Endless robo calls

[Jim_Rogers]

When I got in this morning I had 48 missed calls on my office/shop line.
All started around midnight last night.
All were robo calls with no messages on my machine, which picks up after 4 rings.
Since I got here the phone has not stopped ringing. Every 5 minutes or less I get another one.
I unplugged my answering machine and stopped answering the phone.
I called the phone company and their computer said I could push *60 and register 12 numbers.
What good is that when I got 48.
I went to the FCC site to see if my phone number was on the donotcall list and it has been since 2003.
You can enter, on a page, the number of the call. but it takes more time than it's worth to me to enter all these numbers, and all the other stuff that they ask for.
I don't know what I can do.
Since I started writing this story the phone has rung twice.
Wow.

Jim Rogers

[Ljohnsaw]

So I get 4 to 6 calls a day from various "local" numbers (spoofed).  I was doing some mundane task (adding stone veneer to an outdoor kitchen) when I got a call.  I answered and it was something about winning a stay at a Marriott's hotel.  Press 1 if interested, so I did.  It then said I was caller 172 and the wait would be 3 minutes!  Every 10 or 15 seconds it would give a revised number and it was dropping fast.  So I get Carlos on the line and he asks how my day is going.  I say fine and I'm hungry.  I'd like to order a large Pepperoni and a large Cheese pizza.  How long will that take?  Click.

[farmfromkansas]

I had my home phone disconnected due to the number of telemarketers.  One I was really sick of was the one where they wanted to lower my interest rate on credit card account.  Do not carry a balance, so what do I care?  Now they are calling my cell, and want to sell me a extended warranty on my Toyota.  Who needs extended warranty on a Toyota, they don't break down.  The really cool thing is , my wife set up  an account on consumer cellular, lowered our bill by half, and she gets almost all the calls, as she is the primary She just presses the disconnect button on out of state calls.  Florida really wants to talk to her!

[Raider Bill]

On my smart phone Google has a spam call blocker. Works pretty good. Anything that gets through you click a button and that number is registered as spam and put on their database.

[moodnacreek]

Back when everybody got cell phones my wife brought home 2. They kept me up all night and I didn't know what to do so I threw them away. See you pay to get solicitors and today's generation thinks that's ok.

[Texas Ranger]

I bought a phone from Walmart that has cut the calls to one or two a day.  It asks the caller to state their name and press the pound sign, bye bye robo.

[luap]

When I was getting the extend your car warranty calls. I told the person I lost my job and the car was repo'ed. It's been years since their last call. Most calls I usually put the phone next to the computer speaker and they can listen to whatever you tube video I am watching. They hang up pretty quickly. I found that not giving out my number has reduced the number of robocalls. These days most of your personal information is out there somewhere but I try to limit giving it out.  So even ebay, amazon or other places that require my number get a fake number. If there is a problem with the order they can email.

[Southside]

There are a few on line services / apps that use a computer to talk to your spam caller. The spammer thinks they are talking to a real person who is an idiot and they will keep trying their hustle. 

Recordings of the calls are hilarious. 

[Jim_Rogers]

Only 38 this morning.
So is that a good thing or not?
answer machine is still unplugged.
Robo calls stop after 4 rings.
so a real person should let it ring 5 times or more.

Jim Rogers
PS still coming in this morning every 15 minutes or less.

[Ron Wenrich]

I only have a landline and I bought a call blocker.  The phone has pretty well become useless due to  robocalls.  When I get a call and the number isn't local and they don't leave a message, I block them.  The number of calls has dropped quite a bit.  Some of those robocalls are just tests to see if the number is valid.  

For local numbers, I don't answer unless they start to leave a message.  I try not to block them since it may be someone that might want to get hold of me sometime.  

[Sedgehammer]

Ours pretty much stopped after this "due to the high volume of spammer calls, we no longer answer the phone. Leave a message and if we want, we'll return the call." Haven't had one in a few months now

[Jim_Rogers]

I only have a landline and I bought a call blocker.  The phone has pretty well become useless due to  robocalls.  When I get a call and the number isn't local and they don't leave a message, I block them.  The number of calls has dropped quite a bit.  Some of those robocalls are just tests to see if the number is valid.  

For local numbers, I don't answer unless they start to leave a message.  I try not to block them since it may be someone that might want to get hold of me sometime.  

Where do I buy a call blocker?

[Ron Wenrich]

Bought mine on Ebay.

[SawyerTed]

I switched our landline to a cell phone connection.  I block robo calls and telemarketers numbers.  The number of calls has dropped considerably.  Now when I get one, I just put the phone down.  They talk until I don't answer then hang up.  

[Stephen1]

I send them pictures and emolies   or whatever these things are called. It has reduced the calls 

[pine]

If you want to find one good thing that is the result of this Covid pandemic it is I have not received but one single spam call in the past 45 days.  I find it interesting as normally there are at least 5 a day.  Cell phones the same thing only better, not even a single spam call for the past 45 days.
Got to look for at least some silver lining in all of this.

[Ed_K]

 Robo calls are down here on our land line. But now we're getting calls from fire depts an police for send us $$ for the covid 19. We have an answering thing thru the phone co. so we don't answer unless it someone we know. Most times the id part will say spam. 4 rings and their done. If it's a call from a cancer place I answer and when they get done spielling I tell them I have cancer and send me money, they hang up quick an no more calls from them ;D.

[Jim_Rogers]

I bought a call blocker off ebay yesterday. they said it will be here on Monday.
over night got 24 robo calls. so I guess they are slowing down.
Yesterday, with the answer machine shut off, I got calls all day long 4 rings each.
I did get some calls that rang 5 times or 6, but they were real people calling me. And I did answer them.
Jim Rogers

[Jim_Rogers]

Guess what, no overnight robo calls.
What's up with that? did they just give up, I hope so.

maybe I can turn my answer machine back on.

Jim Rogers

[trimguy]

They didn't give up , wait a couple of weeks. It comes in spurts. I get them on my cell phone a bunch in a week and then none for a week or two. I block the number and they just call from a different one. Take a hint. If I'm not in the middle of something sometimes I will take the call and just keep asking a bunch of questions until they get frustrated and tell them , you called me !

[caveman]

In addition to the calls, lately I have been getting texts from Paul, James or some other common name informing me that they still are interested in buying my property, house or whatever.  I have been responding that they should immediately go to the Rock Ridge Circle K store (most folks there don't wear shirts or shoes), bring $2,000,000 cash and wait for me.  They are persistent but their offers are becoming less frequent.

[EOTE]

I have a couple of rules:  
1) If I don't recognize the number, I don't answer.  If they want to talk with me they will leave a voice mail and I will call them back.
2) My smart phone has call blocking so I add it to the list if I don't know the number and they don't leave a message.

If you have a business, unfortunately, the above rules don't apply or your business would fold.

[WV Sawmiller]

Cavey,

   I like the idea but to get more takers I suggest you tell them they called at the perfect time as you are strapped for cash and are anxious to sell, lower the asking price to something easier for the buyer to come up with and transport, then tell them when they get to Rock Ridge Circle K store and tell them to ask for Bubba and his boyfriend as they are your realtors and have the paperwork to handle the sale. 

[caveman]

That is a lot for me to remember but sounds like a solid plan of attack. 

[Jim_Rogers]

No robo calls last night, maybe I scared them away by telling all of you that I bought a call blocker. :D
Jim Rogers