no caller id. every fucking day

[Racket_Man]

That's the one. I wonder if I'm going to have to sit through their spiel in order to get on their do-not-call list.

NO NO NO do not do this. This will tell the scummy scammer company that indeed the number they dialed is a working number and will flood you with crap scam calls. The Do-Not-Call option does not work (at least according to the commentors on 800notes and whocallsme sites).

Yes companies are "supposed to" put you on a do not call list BUT since the caller id numbers are spoofed and these are high tech boiler room scammers, that do not call list is non-exisistant. Yes they are breaking the law, but the law will do nothing mto stop them.

The ship's horn one is a "survey" which is "legal" but in reality it is a scam call to get info.

[PepperElf]

i set my phone to reject "no caller id" calls.

but before that happened, i had a bunch of IMs that were just weird. it sounded like i was getting someone else's messages. dunno why tho. i called one of the numbers (local) but they didn't pick up. tho turning off "no caller id" calls wouldn't have stopped that anyway.

o well, it stopped finally at least.

[siead_lietrathua]

if you get telemarketing robot calls, just hit 9 repeatedly until it tells you you've been put on their DNC list. that's if it's a legit company. if it's a scam it will probably just disconnect. i've done it to that airhorn boat one and havent heard from them since.

[AlmightyALT]

My Mom used to not answer "No Caller ID" calls till she had to go to MD Anderson for treatment. They pop up as "No Caller ID" too and so she has to answer them now.

When I was living at home after returning from Japan, I'd answer them and pretend I was Japanese and couldn't speak English:

Me: Herro?
Them: blahblahTelemarketerblahblahMom's Name
Me: Mom's Name? Gomen nasai. Dame. ::to myself:: Gomen nasai... Eigo... Ah! Sorry. No Mom's Name.
Them: blahblahblah
Me: Sorry... Eigo chotto wakarimasen. Dame! Eeeetooo... I donto kno Engurishu. Sorry. Sorry. Goodbye.

But then if it was MD Anderson:

Me: Herro?
Them: This is MD Anderson looking for Mom's Name.
Me: This is the right place. Let me get her for you. MOM!

[Andara Bledin]

Using online sites to ID unknown caller numbers is pretty much useless.

Legitimate and legal callers won't be calling cell phones if they know they're cell phones and will have a human on the other end and the ones that don't care are spoofing the number on the ID, which as often as not, belongs to someone else entirely. There's a number from T-Mobile that shows up on those sites; it's a legitimate number spoofed by scammers.

As mentioned, you can press 9 when you get the recording, and if it's a typical auto-dialing robot, you'll be taken off their list. 1 is another number that is commonly used for automated number removal.

I always answer my phone and while I've gotten at least one of every typical scam, I almost never get more than one from any given scammer.

You can tell when the automated removal works because the call disconnects immediately.

^-.-^

[BrenDAnn]

if you get telemarketing robot calls, just hit 9 repeatedly until it tells you you've been put on their DNC list. that's if it's a legit company. if it's a scam it will probably just disconnect. i've done it to that airhorn boat one and havent heard from them since.

I will try this next time I get that damn boat horn in my ear. Thank you!

ETA: ALmightALT, I LOVE your technique! Too funny!

[MadMike]

Using online sites to ID unknown caller numbers is pretty much useless.

Not necessarily. Yes, a lot of those numbers are spoofed, but people can still post what number showed up, and what company was using it. If they actually answered the calls, that is. Personally, I don't answer anything I don't recognize. Even if it appears to be a residence, I still screen it thru the answering machine.

[Flying Grype]

I've been called at work by a fax machine three times this week. Well -- more like nine times from three different numbers.

The first two numbers were legitimate if long-distance area codes that I recognized. During the day whenever they called back I just picked up and hung up.

Yesterday I got a call from one with caller ID. I kid you not -- the name was IPFax. I knew what it would be when I answered. Fortunately that one never called back. I imagine it's some kind of service that sends unsolicited fax ads. But we don't even have a fax machine.

[PepperElf]

As mentioned, you can press 9 when you get the recording, and if it's a typical auto-dialing robot, you'll be taken off their list. 1 is another number that is commonly used for automated number removal.

Yeah except you're talking about scam companies. They don't honor the "do not call" request and pressing anything to be taken off is just another way they figure out which numbers are working.

In other words, pressing 9 - or any other number combination - gets you more calls, not less.

[Andara Bledin]

I imagine it's some kind of service that sends unsolicited fax ads. But we don't even have a fax machine.

It's likely just a default return for any of a number of (mostly) enterprise solutions for small businesses.

As for why most people get hit by these machines multiple times; most faxes are set to try several times before giving up and printing out a failure report. We have ours set for three, although at some point they were set to six, which really annoys people when it's going to the wrong number.

In other words, pressing 9 - or any other number combination - gets you more calls, not less.

You answered the phone; they already know it's a working number. I can't say for anything else, but I do know that I almost never get any of those calls more than once. I have more trouble with stupid humans who can't believe they could possibly have written a number down wrong or been given the wrong number by some chick a a bar. >_<

^-.-^

[Zoom]

if you get telemarketing robot calls, just hit 9 repeatedly until it tells you you've been put on their DNC list.

I just got off the phone the other day with an automated call that I pressed 9 on, and nothing happened. Then I listened to the message, and at the end it said, "Press 3 to stop receiving our calls".

Then yesterday I got another one. Neither 9 nor 3 worked, and the message eventually said "Press 2..."

They've caught on.

[Andara Bledin]

When I pressed 9 and nothing happened (I can only recall it happening once, but it might have happened more), I just started pressing the other keys, one by one. This call cut out after hitting the 6.

^-.-^

[PepperElf]

It's likely just a default return for any of a number of (mostly) enterprise solutions for small businesses.

You answered the phone; they already know it's a working number. I can't say for anything else, but I do know that I almost never get any of those calls more than once. I have more trouble with stupid humans who can't believe they could possibly have written a number down wrong or been given the wrong number by some chick a a bar. >_<

^-.-^

perhaps. although it could always be voicemail too.

although on my google voice number when I recognize a number as spam i block it so that when they try calling me they get this sound


is it bad that part of me is thinking that 3 beep tone would be awesome for a voicemail message?

[Grendus]

I work for a university in the department that keeps in touch with alumni and tries to collect donations, and our calls are marked as coming from a blocked number. But we do take people off the list if they ask, and have a notation for if we have a wrong number so the system stops calling them. So not all blocked numbers are scammers, just most.

I get that stupid boat one a lot though. When I was looking for a job I answered every call on the hopes that it was somebody I had sent my resume to, and think I got on a couple of spammer lists. I'll have to try the numbers trick, they already have my number, can't hurt.

[Andara Bledin]

is it bad that part of me is thinking that 3 beep tone would be awesome for a voicemail message?

One of the episodes of House on the disk we watched last night had his answering machine do pretty much that.

^-.-^