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

[dougp26364]

We have an app called NoMoRobo. It works on the land line when you sign that phone number up. Landline coverage is free. Coverage on our cell phones runs $19.99/year per phone number. The service currently has nearly 10,000,000 numbers listed as scammers and automatically blocks them. On our land line, the phone rings once and then the scammer is sent to a dead end. On our cell phones the phone doesn’t even ring.

It doesn’t block all of the scammer calls. Scammers can generate new spoofed numbers rather easily. It has cut the number of scam calls down dramatically. I’ll have a day were I’ll get 5 or 6 in a day, then my phone will be quite for several days. I suspect there are a few of these scammer outfits and they’re generating spoofed numbers once a week. That seems to be the pattern. Quite several days, then a deluge of numbers I add to the NoMoRobo app to block the new numbers for everyone using the app.

The majority of scam calls involve selling property I don’t own, timeshare exit or Medicare coverage. Every couple of years PAC’s blow up my phone with political adds.

 

[#1 Cowboys Fan]

Does anyone here think that changing my phone number will help?

OR, will I just be inundated with calls to THAT number?

 

[Sandi Bo]

I'd suggest just stopping doing faxes if at all possible - there's no real "modern method" for faxing lol.

Totally agree, I am amazed that sometimes it is still a viable option. I am dealing with estate issues and more than once now the simplest way to get something to someone was fax. Humorously, one seems to be the IRS. I guess getting an EIN for a now irrevocable trust isn't that common, but I couldn't do it online (at least I wasn't inputting the data correctly to spit out what I wanted) and once I got a live body they had no interest in helping make the online option work. You could hear their voice brighten up when I asked if I could fax. Sadly, they are supposed to fax the results back and I'm still waiting (it takes them 4 days for them to READ the fax, another 7-ish to process the request, yada yada).

But crazy how long it took for places to accept an email with a scanned copy of something. Now many places will even let you take a picture with your cell phone and send it. But fax... has saved me (well jury still out with the IRS this time, lol).

 

[Sandi Bo]

Does anyone here think that changing my phone number will help?

OR, will I just be inundated with calls to THAT number?

For my stepmother (keep in mind my father/stepmother bought into VIP Platinum level at Wyndham, surely attended record numbers of timeshare presentations and then record numbers of postcard free meal offers to listen to how to get out of your timeshares dinners...), I eventually got rid of their old phone number. It was unreal the calls she continued to receive (and she should would sometimes give the my phone number because I take care of the timeshares now). Fun times. I hated to change her number, but the final straw was when she opened a bank account for the Publishing Clearing House guy to deposit her million dollars when he was coming to deliver the car she won. For this situation, a number that had been around for a million years, and on who knows how many sales call lists - it was a good decision.

 

[Bucky]

I’ve glanced through all of your posts in this thread and am still wondering what the calls are concerning? Are they political, tele marketeers, obscene or of various subjects. That many calls a day tells me your number may have been posted on some type of message board, etc, etc.

i know you said you needed a landline for sure but, how important is that compared to your sanity?

we ported our landline number to our cell provider many years ago and it treated improved our quality of life by getting rid of spam calls. We leave our phones on do not disturb 24/7. Nothing gets through unless they are in our contacts list.

 

[dioxide45]

Does anyone here think that changing my phone number will help?

OR, will I just be inundated with calls to THAT number?

Over time, that number will be added to calling lists and it will start to get calls. Why not follow some of the other advice offered here to have the calls blocked and keep your existing number?

 

[jorcus]

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.

Other reasons to have a landline.

Connection to older home security systems.

Connections to older life alerts.

Best way for 911 to know your location if you cannot speak.

Having said that I use Voiply which is pretty much the same as OOMA and can block a certain amount of numbers. I like having the mobile app which not only sends calls to my cell phone but I can make calls from my cell phone that come from my land line number. This also is a way to make calls back to the US when I am out of the country using wifi. I can't say Voiply is as reliable as a copper land line. It seems like I have to reset it from time to time. But between the app and voicemail to email I always know when I got a legit call.

 

[dougp26364]

Does anyone here think that changing my phone number will help?

OR, will I just be inundated with calls to THAT number?

They use auto dialers. A machine set up to call every number between xxx-0000 and xxx-9999.
It will slow down the telemarketers that use calling lists, such as the Medicare Advantage plan or timeshare exit companies. So yea, it will end the targeted telemarketers until your new number appears on a list.

