Cold callers!

[paul1149]

Around here it's robocalls, and it's usually to do with extending a car warranty. I use google voice on my landline, and it has a Spam function. But the callers buy blocks of telephone numbers to evade such defenses. Lately things have been quiet; perhaps they've run out of new numbers. At some point I'd like to move off google voice as well.

 

[Pavel Mosko]

The biggest deterrant to cold colders is wasting their time. They are not worried about the cost of the call - in most cases, it is probably free of cost. But you can waste their time, gloriously, humourously, and always have the last laugh.

lol I stumbled on this comedian who has made this sort of thing, a major part of his act! He does it more so with phishing scammers, but has had some fun with pushy people who won't listen to the fact that they dialed the wrong number.

 

[Anthony2019]

lol I stumbled on this comedian who has made this sort of thing, a major part of his act! He does it more so with phishing scammers, but has had some fun with pushy people who won't listen to the fact that they dialed the wrong number.

Oh yes! I think I remember getting an email from someone called Soloman! I can't remember exactly what it was about, but I remember deleting it. Maybe it was something really important!

 

[mmksparbud]

My phone starts ringing at around 7:30 am. I have called that number that blocks calls, I still get them. I have call blocking, I can block up to 200 numbers, It blocks them for a little while, they just change their number. I've had to empty my blocked calls twice and am now on my 3rd fill of blocking numbers!! I make it a point to never, ever, under any circumstances, even if I needed something they are selling, buy anything through phone calls! I've told those phoney scammers that tell me that I have a problem with my windows that I don't have a computer!
I have also just set the phone down and left it until I hear the phone disconnected noise. There is nothing that we can do to stop these things, they should be against the law with heavy fines when caught! I do not answer the phone and tell everyone I know that is calling to just start talking and when I hear them I will answer.
It is more than annoying. I can not sleep at night and can only sleep during the day---the stupid calls keep waking me up adding to my fatigue. I am in pain 24/7 and my one relief is sleep--as soon as I wake up my pains start and makes it hard to go back to sleep and within moments of going back to sleep, the phone rings again! I can't just silence it as I do get some important calls, seeing as I am in hospice and have nurses and doctors and such that call me, not to mention family and friends who are concerned for me. I have counted over 20 phone calls in one day (excluding all needed calls)

 

[chevyontheriver]

Another one of those irritating early morning phone calls! I literally had to get out of bed to answer the phone!
This time the call was supposedly from "Microsoft" telling me that I have a problem with my Windows. I told him that my windows were already installed when I first moved into my property and, being double glazed, they have done a very fine job in keeping out the draft all these years. As for my computers, they have been exclusively running Linux for the past 20 years.

I love to waste their time when I can. I play along until they get frustrated. But I hate the interruption these scammers cause. And they do it because they essentially seek to get remote access control of your computer. These people are criminals.

 

[chevyontheriver]

Around here it's robocalls, and it's usually to do with extending a car warranty.

And yet they never seem to know the make and model of my car, although they seem to know my warranty has just expired.

 

[mmksparbud]

And yet they never seem to know the make and model of my car, although they seem to know my warranty has just expired.

I've lost count of how many calls I've received about the warranty on my Toyota expiring---I've not owned a Toyota in over 20 years!! My last car was a Chevy Aveo and it was sold 10 years ago!! I currently do not drive and have no car.

 

[paul1149]

These people are criminals.

Wray will send 15 FBI agents at the drop of a hat to investigate a garage door pull in the shape of a loop, but this long-standing problem affecting the national quality of life continues unabated.

 

[Blest1]

Another one of those irritating early morning phone calls! I literally had to get out of bed to answer the phone!
This time the call was supposedly from "Microsoft" telling me that I have a problem with my Windows. I told him that my windows were already installed when I first moved into my property and, being double glazed, they have done a very fine job in keeping out the draft all these years. As for my computers, they have been exclusively running Linux for the past 20 years.

I hear ya on this! I have gotten many calls about car insurance. I don't own a car, don't drive and have failing eyesight, so the world can be thankful that I am not a driver. I found out recently that many folks are getting the same calls.

 

[Rajni]

I have my only phone, a smartphone, on either the Do Not Disturb setting (calls/texts still come in, but are silenced and I am not aware of them until I actually pick up my phone to check it), or full-blown Airplane Mode. This way, robocallers and scammers can call me to their hearts' content, but my life goes on obliviously enough. I got really determined about this after having gotten a robocall at around 1AM one time. Not worth it, so Do Not Disturb/Airplane Mode it is.

Same with when the doorbell rings and I wasn't expecting anyone. I'll check the peephole in the door, but if I don't recognize the person then I don't answer; as far as they know, I'm not home.

 

[Blest1]

I can really relate to what you posted here, Thanks.

 

[bhillyard]

The trouble with the telephone preference service is that it does not affect companies abroad.
I prefer to string them along as long as possible on the grounds that if they are talking to me they are not scamming some person who is not aware of scams.

 

[Blest1]

lol---Good thinking on your part. You have temporarily delayed the inevitable.

 

[chevyontheriver]

I hear ya on this! I have gotten many calls about car insurance. I don't own a car, don't drive and have failing eyesight, so the world can be thankful that I am not a driver. I found out recently that many folks are getting the same calls.

Sometimes more than once a day. They always say they had mailed something to me previously. That this is their FINAL call. And then they don't even know what kind of car I have. Scam all the way. Don't give them your money!

 

[Lost4words]

Unbox it, plug it in and enjoy it!
Who knows, you might have the joy of the telephone ringing and speaking to a cold caller! Aaargh!

Cant as living in a shared house. Been like that for 3 years now. Me and my tiny room

 

[chevyontheriver]

The trouble with the telephone preference service is that it does not affect companies abroad.
I prefer to string them along as long as possible on the grounds that if they are talking to me they are not scamming some person who is not aware of scams.

When I'm busy I just set the phone aside and let them keep saying 'hello hello' until they give up. When I have time I will string them along.

 

[Lost4words]

I did once answer the phone from a cold caller.

It was an Eskimo!

 

[Michie]

Sometimes more than once a day. They always say they had mailed something to me previously. That this is their FINAL call. And then they don't even know what kind of car I have. Scam all the way. Don't give them your money!

I hang up and block.

 

[chevyontheriver]

I hang up and block.

They use random numbers from within a chosen prefix, and quite often they temporarily hijack other real numbers of real phone customers.

Fixing this is ONE thing Congress could do that would be wildly popular and totally non-partisan. It has wasted cumulative days of my life running to answer the phone only to find an unwanted recording. I have to answer my phone because that's how I get work.

 

[Michie]

They use random numbers from within a chosen prefix, and quite often they temporarily hijack other real numbers of real phone customers.

Fixing this is ONE thing Congress could do that would be wildly popular and totally non-partisan. It has wasted cumulative days of my life running to answer the phone only to find an unwanted recording. I have to answer my phone because that's how I get work.

I know. It’s gotten where it worse on my landline than my cellphone. I had to have a discussion with my mother in law about these calls. She was being terrorized by them. Saying she owed taxes, etc. Everything goes through us now. They really target the elderly.