Has anyone else noticed an uptick in spam cell phone calls. I have people outright lying about how they got my cell number ( I NEVER use it for a contact #). It is on the Do Not Call list, fat good that’s done. The problem is that these calls count against my minutes. I also get several a day on my home number, despite being place on the Do Not Call list EVERY YEAR. Any solutions? Ideas?
You can report callers who violate the do not call list and in theory there is a pretty hefty fine ( several thousand dollars) for each violation although I am not sure how aggressive the government is at pursuing these and how much information you need on the caller besides their phone number. There are certain exceptions. Charity organizations, polling companies, and anyone you do business with ( or their subsidiaries) are allowed to call you even if you are on the no call list on most circumstances.
I’ve had this problem also and a while back adopted a policy of not answering any call where i dont recognize the number. There are several advantages to this approach. The call is short and uses very few minutes. I don’t waste valuable time talking to these idiots and getting aggravated, but more importantly the people who compile these lists rate you. People who buy or donate obviously end up on the most lists but those who just talk to the caller will still end up on more lists than those who never answer.
Short of sending some high decibel blast that would temporarily deafen the caller and be extremely satisfying to the callee ( although legally risky) those are the best solutions I have been able to come up with.
We have been bombarded by these calls over the past year despite being on the " no call "list and most are solicitors for, you name it. My hard and fast rule is if there is a hesitation on the line (an obvious auto call) when I pick up the phone or the caller mispronounces last name I hang up. Caller ID only partially works in our area so it’s unreliable. And luckily, only one company has my cell and they want to sell me a condo in Wash. State.
Cap’t Jack
We have been bombarded by these calls over the past year despite being on the " no call "list and most are solicitors for, you name it. My hard and fast rule is if there is a hesitation on the line (an obvious auto call) when I pick up the phone or the caller mispronounces last name I hang up. Caller ID only partially works in our area so it's unreliable. And luckily, only one company has my cell and they want to sell me a condo in Wash. State. Cap't JackI plain old never EVER give out my cell number, except to my immediate family and work. Unfortunately, my job also comes up on the screen as 'unknown number'. The last caller said he was calling me back regarding a request I'd filled out.....which was an out and out lie, and I told him so and told him to take me off his list and hung up the phone. Reporting the numbers doesn't seem to do any good. I wish I could personally sue and recoup money from the callers. I'd be able to retire by now! :coolsmirk:
I've had this problem also and a while back adopted a policy of not answering any call where i dont recognize the number.I do that too...they NEVER leave a message, they are looking for a live wire chump. Then I google the number...it is almost always a scam call. During the elections, I always stop answering my phone, I get 4 or 5 politiacal calls a day, and I know there is nothing I can do about it. Googling the number, I find out it is a cold call attempt at identity theft. There were a few who were suckered. :(
If you want to be a little more proactive you can file complaints to the FTC. If you go to their web site HERE] and scroll down to question number 36 it tells you how to go about filing a complaint. I’m not sure if they go after every one of them but if you file enough complaints maybe these companies will start marking you as a trouble maker on their lists and be less likely to call. One can only hope. It would be nice if every complaint resulted in some action and I think the law would work better if the victim got a portion of the fine paid. It would encourage more people to file complaints and put real teeth in the law. At several thousand dollars per infraction enforcement would pay for itself and then some.
I plain old never EVER give out my cell number, except to my immediate family and work. Unfortunately, my job also comes up on the screen as ‘unknown number’. The last caller said he was calling me back regarding a request I’d filled out…..which was an out and out lie, and I told him so and told him to take me off his list and hung up the phone. Reporting the numbers doesn’t seem to do any good. I wish I could personally sue and recoup money from the callers. I’d be able to retire by nowI'm with you Asanta, I never give my cell number out except to family members and have no idea how that company got mine. Luckily they are the only ones to bug me. And yes, we have gotten the "you have already won a .... Just verify your name, number and etc...". One gal even asked for my ssn and I laughed at her, read her ph. Number back to her and said that I was reporting her to the police. If we weren't bundled I'd take out the land line. Cap't Jack
We screen all calls. Too tired of telemarketers of all stripes, most with recorded messages.
Just an idle thought, but is it possible to not just file with the FTC but with my service provider, and request that the billing for the minutes used be transferred to the spam caller?
I usually answer with something like “Nation Of Islam Ku Klux Klan United” or “Atheists For Jeeeeeeeeeeezus!”
They don’t bother me for long.
Sr. Member Total Posts: 985 Joined 2011-03-12 I usually answer with something like “Nation Of Islam Ku Klux Klan United" or “Atheists For Jeeeeeeeeeeezus!" They don’t bother me for long.I think I just heard the caller's head explode! Dad once had a call from a guy selling dance lessons. Dad let him prattle on for about 5 minutes. After the caller exhausted all of his offers Dad said that he was excited and wanted to sign up for a round of lessons then asked the caller if he could give lessons to a one legged man. The caller hung up. Cap't Jack
Just an idle thought, but is it possible to not just file with the FTC but with my service provider, and request that the billing for the minutes used be transferred to the spam caller?That's an idea!
I usually answer with something like "Nation Of Islam Ku Klux Klan United" or "Atheists For Jeeeeeeeeeeezus!" They don't bother me for long.:-P
My dad once answered “Baptist Abortion Clinic.”
That got rid of the offender real quick as well. 
I ‘heard’ that you should request to be placed on the company’s ‘do not call’ list. (Vs. removed from their list, because they’ll just use a different list with your number.) I don’t even know where I heard that, but that’s what I do. We don’t have too many these days. Not even a very convincing anecdote. :lol:
A buddy of mine used to put his 4 year old daughter on the phone to talk to the tele-marketers.
Take care,
Derek
I ‘heard’ that you should request to be placed on the company’s ‘do not call’ list.We've tried that. As you've noted, these clowns just find a way around it. For the most part, I just ignore the phone. Especially if the caller I.D. gives me something like "Unknown Name Unknown Number" If they don't want to identify themselves, why the hell would I want to talk to them???
We keep getting calls from phone slammers who speak Mandarin. I answer the phone “habla espanol” or “sprachen sie deutsch”.
Re: cell phone spam. You might find some relief by changing carriers. Changing your number might help (a pain, I know, but it might be worthwhile in avoiding spammers who have your present number on their lists). Some carriers are better than others at filtering out spam. ATT offers a way for you to report specific spam to them for investigation but I don’t know how effective this is. i don’t have much of a problem with cell phone spam because I use a pre-paid phone (a dumb phone, I’ve heard it called) and seldom answer it–something my friends and family are aware of. I’ll call or email back if I get a valid message from someone I know. It works for me. I realize this is of no help for someone with a Smart phone but there might be others like me who would rather simplify their lives. It avoids a great deal of the frustration of modern life.
Lois