 

[Glynda]

They want you to answer so they can either sell you something or scam you. They make massive amounts of calls. They actually call multiple numbers simultaniously and the first one to pick up routes to a person on their end and they start the grift. This is why so many times you answer and it is nothing but dead air. They only need to scam or sell a few people to make money.

The same is true for the massive amounts of spam. It is cheap to send out and they only need a tiny percentage of people to fall for it for them to make it work.

The time hubby answered there was no one there. That explains that. Thanks.

 

[jp10558]

Does anyone here think that changing my phone number will help?

OR, will I just be inundated with calls to THAT number?

Every time I've gotten a new number (for a prepaid cellphone usually) - that number gets more annoying calls that are now "wrong number" calls for the old owner of the number. Everything from collections to old girlfriends lol...

 

[Brett]

Does anyone here think that changing my phone number will help?

OR, will I just be inundated with calls to THAT number?

eventually, yes.
Cell phones are better at blocking spam

"most modern cell phones have built-in features to block specific numbers, utilize carrier-provided spam filtering tools, and often have dedicated apps to identify and block suspected spam calls, making it significantly easier to manage unwanted calls compared to a landline."

 

[#1 Cowboys Fan]

I’ve glanced through all of your posts in this thread and am still wondering what the calls are concerning? Are they political, tele marketeers, obscene or of various subjects. That many calls a day tells me your number may have been posted on some type of message board, etc, etc.

i know you said you needed a landline for sure but, how important is that compared to your sanity?

we ported our landline number to our cell provider many years ago and it treated improved our quality of life by getting rid of spam calls. We leave our phones on do not disturb 24/7. Nothing gets through unless they are in our contacts list.

I have waited to sift through the (hopefully) many repsonses.....to answer the questions once people go through my specifics.

I received another approximately 27 calls today. NONE left a message.

A couple days ago, I answered my phone...twice....just to see if a person would come on to TALK to me about something.
NOPE, neither time.

I have turned down/OFF the Ringer(s) of my Phone(S).....so that I can barely hear the incoming calls (it comes from a room 30 feet away). When I hear the 'soft' ring, I look at the Caller ID on my phone....IN CASE IT IS A VALID CALL. (sad to say, not very common lately)

90%+ of the calls are from my area code.

I have a Tracfone Plan......it costs me about $6 per month. That's because obviously it is limited in minutes/usage, etc.
I have access to about 1500 minutes each YEAR.....so I only Text 'occasionally', I go on the Internet from home thru that phone, and I use it for SHORT conversations.

So, THAT is why I have a Landline.

When I want to talk to friends for more than 5 minutes......like to a Brother/Nephew for an HOUR+....I use my Landline.

When my Doctor, Pharmacist, Friends, etc wants to reach me....they call my LANDLINE...and leave a message.
(Several of them don't know my Cell Phone number.)

My Landline, combined with my Cell Phone, gives me TWO ways to reach me by phone.
FIRST CHOICE: Landline SECOND CHOICE: Cell Phone

So, I'm doing the best I can, but even a 'Quiet' ring 25+ times per day can be annoying.

Thanks for everyone's responses....much appreciated.

Given my 'rant' above....any NEW advice?

Thanks again

 

[#1 Cowboys Fan]

They use auto dialers. A machine set up to call every number between xxx-0000 and xxx-9999.
It will slow down the telemarketers that use calling lists, such as the Medicare Advantage plan or timeshare exit companies. So yea, it will end the targeted telemarketers until your new number appears on a list.

Now THAT was a helpful answer, thanks. Not the answer I was hoping for....but still a HELPFUL answer.

 

[Passepartout]

I have a Tracfone Plan......it costs me about $6 per month. That's because obviously it is limited in minutes/usage, etc.
I have access to about 1500 minutes each YEAR.....so I only Text 'occasionally', I go on the Internet from home thru that phone, and I use it for SHORT conversations.

Can't you block numbers on the Tracfone? I know they spoof numbers, but you CAN thin the herd by blocking the worst of them.

 

[#1 Cowboys Fan]

It's not my Tracfone that is the issue....it's my Landline.

I can block up to 12 numbers. I can hit a blocking number with each call.....but these calls are NOT from repeating numbers.

 

[Bucky]

I have a Tracfone Plan......it costs me about $6 per month. That's because obviously it is limited in minutes/usage, etc.
I have access to about 1500 minutes each YEAR.....so I only Text 'occasionally', I go on the Internet from home thru that phone, and I use it for SHORT conversations.

