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I hope I have chosen the right sub forum to ask about my experience with this.
When DH and I moved 5 years ago, we retained our old cell phone numbers which have a MO area code. We now live in WA. I began getting calls from the same area code about 9 months ago. At first I thought it possible that I was getting a call from someone I have known, although I could not think of anyone I knew from the municipality that showed when the call came in.
At first I said "hello" as I would normally do. I do not remember what I heard the first couple of times. But when I continued to get the calls, I began saying nothing, waiting for a recording or a voice. Many times I heard nothing and so I terminated the call. I began blocking the calls.
I use the word calls, because I continued to get calls from the same municipality, from different numbers, with the same result. Once I tried dialing back the last number, and I seemed to have reached a FAX line. Another time I returned the call and got an indecipherable answering machine.
Yesterday while I was in the shower, DH answered my phone, said hello, and got a recorded spiel for some sort of travel deal. He hung up and had the phone redial the number he had just hung up on, and the phone was answered by an irritated teacher who told him he was interrupting her class! He told her a simplified version of above. He blocked the number.
Today I got another one of those calls, but after two rings, the line was cut off. I suspect that was my Iphone blocking the call.
Can anyone tell me what is happening? I block one call from the municipality, and I get another one. I block another one and get another call from the same place. I call back and get nothing I understand.
At times I have received several calls in a week's time. At other times I won't get a call for several weeks.
My cell phone provider has been Sprint for a number of years. I have an Iphone. The area code I used to live in is the same as the one I am receiving calls from. It isn't unusual to get a cold call from that area code, but I have never before had the experience I have described. I am almost ready to change my phone to a local number, even though that means some inconvenience.
If you have any info about this sort of thing, it might help to point me to where I can complain.
If home phone, just don't pickup the phone and wait for the answering machine to take the call. You can always interrupt the recording and answer it, when you decided that you know who is calling.
If you answer the phone not knowing who is calling, you make them aware that's a working number, and they will continue to pester you.
If this is a cell phone, make use of the spam blocking feature or download a spam blocking app like TrueCaller. They are pretty good in scanning the calls and blocking spam.
Generally don't ever answer calls from unknown callers. They will stop calling you, because they would not know if this is a working number.
Spammers, robocalls, advertisers and collection companies have mastered the ways to circumvent blocked or "do-not-call" registers.
BTW: Talk with your provider and see if there is any way they could block some of the spam.
I realize I was not clear on one point in my query. I am getting multiple calls from different numbers in the same area code, from the same municipality in St. Louis County. The area code the calls are coming from is the area code on my phone from where I used to live. I block one number, and I get another call from another number from the same city.
When they call a number, if you answer, they will immediately flag that number as a good number. At that point you just opened the flood gates. The reason you're getting calls from the local or your assigned number area code is they realize people answer local calls thinking it's Joe or Judy from down the street, or Tom and Traci from back home. So, they will use every conceivable method to trick you into answering. Unfortunately, once they realize they have a live person answering (as opposed to the less valuable constant 'leave a message') they will spoof every number they can using various methods to get you to answer. If you have the number blocked and they stop reaching you, they just use another fake number in hopes that one goes through. In time, if they never reach alive person, that number loses it's rating and you are relegated to automated messages.
Since many of these calls originate from outside the US where our laws don't stop them, and they use modern electronic systems to make these calls, the only way to reduce the calls is stop answering numbers you don't recognize. When you answer their call, your number become a commodity that is bought and sold by these telemarketers and scammers. Worse is if you get a automated call that includes the phony opt-out message. All that does is alert their automated messaging system to start having a real person call as they got a live one.
Yep, I get these, too. I finally learned to just not answer any calls with numbers I don't recognize.
The one I keep getting, and they keep changing their number, is the IRS scam one. I don't answer, but they leave robot voicemails saying I have IRS issues, going to be arrested, whatever. Those are the worst, because I have to delete the dang voicemails. All the other ones hang up before leaving a voicemail at least.
I regularly add the numbers to the Do Not Call registry, but it's a waste of time because they just keep changing the numbers.
Who knows where they get our numbers. I think even businesses like internet providers and probably the cell phone providers themselves sell our numbers.
I did not answer for a long time. Finally, I wondered why I was getting the calls, so I answered a few.
From now on, I'll let it go to voicemail, and then block it.
This is aggravating.
Odd about DH dialing back and getting a teacher, though.
It is odd, however I had it happen to me last week. I got a missed call and i called them back (i have family in the area they called from) and I got some random guy. We chatted for a minute because it made no sense to either one of us how I got a call from his number and he swears he didn't call...he was just waiting in the VA to call him. lol
normally, I just ignore these calls and let them go to voicemail and rarely is there a message left. I have heard of an app that can change the number you're calling from..not sure if that's what happing or not, but its annoying as hell. I've had this number for 10 yrs and it's only been in the last 1 or so that I've been receiving calls on a daily basis..sometimes 3-5 times a day! ugh
It's well known that spammers have been spoofing numbers for a long time, they spoof numbers from your own area code and exchange hoping that you'll pick up - just don't answer!! If it's a real call, they'll leave a message.
It's well known that spammers have been spoofing numbers for a long time, they spoof numbers from your own area code and exchange hoping that you'll pick up - just don't answer!! If it's a real call, they'll leave a message.
This is what's been happening to me. At least 95% of the spam calls I get look like they're from the same area code and exchange as my phone number. Caller ID even shows the name of the innocent party who really owns that phone number. I'm betting they've even used your phone number and name occasionally when they spam others in your immediate area.
Spammers have hit on the idea that people are more likely to answer the phone if they see a local phone number on Caller ID. And, of course, once you pick up the phone -- even if you dont say anything -- they know they've reached a live number and they can then sell your number to other spammers.
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