Live data from Hacker News

'One Ring' Phone Scam

fcc.gov

191–200 of 367 posts

Re: 'One Ring' Phone Scam

#191
post #176

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you have any concerns over being an emergency contact for anyone? I've considered doing the same as you, but I fear the chance that a I would be contacted in such a scenario and wouldn't even know it.

You should be consciously aware of who might emergency contact you anyways. Add them to your whitelist. Edit: all good points. Yeah I guess that is a risk. Also reminds me of this: https://youtu.be/J-inCB3POqs

You never know who's going to call from what number. Just yesterday I had a carrier I hired call me from the shipper's landline because the situation was going sideways and there was no cell service.

Re: 'One Ring' Phone Scam

#192
post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I answer the phone because people who I have to be responsive to call it. I'm currently getting a visa, if someone involved in the decision making process calls my number I better answer it. I was interviewing for a job not that long ago, when people get back to me by the phone I better answer it. When my dentist or doctor calls to schedule an appointment I need to answer it. If a family member needs to get my attent…

Virtually all of those will leave a message.

I have that disabled. Either they contact me via a more modern communication line, or I contact them when it suits me. If I need a doctor appointment, I phone my doctor (or well, his secretary).

Re: 'One Ring' Phone Scam

#193

I can’t imagine why anyone ever answers the phone. I get at least ten robocalls every weekday. I don’t ever look at my voicemail and I haven’t answered a call in ages. Edit: I know I’m not alone because CNN just released a poll with no responses from people under the age of fifty, because they couldn’t reach enough of them by phone.

> I can’t imagine why anyone ever answers the phone. I get at least ten robocalls every weekday. I answer the phone all the time and it's always someone I know. I do not have a caller id display. Here's how I managed that. Only 4 people know my real phone number and are under orders not to add it to any digital address book. My phone number is registered to an alias. I pay for my phone using cash. My area code is in…

In the US, as long as you don't pay extra not to be listed, your phone number will be available to the world. I get 5-10 robocalls a day on a number I had never given out to anyone.

Re: 'One Ring' Phone Scam

#194
post #167

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I do t disagree with you that answerinf your phone can be necessary, but most of your examples are cases where you are expecting a call - except your doctor/dentist. Why are they calling you and not you calling them to make appointments? Semo-related but it's infuriating how many companies refuse to contact you by email. I'm currently remortgaging a flat, and I've told the broker repeatedly to contact me by email, an…

>Why are they calling you and not you calling them to make appointments? Um.... they have to let you know that you need an appointment. "Your lab tests came back and we'd like to make a follow-up appointment." My mortgage broker didn't mind emails.

Where I live, the doctor/dentist/optometrist never calls me first. They may call me back, but I always call them first. Recently I had some blood tests done and the doctor told me to give them a call in a week. I did, let the receptionist know I was calling about test results and she called me back after getting the details from my doctor. I’ve never got a call from any of them without expecting it because I’ve initiated it.

Re: 'One Ring' Phone Scam

#196

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This question reminds me of Kraftwerk's method of using a phone. I'd love a mobile phone that did this; >When the German electronic band Kraftwerk were in the studio, they refused to be disturbed. Working for hours on end, patiently perfecting their sonic arrangements, required zero interruptions. So much so that they even took the ringer out of the only telephone in the studio. So what happened when someone wanted t…

Intriguing, but in order to lift the phone at the precise time they'd need to have some form of alarm or notification. At which point, their concentration would be interrupted. So really I don't see the point.

Even if they set an alarm, that is a lot less distracting than the phone being able to ring at any time. Besides, any time I set an alarm, I’m already aware of approximately when it will go off and the alarm is just to pinpoint the exact moment. Ie if the alarm is to go off at 2pm, I don’t think about it until maybe 1pm or later as the time starts to approach.

One known and pre-timed distraction is a lot less distracting than many unknown randomly-timed distractions.

Re: 'One Ring' Phone Scam

#197
post #192

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Virtually all of those will leave a message.

I have that disabled. Either they contact me via a more modern communication line, or I contact them when it suits me. If I need a doctor appointment, I phone my doctor (or well, his secretary).

Amending prior response: unless you've specifically removed the ability of that option.

Re: 'One Ring' Phone Scam

#198
post #157

From the website: How to avoid this scam: Don't answer or return any calls from numbers you don't recognize. If the FCC is recommending we don't pick up our phones, isn't something really wrong with the system?

Absolutely. The phone system is totally broken. A few years ago I disabled the incoming call part of my phone to everyone except a few family members and my wife. So far it's been great. Everyone who needs me emails me. I've yet to run into a situation where someone I needed to hear from would only call me.

Just not willing to do this. I never want to miss a call from someone talking about an emergency with a family member, the FAA calling about an unclosed flight plan, a recruiter (if job hunting), a delivery person, etc. I answer virtually all unknown numbers except the ones T-Mobile puts in as “Scam Likely.”

What I do not understand is, given that the phone is a computer, why there is not an on-phone IVR which can solicit a brief intro. I mean, I had tech that could do that for a landline 25 years ago.

Re: 'One Ring' Phone Scam

#199
post #160

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For the last one - meteoric rise of services like JustEat meant that I haven't had to ring anyone to order food for at least 8 years now. If your restaurant is not on justeat/Uber eats/you have your own website that allows ordering, then I'm not interested in ordering from you. Also, if you order through a phone how do you pay? In cash??

I don’t understand? Is paying with cash a problem?

It is if you live a mostly cash-less life. I don’t typically carry any cash on me and don’t pay in cash, which means I often also don’t have any cash at home.

Card payments, contactless payments, Apple Pay, metro/travel cards and banks/financial institutions with fancy mobile apps have meant that I rarely if ever need cash.

Re: 'One Ring' Phone Scam

#200

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How do you get--and keep--a job? Have friends? Make medical appointments? Order pizza?

For the last one - meteoric rise of services like JustEat meant that I haven't had to ring anyone to order food for at least 8 years now. If your restaurant is not on justeat/Uber eats/you have your own website that allows ordering, then I'm not interested in ordering from you. Also, if you order through a phone how do you pay? In cash??

Even when you order from JustEat, don’t you give the delivery driver a number to call when they arrive (or get lost)? They almost never come directly to my apartment or office; I usually get a call saying they’re downstairs or outside (if parking is bad) instead.

In...olden times when people ordered by talking to other people, you’d often pay cash. Some places would take credit cards, usually by reading the number out loud. One fancy place let you type the numbers in with the touch pad.

Post reply on HN