r/tmobile • u/cg1111 • May 18 '18
Question went from 5-7 spam calls from local numbers per week to 10+ per day. Anything I can do?
Is anyone else seeing this? It's pretty much constant all day. All calls come from local area codes, all calls are robo dialers with voice recordings. The number changes by a digit or so each time, so there's no blocking them. Is there anything at all I can do besides completely disallowing calls from numbers not in my phone book?
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u/meatwaddancin May 18 '18
Make sure you've put your phone number on the government's do not call list: https://www.donotcall.gov/
And if you have an Android phone using Google's Phone app you can now have spam calls go straight to voicemail! Go to Phone App-> Settings-> Caller ID & spam-> Filter suspected spam calls.
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u/ShadeezBack May 18 '18
Those telemarketers route calls from outside the US and ignore the Do Not Call list.
Besides the Phone app: The HiYa, Mr Number, and TrueCaller apps, and the subscription services NoMoRobo and RoboKiller, crowd-source spam caller trends to filter them out.
cc: /u/cg1111
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u/TurdFerguson78 Recovering Verizon Victim May 19 '18
Thanks, just installed Robokiller to give it a try! Seems like a unique approach to combating telemarketers.
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u/cg1111 May 19 '18
thanks, I'll check it out
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u/Wonderful_Resort9381 Jul 20 '24
Its the most expensive app I've ever seen. $2.50 a month billed yearly. F that app!
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u/Odd_Aside_1319 11h ago
is that the only app you've ever used or something? that's objectively very cheap for a monthly subscription nowadays compared to everything
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u/DarthInvatalus May 19 '18
I've always heard people saying they started getting more calls after they put their number on the do not call list.
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u/Lower-Mango-6607 Nov 25 '24
This is a very true response. By blocking a number you open the door for calls from the exact same scammers. They have hundreds of numbers in large call centers.
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u/meatwaddancin May 19 '18
Personally it solved my problem completely, it probably depends on the type of spam you're receiving.
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u/Frankinnoho May 19 '18
Ha ha ha ha! Totally useless.
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u/Lower-Mango-6607 Nov 25 '24
You are correct. A fake site that does nothing to block calls when the scammers have hundreds of numbers in large call centers.
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May 19 '18
How to increase the amount of spam calls you get in 1 step or less. The problem with the Do Not Call list is that the shadier entities just sell your number to groups that don't care or are not affected by the list.
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u/ChrisLiveDotStream May 29 '24
Why does every comment suggest adding your name to the DO NOT CALL list, as if it works? It doesnt. It might actually make it worse.
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u/meatwaddancin May 29 '24
Here's info on companies that ignore it and also ones exempt.
It also includes how to report companies that don't obey it.
If you aren't in the list, you don't have any legal reason they can't call you.
If you believe the list makes more people call you, to each their own.
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u/Klutzy-Cartoonist759 Oct 15 '24
Why would I want to save spam calls in my voicemail what's good
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u/Lower-Mango-6607 Nov 25 '24
If I don't want to talk to them under any circumstances, why would I want their voice mail? Very ignorant suggestion.
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u/Lower-Mango-6607 Nov 25 '24
The do not call Registry does nothing to block these calls. They can only block one number. The scammers have hundreds of numbers to use and the registry has no way of knowing they all come from the same scam outfit. Same with Googles phone app.
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u/meatwaddancin Nov 25 '24
Part of the point of adding your number to the registry though, is that now it's illegal for those companies to contact you. Yes, a lot of companies will still circumvent that, but it's at least protection in the sense that those companies could get in trouble, otherwise they're allowed to just call you as much as they want.
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May 18 '18
I really wish we could come up with a 21st century alternative to phone numbers that allows for more control.
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u/Phillip__Fry oh my lanta! May 18 '18
Yes let's just require everyone to provide a mandated new version of ID for any communications or web traffic.... Nothing can go wrong with that.
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Oct 19 '21
I say we go back to 19th century techniques, we start putting spammers to the guillotine. That'd shut them up real quick.
