW" Medicare card they have received (They are just trying to get your Medicare #)
• Get people to sell their homes to low-ball real estate companies or maybe reverse mortgages

These campaigns run for a certain time and the call center probably gets paid for the number of successful connected calls they make as well as the number of suckers that they sign up. That's why I answer my landline, because I figure that it is costing the perpetrators something for a no sale.

Some call centers are not too aggressive, but lately, some are relentless, rude and aggressive.

I had a call from WellCare trying to push a Medicare Advantage plan (US based call center) very polite and I told her that I did not want a MA plan and when she asked why, I told her that I did not want the insurance company to make my medical decisions and that I had a medigap policy. She admitted that she could not beat that coverage and she kind of told me about her training and that it was all MA centric. Not the norm for that kind of call, but I do business with WellCare for my Part D coverage, so they can probably circumvent the Do Not Call list because I do business with the company.

The guy that called back 6 times got it with both barrels. IDK why he was so persistent as that probably did not count toward his quota.

 

[Patri]

The first thing you should do is get rid of the land line and port your phone number over to your cell phone. Your cell phone will know many spam calls and you can block the rest. Our cell phone numbers were our land line numbers.

Bill

I did this. I also have reasons for keeping my longtime land line number. That phone sits in the kitchen and gets all the spam. Occasionally someone valid leaves a message.
I made the switch when the second cell line was cheaper than the land line cost.

 

[rapmarks]

I always was astonished that I would return to northern home after seven months away and phone disconnected and have the same callers spamming us immediately

 

[DrQ]

I have reasons to keep my landline.....so please don't advise me to 'cut' that.

Just curious, why are you keeping your LL? The only reasons which I can think of are:

• Crappy ISP
• Unreliable power
• Both

If you have to have a reliable out-going line:

• Get a new number for the LL
• Buy an Ooma and transfer the old LL number to the Ooma device

You will get much better control of in-coming calls and people that already know your number will not have to change. You can then use the LL for out-going call only. Don't tell anybody the new number. Turn off the ringer for the LL and don't answer it.

If you have an ISP outage, Ooma should be able to still answer the call and store the voice mail in the cloud which can be accessed by cell phone or your LL.

 

[Sandi Bo]

I keep my land line for reasons that make sense for me. One is that I do use it for faxing. Overall that works in my favor. It is set up to always go to fax - so anytime anyone calls after ringing enough, it goes to the fax (annoying beep). I have my ring turned off and the phone / fax setup is down in the basement where I rarely notice it when a call does come in (and go to fax). I expect 0 calls that mean anything to me coming to my landline so I could care less who is calling whether it was policital campaigns or timeshare scams or ? (Although I am currently waiting for a fax from the IRS. (Settling estates sucks and it's just amazing that faxing is still a preferred method of communication by some)).

* My biggest reason to keep my landline is that it is bundled with our internet and cable and keeping it makes the overall package cheaper. Go figure!