So, THAT is why I have a Landline.

When I want to talk to friends for more than 5 minutes......like to a Brother/Nephew for an HOUR+....I use my Landline.

When my Doctor, Pharmacist, Friends, etc wants to reach me....they call my LANDLINE...and leave a message.
(Several of them don't know my Cell Phone number.)

My Landline, combined with my Cell Phone, gives me TWO ways to reach me by phone.
FIRST CHOICE: Landline SECOND CHOICE: Cell Phone

So, I'm doing the best I can, but even a 'Quiet' ring 25+ times per day can be annoying.

Thanks for everyone's responses....much appreciated.

Given my 'rant' above....any NEW advice?

Thanks again

Can your landline company not help with figuring out why all of the calls coming in with nobody on the other end? Do they not offer help for more than just the 12 limit? If not, sadly you may be forced to switch cellphone providers so that you can port your landline number to them and then use the do not disturb feature. Solves all the problems of keeping your landline phone number and using the do not disturb feature of your cellphone. Unfortunately I don’t think $6 mo will be beatable.

 

[jorcus]

"Thanks for everyone's responses....much appreciated.

Given my 'rant' above....any NEW advice?"

I can give you some advice on how to deal with your phone company to resolve your issues.

My suggestion is to log the incoming calls. For now, when the calls come in Log the caller ID and time of day the calls come in. Answer the phone. If no one speaks write that down. If they do speak interrupt them by telling them do not call and hang up. Keep this log for a few days then open a ticket with your phone company. The phone company can and should investigate the calls to block. If they try to blow you off insist they open a ticket and keep logging you spam calls. If the phone company closes your ticket before things are resolved wait a day with a new log and open a new ticket. If you are not getting anywhere after the second try request they escalate the ticket because you are having repeated issues. If you keep pushing you will eventually get to someone who can get in the switches to block at least some of the calls. The caller ID and time of day information is important for them to see where the actual calls are coming from. If you are on your third go around and nothing is working look into your states public service commission to file a complaint against the phone company for not resolving your issue. The effectiveness of doing this vary from state to state but they can fine phone companies with too many strikes against them so those tickets do get more attention.

I know this is a pain but phone companies are large complex organizations and it's a matter of getting to the right person who is able to help you.

A word of caution when talking to the spam callers. There are new AI scams stealing voice data to use in future scams. Only say do not call and try to muffle your voice. Say nothing else.

Good luck

 

[TolmiePeak]

"Thanks for everyone's responses....much appreciated.

Given my 'rant' above....any NEW advice?"

I can give you some advice on how to deal with your phone company to resolve your issues.

My suggestion is to log the incoming calls. For now, when the calls come in Log the caller ID and time of day the calls come in. Answer the phone. If no one speaks write that down. If they do speak interrupt them by telling them do not call and hang up. Keep this log for a few days then open a ticket with your phone company. The phone company can and should investigate the calls to block. If they try to blow you off insist they open a ticket and keep logging you spam calls. If the phone company closes your ticket before things are resolved wait a day with a new log and open a new ticket. If you are not getting anywhere after the second try request they escalate the ticket because you are having repeated issues. If you keep pushing you will eventually get to someone who can get in the switches to block at least some of the calls. The caller ID and time of day information is important for them to see where the actual calls are coming from. If you are on your third go around and nothing is working look into your states public service commission to file a complaint against the phone company for not resolving your issue. The effectiveness of doing this vary from state to state but they can fine phone companies with too many strikes against them so those tickets do get more attention.

I know this is a pain but phone companies are large complex organizations and it's a matter of getting to the right person who is able to help you.

A word of caution when talking to the spam callers. There are new AI scams stealing voice data to use in future scams. Only say do not call and try to muffle your voice. Say nothing else.

Good luck

But your caller ID doesn't list the actual phone number they are calling from? It is a spoofed number that changes with every call.

 

[BingoBangoBongo]

It's not my Tracfone that is the issue....it's my Landline.

I can block up to 12 numbers. I can hit a blocking number with each call.....but these calls are NOT from repeating number

I have a VOIP and landline in my house. We don't use the VOIP line for outgoing calls and about a year ago we disconnected any phones on it for incoming calls as noboby we wanted to talk to called us on it. I use the landline for my business and have had the number for over 20 years. I have received a lot of spam calls, mostly travel related but also collection calls for the person who had the number prior to me. The desk phone I use can block up to 250 numbers and earlier this year I started aggressively blocking numbers of spam callers. It seems like they will attempt a few calls with the same number before they spoof a different one. If you haven't had the number very long and don't care about changing it, I might try to have a conversation with the landline provider and see if they can offer you a free change due to the excessive number of no live caller calls.