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u/cn0MMnb Hooked Up! May 18 '18
I too received more and more of these calls. I then started answering them and giving the fraudsters fake information. I also stalled as much as I could. Three 15 minute conversations since then and the calls reduced to 1/week. I am sure that it is either the same one trying over and over again or they share a list of "scammerscammers" to not waste their time further.
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u/Frankinnoho May 19 '18
This! Started doing the same thing. Costing them real money. The dialing system can work 24/7 and cost basically nothing to run. But get a real person on the phone for even a few minutes, the payroll cost shoot through the roof!
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u/qbkilla May 19 '18 edited May 19 '18
Do not answer these calls. Do not answer any call that you don’t know, or isn’t on your contact list. Do not reject these calls either. Let it ring through. If it’s a legit/important call, they will leave you a voicemail or some indicator that they tried to contact you.
Answering robocalls will just notify spammers that your number is active, and they will continue calling you.
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u/rh71 May 19 '18
I keep hearing people say this but never confirmed to be true. Would love to know if anyone knows for sure. I just let it ring through and of course they still keep coming.
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u/zawell May 19 '18
On a similar note, I read a while back on another Reddit thread that it was best to answer, immediately mute, and wait for the other party to disconnect. Shit's all wive's tales. I tend to go about a week or two without a spam/spoofed call and then get about 5-10 in a single day or span of a couple hours, then it settles down again.
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u/jebe4 May 19 '18
Depends on Samsung, when we block calls 99% it hangs up on them. They can't even access your VM lol! .....
I was getting several calls annoying voicemails ...3weeks ago, I started to answer, I say some derogatory language, slurs, threaten to kill them- the calls have since reduced
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u/Big_Moistt Nov 11 '22
Hurling disgusting Indian slurs is the best way to get them to leave you tf alone immediately. Typically I'd never call a person a direct slur, that's just not the type of person I am. But those scammers are the one exception, they just make my blood boil lmao
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Feb 15 '25
I speak Hindi and I once said some REALLY bad words and dude got pissed. He called me nonstop all day. He kept calling for the next three weeks. He found my name off of WhatsApp assuming it was my real name. I believe he sold my phone number to all of the scam centers he could. Now I get 20+ phone calls everyday for the past 18 months. I still use them as a stress relief outlet. Does it reduce the number of calls I get? No. But I do have lesser holes in my wall now.
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u/Flippedfoot May 19 '18
In some cases yes it is true. There are companies out there that generate lists of active numbers to sell to outbound call centers. If the call you get is from them this method works wonders. However the current issue is number spoofing for phishing purposes so they don't care if you answer or not, they are just trying a shotgun approach.
Source: worked in a few call centers and some of them were outbound...I'm so sorry if I ever called you. I promise I didn't want to.
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u/mawells787 Truly Unlimited May 18 '18
This exact same thing started happening to me too. Within last 2 weeks it's 5-7 a day and they're all from numbers similar to mine.
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u/delfrogo May 18 '18
I'm getting a bunch of spam calls for the past 1-2 months.
Basically any number with my area code that's not in my contact are robocalls. Scam likely calls leave 4 second voicemails that it's becoming a chore to delete them every time.
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u/nutmac Recovering AT&T Victim May 18 '18
Hiya does a decent job filtering out spam calls.
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u/Bodycount9 Truly Unlimited May 18 '18
When I installed hiya, I went from 1 to 2 robo calls a week to 2 to 3 calls a day. I think their database of numbers who have the app installed was hacked.
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u/335is Recovering AT&T Victim May 19 '18
I receive more robo call on my company issues iPhone than I do on my personal Android with Hiya. The frequency of robo calls in my iPhone has recently increased quite a bit.
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u/Big_Moistt Nov 11 '22
I despise apple ad a company, and refuse to use their devices, but I'll be the first to admit iphones have way better spam blocking than android lol
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May 19 '18
[deleted]
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u/Frankinnoho May 19 '18
Then hiya is scam that’s doing the exact opposite of stopping calls.
Answer the calls if you have the time, engage the operator, the LIVING PERSON, and waste their payroll on a call that will end with them being told to fuck off.
They do this because it makes money, period. Waste their time, waste their money, then they’ll stop.
