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Eliminating Robocalls

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Re: Eliminating Robocalls

#181

Post by cheerlessbog »

tareqak wrote: post #95
profmonocle wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's great that the DNC has worked for you, unfortunately it's not much help for me since all my robocallers are criminals trying to steal from me. Naturally, people unafraid of being arrested for fraud are unafraid of DNC fines. I've been on the DNC for years, and a couple years ago I decided to change my number, since my old one was getting 4-5 robocalls per day, always from different numbers.

That sounds horrible. I wonder if there is a way to surrender that number to the FBI, so that they could investigate further. Even one call every other day would be too much to report manually for me in terms of effort.

Judging by these comments and my own experience, their investigations are not being held up by lack of suitable victims.

Re: Eliminating Robocalls

#182

Post by cheerlessbog »

rp36 wrote: post #98

Interestingly, Robocall algorithms use phone numbers closer to my phone number (either real of fake) and since I live in different Area code, it is much easier to block the numbers. Though it is not recommended to pick up the phone, I have had some success by picking up the phone, wasting the agent's time and letting them know that my car is real old and would not need extended warranty.

That is interesting. I looked at my missed calls and they are all either my local area code or 866. It makes me want to swap my mobile number for one from, say, Hawaii, which I doubt I ever get a legitimate call from, then filter out that area code. Looks like it might work.

Re: Eliminating Robocalls

#184

Post by rb666 »

godzillabrennus wrote: post #52

I have had a Google Voice number since it was Grand Central. It has gone on all of my business cards. It's at the bottom of every email. I put it on my website. Google does an amazing, world class, mind blowing, job of filtering out robo calls. I get maybe one a week at most. I get more calls direct to my cell number from random call bots that hit every number with mobile carriers than I do through my Google Voice nu…

It's funny how one a week is acceptable in the USA. If I got one a week here I would consider myself getting spammed into depression.

Re: Eliminating Robocalls

#185

Post by [deleted] »

rb666 wrote: post #184
godzillabrennus wrote: post #52

I have had a Google Voice number since it was Grand Central. It has gone on all of my business cards. It's at the bottom of every email. I put it on my website. Google does an amazing, world class, mind blowing, job of filtering out robo calls. I get maybe one a week at most. I get more calls direct to my cell number from random call bots that hit every number with mobile carriers than I do through my Google Voice nu…

It's funny how one a week is acceptable in the USA. If I got one a week here I would consider myself getting spammed into depression.

[deleted]

Re: Eliminating Robocalls

#186

Post by diminoten »

g6nhe9twPd66 wrote: post #152
r00fus wrote: post #134

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I hand out my actual mobile# to friends/family. I give out my GV# (I use call-screening) to everyone (esp. businesses) and put it on my gmail .sig. I get almost no spam calls at all.

I'd like to know how you don't receive spam calls to your mobile # as the robo-dialers just go through the entire list of phone numbers in that area code, so you have to receive some to that device. I do the same as you but with Skype instead of GV, but my mobile # gets hosed by robo-dialers.

Because while it's a common assumption that the spam callers do this, they don't actually do this, because while robocalling is sometimes illegal, actually dialing every single number removes any/all plausible deniability if they're ever caught, and provides little/no additional benefit.

Re: Eliminating Robocalls

#187

Post by r00fus »

g6nhe9twPd66 wrote: post #152
r00fus wrote: post #134

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I hand out my actual mobile# to friends/family. I give out my GV# (I use call-screening) to everyone (esp. businesses) and put it on my gmail .sig. I get almost no spam calls at all.

I'd like to know how you don't receive spam calls to your mobile # as the robo-dialers just go through the entire list of phone numbers in that area code, so you have to receive some to that device. I do the same as you but with Skype instead of GV, but my mobile # gets hosed by robo-dialers.

I also have carrier-based (free) spam prevention which may prevent the POTS equivalent of a port-scan. But that wasn't enough - with GV based call screening, it's now down to near-zero.

Re: Eliminating Robocalls

#188

Post by masonic »

tareqak wrote: post #95
profmonocle wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's great that the DNC has worked for you, unfortunately it's not much help for me since all my robocallers are criminals trying to steal from me. Naturally, people unafraid of being arrested for fraud are unafraid of DNC fines. I've been on the DNC for years, and a couple years ago I decided to change my number, since my old one was getting 4-5 robocalls per day, always from different numbers.

That sounds horrible. I wonder if there is a way to surrender that number to the FBI, so that they could investigate further. Even one call every other day would be too much to report manually for me in terms of effort.

Because "that number" is generally fake.

Caller ID became meaningless once VOIP was allowed to spoof it. Can we build a new system atop ANI?

Re: Eliminating Robocalls

#189

Post by masonic »

aboutruby wrote: post #161
phaer wrote: post #49

I read a lot about the plague that robocalls are on international forums, especially from the U.S. But I live in central Europe, Austria, and received only two SPAM calls in my whole life, both by what seemed to be actual human agents on the other side and hear from similar amounts from friends I've asked about the phenomena. Can someone explain why it seems such hard to resolve problem elsewhere while it seems hardl…

Last time I went to the US, I got a phone number from MetroPCS (e.g. T-Mobile reseller). I didn't give it to anybody and started receiving 3-4 spam calls a day. They are obviously reselling the phone numbers directly, which is illegal in most countries.

The prior holder of that number was already a target. Numbers are reused quickly in area codes facing any possible future shortage.

Re: Eliminating Robocalls

#190

Post by [deleted] »

ryandrake wrote: post #78
avodonosov wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have DnD constantly too and find it convenient.

Not just convenient. I’ve been in DND mode all day every day for months now, and I’ve witnessed a drastically improved overall quality of life. Mostly from the lack of texts and notifications, not just from the lack of phone calls. It has also resulted in my not being glued to my phone responding to everything. I can feel my mental health improving, and I don’t think I could go back to non-DND.

[deleted]
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