 

[jorcus]

But your caller ID doesn't list the actual phone number they are calling from? It is a spoofed number that changes with every call.

That is why recording the time of the call is important. Telephone companies have switches, (think master computer that routes every call that is made through it) They can process hundreds if not thousands of calls a minute. A switch tech with time information can determine where the call came from and block the source. It is hard to look through the records because so many calls come through at a time but with call ID and time information it can be done.

 

[TolmiePeak]

That is why recording the time of the call is important. Telephone companies have switches, (think master computer that routes every call that is made through it) They can process hundreds if not thousands of calls a minute. A switch tech with time information can determine where the call came from and block the source. It is hard to look through the records because so many calls come through at a time but with call ID and time information it can be done.

They can't figure out the source of the call. They scammer route calls through servers that block the physical location of the call. If it was as easy as you say the phone companies would be doing it already.

 

[jorcus]

They can't figure out the source of the call. They scammer route calls through servers that block the physical location of the call. If it was as easy as you say the phone companies would be doing it already.

I didn't say it was easy, I said it can be done. Do not confuse the Public service telephone network (PSTN) with the internet. There are not servers there are switches and number identification systems in place to reject false numbers if identified. The number that shows up on the caller ID is probably not the actual number that the call is coming from (again why the time stamp is important). A switch tech can identify that and block it. A call can not get on the PSTN without going through a switch. How a call got to the PSTN is identifiable. It may have come from a voip server but It can't get to where it's going without access to the PSTN via a switch. Phone companies do not want to block legit calls so they have to be careful what they are blocking and only will do so via complaint or fraud.

 

[latertater]

Sorry to hear this. I have been receiving a lot of them on my mobile device. Make sure the landline # is on the state and federal Do Not Call registries: https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/stop-unwanted-robocalls-and-texts

 

[ScoopKona]

I received another approximately 27 calls today. NONE left a message.

Here's the easy way to deal with this. I know this works because this is what I did when I still had a boomer-line. (I no longer do, thankfully.)

When the phone rings, pick it up. Say nothing. If a human is on the other end, they will eventually say "hello? is anyone there?" If it's a computer attempting to connect the call to the boiler room full of scammers, nothing will happen. The computer doesn't do anything until there is activity on your end. You can safely hang up after 10 seconds or so. This almost always separates the wheat from the chaff.

Try it the next time the phone rings.

 

[isisdave]

Does anyone here think that changing my phone number will help?

OR, will I just be inundated with calls to THAT number?

No, because that number belonged to someone just like you until he changed it last month. BUT if you live in a place with multiple area codes, you could try getting a number in the newest one. Or an unpopular one. Here in Evansville, most numbers are in 812. But we also have 930 -- and almost no one has a 930 number. If you don't care if it doesn't match your location, get one from a relatively unpopulated state like Wyoming or North Dakota. Or 821 or 924, both of which were new in 2024 and cover relatively small areas.

You can try alternate numbers cheaply. Get a free or cheap number from Google Voice or CallCentric. See if it rings too much. If not, port the number to your landline. If it does, change it and try again.

Surges in calls happen -- I think whoever supplies the lists releases the "Fall 2024" list, lots of telemarketers buy it, and everyone tries to make a sale on the "new" list. But the list contains 80% the same numbers as last quarter -- so the scammers that sell the lists to the sub-scammers are the ones making money. My cell number belonged to my business until about 15 years ago. The calls started about eight years after the business use ended --it took that long to get onto the lists. You know the Internet never forgets.

Why don't you tell us why you think you need a landline (that rings)? There are many alternatives depending on your reasoning. Let us suggest some.

* To make outgoing calls in case of Internet failure? This might work if you have a copper pair to a real Telco, which nowadays costs above $40. If not, it's just a VoIP line and will fail when the Internet fails. If this is the case, get a phone with no ringer, or one that can be shut off, or just an answering machine. Telemarketers rarely leave messages. If you see you get one, you can check it out and decide what to do.

* To receive incoming calls from friends on a specific number? Get a phone that declines all calls if the number isn't in your Contact list.

* Someone has a disability that makes operating a cell phone difficult, but a bigger old-school phone would be more manageable? There are solutions for this, and some are free.