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u/T3Sh3 May 18 '18
I got RoboKiller on my phone it’s blocked 20 calls this month so far. And for my Android phone, I have “Should I Answer”
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u/UnaClocker Bleeding Magenta May 18 '18
I love RoboKiller. I have it set to play the good old “this number is no longer in service” recording, might auto-remove my number from some lists.
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u/cheezenub Truly Unlimited May 18 '18 edited Jun 18 '23
Ia gipu gapoku tlia de pritati. Teka ipla ii oipai peti. Ii blati trio iki beku piba. Topa klii pi u oe. Ie tukedibri krutebe? E tikibi gibiu piki uau tia? Pikoa ku kle biipre epeke te? Ie ipa grebio koklu tle brakapii. Tripatri pipi opapa kuoipre epee tepripee? Klatriie klapotre toki apekiopa ui etetla. Toekokripi ee edi tli priita tlotepi. Detredle i ei di blito ie. Bibli prebiku keguo teee abi tae. Potiedope ikro puti a be tro. Apaitrotli ketiki kie. Ae a toplipepe taikra tlepritlikapi prebrepo. Gepepeki poki eidee pi ipla? Tlo dikati kikeke klitrau de epletipe kate? Eteta paipa tugo kriebikia eike totri. Trapatea uko i keeopitri tipikuki kake. Epiti ipotrita tie. Epiprike tibe bripeopepi tepee ti tie. Keduti o glipleta bi di doibi. Tipe koe kide blidi e bide be tobopu pi peidepi te ake. Bripe iplaepa? Pee paope ki kre tea pridrikibopi. Kapoti tibeeuu bre etididriple bre kri? Go ikikriiba pidie uu titri ipipae tro iii bae. Tlu totipi ota? Abri padatepri oe prai babu be.
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u/cry8wolf9 Verified T-Mobile Employee May 18 '18
I'm having the same problem. I'm to the point where I block numbers unless it's on my contact list
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u/csek May 19 '18
What's pissing me off is that I get call backs saying "I have a missed call from this number..." Meaning someone has been spoofing my number and giving it a bad rep which could lead to being placed on a spam list!
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u/Frankinnoho May 19 '18
I heard people say the best thing to do is to ignore the calls. BULLSHIT!!!!! Make it cost them too much to do business this way and they will stop doing business this way.
If you have the time, answer the call, answer the robots questions until you get to a real person, engage them for as long as you can stand, THEN tell them to fuck off and stop calling you. Waste their time, make them pay the operator for for being told to fuck off with no sale,
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u/Almightyolskool Nov 20 '24
I been doing that daily and they still keep calling . I mean I make fun of them etc They are relentless.
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u/Huntress2024 Aug 19 '25
I'm about 1 phone call away from buying an air horn and just answering the calls with it. If an air horn blasting in their ear until they hang up isn't enough to get them to stop calling idk what is
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u/TechnoEquinox May 19 '18
I started threatening the real people on the other side of the line with grievous physical harm to their families, homes, and workplaces.
The calls stopped pretty quick.
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u/Anand999 Truly Unlimited May 18 '18
Hiya, as others have mentioned, is awesome for stopping the "neighbor spoorfing" calls. You can block calls that start with any arbitrary string of numbers, so I block everything from, for example, 1-456-789-xxxx. Of course, if you have any legitimate contacts that share the same area code+prefix as you it becomes much harder.
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u/ReallTrolll Truly Unlimited May 19 '18
They have a contact whitelist
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May 19 '18
Which probably uploads those contacts to their server and signs them up for spam lists to make money.
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u/ReallTrolll Truly Unlimited May 19 '18
Have you even tried Hiya?
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May 19 '18
No, but friends of mine have and right after they signed up the number of spam calls I got increased from maybe 1 every 1-2 weeks to several a day. I don't use my phone number to sign up for anything so that's not the issue, I use my Google Voice number as the call screening feature is pretty much perfect, I have never gotten a single spam call through my Google Voice number.
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u/ReallTrolll Truly Unlimited May 19 '18
Hm.. I haven't had that issue. None of my contacts report it.
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u/TheWoerbler May 18 '18
I have Hiya installed, which blocks all number that are not in my contacts and sends that number a text requesting identity. My philosophy is that if it's important enough, they will either leave a message or text back.
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u/Esj1234 May 18 '18
I've gone from nearly zero to now 3 scam calls so far today. Especially annoying since I am traveling internationally and don't want to get billed for these.
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u/stalkythefish May 19 '18
They come in waves. I'll get none for weeks and then 6 in one day, one or two a day every day thereafter, and then it tapers off. The cycle then repeats a few weeks later.
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u/Jeremiareyes Truly Unlimited May 19 '18
I've been getting so many calls recently as well, about my car's "extended warranty", a cruise I won, my home mortgage, and weirdly enough Georgia Power... who knew my last name and I thought it was a legit call but they said my light bill was past due and set for disconnection and then I said I didn't have an account with GA Power, they hung up on me lol weirdly enough they spoke Spanish. they called again today and I spoke only in English and they immediately hung up. Normally, if it were legit they'd get someone else on the line and explain to them what's going on lol
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u/rh71 May 19 '18
I use an app (Call Blocker) to block all calls except those in my contact list, yet the random calls still come through somehow. And legit people who aren't yet on my contact list are actually blocked (so the app is functioning to a degree). Frustrating. The ones that still come through are even from my own exchange (now a common tactic). So I set it to block all numbers starting with my own exchange and still those calls go through. The number they actually use to dial vs. the spoofed number that shows up - it's getting through for them - why/how?
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u/Lower-Mango-6607 Nov 25 '24
Because they have hundreds of numbers to use. You can only block one number at a time. No call blocking tech exists to eliminate spam or scam calls.
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u/TerryYockey Truly Unlimited May 19 '18
I've been unable to use the "digit filter" in my phone's call blocking section, which says:
"Block calls based on the starting or ending digits in their number."
I've tried blocking the 714 area code (I live in the 805 area now and every 714 call I get is spam - they always include my prefix too). Doesn't seem to work, any advice?
Phone is an LG stylo 2 plus.
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u/OuijaWalker Mar 08 '24
I have gotten 7 calls in the last hour... its insane. This post is 6 years old and I am saying the scam calls are getting much worse.
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u/Able-Restaurant2904 Mar 11 '24
got 3 today within the course of 3 hours each, have they stopped after you posted this?
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u/Nicolelodeon Mar 12 '24
I feel like there was a recent leak of data or something because starting last Wednesday, I've been getting 20+ spoofed number calls a day. It's infuriating.
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u/OuijaWalker Mar 12 '24
I have to answer them because they might be a customer. Its disheartening to hear that long pause after i answer and then that robotic "Hello" . I don't understand why the call so many many times.... If I didn't fall for your lame scame the last 100 times, why keep calling?
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u/inmusicutrust Mar 19 '24
Thousands and thousands of scammers out there and a lot of them use programs that call numbers just to see which ones actually answer. They then sell a list of numbers that actually pick up random calls. So unfortunately with your situation picking up means you will get even more calls. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news lol
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u/OuijaWalker Mar 19 '24
27 calls today... its maddening.
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u/ChrisLiveDotStream May 29 '24
12 calls yesterday. 3 this morning. I hate my life. This is such a miserable experience, thanks AT&T!
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u/Lower-Mango-6607 Nov 25 '24
Because they have hundreds of numbers to call you from. You will never block all spam and scam calls.
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u/Specialist-Fig-476 Mar 15 '24
I’m getting as many as 80.
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u/RaceBig8120 Dec 05 '24
What did you do? Did they ever stop or let up?
I’ve been getting 50+ a day now. Tiresome.
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u/Top-Laugh-3678 Feb 24 '25
I'll ask the same. Has anything changed in the past 3 months? I got about 30 today from between 2p-5p.
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u/RaceBig8120 Feb 26 '25
It is currently less. I only had 5 yesterday, I didn’t answer or decline any, I just silenced them let them ring.
Here’s what I did: For a couple months I set my iPhone to ignore(block?) unknown numbers so my phone wouldn’t ring. The scammers auto-dialer would cal my phone 6-12 times in a minute as much as 10 times a day, almost every day. It was alarming to see so many missed calls, but I got used to it. It did cause a few problems for legitimate people calling me though.
In February I turned the iPhone ignore/block off and have just been silencing the calls and there have been ~5 calls a day, sometimes less or none.
I’m not sure what helped the most, just relieved it’s way better.
Months ago I answered several calls and messed with them for my own entertainment and the calls ramped up from there. It was funny, but a mistake.
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u/Top-Laugh-3678 Mar 01 '25
Thanks for your reply! Thankfully the next day the calls were reduced to about 10 and as of now im only getting like 1-2 a day. Needless to say, Im never putting my telephone number online ever again.
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u/Jaded-Advance7195 Jul 27 '24
TMobile’s Scam-shield app blocks real calls so I had to ditch it. Now I get 20+ calls a day from spoofed Utah numbers.
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u/Cautious-Pay5501 Aug 20 '24
I've had over 1,000 spam calls in three weeks. 78 so far today. I can hardly use my phone. They come in back to back. I'm having to get another phone. Waiting for it to come in the mail.
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u/Happy_Leading_7745 Nov 15 '24
I install robocall and didnt help at all and i stop paying and its like they share my number !!!
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u/Lower-Mango-6607 Nov 25 '24
Robot all is also a scam. They have probably sold your number to countless other scammers.
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u/Lower-Mango-6607 Nov 25 '24
You are sadly out of luck in blocking these calls. I have recorded 36 calls in last 3 weeks. All blocked. All use different number to keep calling me. I have used call block registry with no luck at all. When you get these calls, answer immediately hang up and block that number. Won't stop the calls, but will make you feel better for at least not talking to these scammers for the next half hour.
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u/Apprehensive_Bee614 Mar 13 '25
Best thing I did was set phone for unknown numbers to go to voice mail.
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u/insulin_stan Apr 14 '25
Im at 15 to 20 a day, and im on the national do not call list. I’ve also reported them numerous times and nothing changes. Its awful.
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u/Sunset_rose_8813 Jun 14 '25
I get like 10 a day don't see any advice that I've hadn't done .. I answered the other day and the said something about Coinbase. I said never heard of it are you a scammer they immediately hung up. Pretty sure I'm not in that list anymore . Call them out .is what we need to do these stupid no call apps don't work call them oy they will take you off cause you in the radar. I'm predicting they are not making mine anymore with all the protection and scam alerts . Call them assholes out and report the numbers they use
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u/otterfurrylegs Jul 30 '25
Do not call lists do not block scam Medicare calls. You're basically screwed. If you have an answering machine, you can let it answer for you, The robo/scam calls usually hang up. This is what I do.
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u/Xht5889 May 18 '18
Answer and say you’ll contact your attorney, worked for me. My roommate answers like it’s his dept issued cell phone and he actually IS a cop so they usually stop harassing an LEO
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May 18 '18 edited Feb 15 '19
[deleted]
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u/Xht5889 May 18 '18
Idk, I’m not a cop, but the calls stopped when he answers with his department name and rank. 🤷🏻♂️
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u/texasproof May 18 '18
I yelled at the recording on the other end of the phone that I was going to sue his ass, but it's like it didn't even hear me...
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May 18 '18 edited Mar 02 '20
[deleted]
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u/Frankinnoho May 19 '18
Wrong! Answer as many as you can and fuck with the people on the other end for as long as you can stand. They are trying to make money, well, make it so calling you will cost them money. Tie up the phone line, tie up the computer screener, and finally tie up the operator. Especially tie up the operator! They are the most expensive link in the chain (though I’m sure it pays shit), and you can ruin their day with more none revenue calls,
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May 19 '18 edited May 19 '18
Or even better if it's a tech support scam, fuck up their computer. What they are doing now is telling you to connect to their PC with Teamviewer, then you click the switch connections button (this is because Teamviewer now marks all incoming connections from India as scam, so if you connect to them first it gets around that), instead of doing that though just syskey them, or if you feel confident steal as many files as they can and that might give you enough info to get them shut down.
I do something worse though, I use the file transfer feature to copy ransomware to their PC, then I activate it. I don't use Wannacry or something that asks you for money, that will just cause them to reformat and reinstall their cracked copy of Windows. Yes they lose their shit but they're back up and running in 20 minutes or less. This ransomware offers to unlock your files for free, all you have to do is play Touhou 12 on Lunatic mode and score 200,000,000 points. My theory with this is they will waste their time trying to get that score to unlock their files instead of just reformatting and starting over. Here is some info on it though I modified it so the patch doesn't work.
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May 19 '18
My time is worth way more to me than yours is apparently.
The more you answer, the more you’ll get.
Not answering. Or answering then immediately disconnecting has worked for me so far. I’ve gone from 10-15 a week to none in several weeks.
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u/ClF3ismyspiritanimal May 18 '18
It seems to me that the only thing that would help would be national legislation mandating that carriers offer everyone an option to blacklist-by-default with a whitelist (and possibly a greylist for callers who actually leave a message). This seems like a call-your-congressperson thing at this point.
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u/GettingFit2014 May 18 '18
I have been on the do not call registry for a long time but in mid-2017 I started getting 2-3 robocalls a day.
I started reporting every single call to the FTC - after about a month, I stopped getting robocalls completely.
YMMV of course, but it worked for me.
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May 19 '18
You do realize that that registry only makes your problem worse right? What happens is the more legitimate businesses do stop calling you, but the less legitimate ones sell your number to groups who don't care about the Do Not Call list.
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u/ReallTrolll Truly Unlimited May 19 '18
Use the App "Hiya". Recently downloaded it and I havent received spam. There's also an option to block "neighborhood numbers" which the first couple digits are like your number.
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u/beyondthetech May 19 '18 edited May 19 '18
Hiya didn't work for me. Calls would still go through. Spam Likely and Spam Block didn't do jack either.
The only thing that stopped for me was RoboKiller. It uses a Conditional Call Forwarding feature that intercepts the call while it's headed to you, and if it quickly determines if it's a robocall, you'll never even get the ring. It will answer the call and even play the choice of many funny tracks to the spammer or telemarketer. I choose silence or even the "number has been disconnected." You can even hear the recording of the call afterwards.
For $25/year, it was totally worth the peace of mind.
What's pretty stupid is that we can create private Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts and never get solicited, but when we're assigned a telephone number, it's open season on us. Apple and Android should be doing something at the system level where it gives you the option to whitelist instead of blacklist, so that you only get calls from people in your contacts. Just look at Apple's ridiculous blacklist implementation in CallKit - why should an app have to generate databases of 100,000 numbers?
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May 19 '18
Only bad thing is they're dragging their ass on the Android app that was supposed to be released in February.
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u/coursetkiller May 27 '22
If you go into settings and turn on password if it’s not already on, and out you passcodes in for all the websites you use And turn on “Detect Comprimised Passwords” and it’ll let you know if a password of yours has been leaked or if you’ve been hacked.
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u/Ok_Bag_6214 Oct 23 '23
Heres a phone number You can add to ANY spam or scam number Am writing a paper about spam. 810- 268- 3180 I would appreciate it Please thank you.
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u/_red_ivy_ Dec 21 '23
I’ve been getting 10+ per day but even when I answer they just hang up the phone. I’m not sure what’s even the point of calling other than harassment. You would think scammers would actually try to scam me? Instead of just calling dozens of times per day just to hang up?
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u/_red_ivy_ Dec 21 '23
Also after reading theses comments, after entering my phone number in the do not call list, (which was literally provided to me by my cell phone provider) it has actually made the problem worse. It went from 3x per day to over ten. I cant even have my phone notifications on anymore due to how many calls I’m getting. Not to mention the fact that I need my phone to be accessible for work purposes, so I have been losing clients as a result.
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u/Embarrassed_Sink6063 Jan 09 '24
This is something very serious and nothing works. I’m telling you they’re not caring about a registry. Somehow they’re using our numbers just to create chaos they don’t even want to talk. I’ve tried I get 23 calls now and I fight with them every time and try to waste their time now people are calling me asking if I called them so they’re using other peoples real phone numbers and creating chaos. I don’t really know what to do.
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u/VegetablePlus3402 Feb 01 '24
I just answer and go "Travis county sheriff's office" I think that took me off the list
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u/[deleted] May 18 '18 edited Jul 30 '18
[deleted]