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Calling a real estate robocaller back

philly.com

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Re: Calling a real estate robocaller back

#111

Post by bostonpete »

cobbzilla wrote: post #101
softwaredoug wrote: post #98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’m totally ignorant here, so I’m sure there’s a good reason: why is secure caller id so hard?

The telephone network was designed with total trust for “network operators” who essentially have “root” to do anything. This worked OK when the only operators were the various national phone monopolies (Cap’n Crunch notwithstanding), but today that level of access is much easier to get and abuse, and is difficult to trace. There are efforts to bolt-on security to the telephone network but it’s really hard. I think it…

> Cap’n Crunch notwithstanding

I assume you mean Captain Crunch, not the breakfast cereal... :-)

Re: Calling a real estate robocaller back

#112

Post by logfromblammo »

braindouche wrote: post #108
rscho wrote: post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Even more cruel: say yes, listen to the start of the spiel, then gently lay the phone down. They'll call back not knowing if it was a line malfunction. Now rinse and repeat. I got some so angry that they threatened to come over and break my face at home. This technique has up to now never failed me.

I once decided to talk with a "Hi this is Windows your computer wanted me to tell you it has a virus" guy once, and he's going through his script, trying to determine whether I have a Windows box or a Mac by describing whether I have a command key or a win key on my keyboard. My fancy-pants programmer keyboard happens to have neither, but in trying to explain this to him, he got so mad I literally heard him throwing…

I got one of those on the rental's land-line while away on vacation once. Since I was on vacation, I decided to have some fun. So I said I had two computers wired to the Internets, and could he please tell me the IP address of the one that had the problem. The answer, of course, was 127.0.0.1, so then I pretended to log in to my imaginary computer. He was magically able to see that I had logged in, and he told me that yes, my computer was definitely infected with a very bad virus.

I played along until I got bored pretending to be a fumbling, bumbling, low-knowledge user, and revealed that I was not really at my computer, or any computer at all, and I was just messing with an obvious scammer for fun. And that induced a spluttering, heavily accented rage-stream of insults, which was also fun. "I am not scam people! You are the scam!"

Re: Calling a real estate robocaller back

#113

Post by sucrose »

fpgaminer wrote: post #96

We all hate robocallers and scammers. We all hate getting called every day by them. But did you know there's something worse? My wife recently discovered a not so fun side effect of spam calls... Scammers have this popular trick of spoofing the caller ID for a number local to you. People are more likely to pick up the call if it's a number that seems familiar to them (like, the first 6 digits are the same as your pho…

> Scammers have this popular trick of spoofing the caller ID for a number local to you.

I recently moved to a different state and kept my old phone number. When someone calls using that old area code, it's immediately obvious that it's a robocall. I have no ties to that area code, therefore no reason to answer. I usually Spokeo the suspicious numbers afterwards because I'm curious who it is.

A few months back I tracked down the PII of a number that called me, so I texted them back. Here is our short, interesting conversation: https://imgur.com/a/4V2ugw9 (phone numbers and contact list names have been redacted)

Re: Calling a real estate robocaller back

#114

Post by dmix »

drb91 wrote: post #51
mtw wrote: post #45

I'm seriously contemplating cancelling my cell plan. The annoyance I get from robocalls spam (plus monthly cost) is far greater than the utility. Relatives and close friends can always send messages through other services

I believe you can disable incoming calls at the telecom level. Not sure who offers this but I do some phone banking and run into this about 1/100 calls. Apple really needs a way to enable permanent do not disturb for just phone calls, ie your phone only rings if you are in the contacts.

> Apple really needs a way to enable permanent do not disturb for just phone calls, ie your phone only rings if you are in the contacts.

That's a really great feature idea. I hope someone here who works at Apple or Google reads it.

Re: Calling a real estate robocaller back

#115

Post by DrWumbo »

fpgaminer wrote: post #92
taborj wrote: post #14

Not sure if this is carrier-specific, but the phones my family uses will receive robocalls, but they come in with the name "Scam Likely." So somewhere, someone is keeping track of the various numbers that are used in a list, and using that to alter the carrier ID information to our benefit. It doesn't catch all, but it hasn't incorrectly flagged one yet.

T-Mobile does this, at least. You can also turn an account option on which will just plain block "Scam Likely" calls.

I had a friend collect calling me from jail for 8 days. It kept showing up as Scam Likely, so I wasn't answering. One day I decided to answer it in order to leave an awkward conversation and was shocked to learn what had been going on. I bailed him out that day and vowed never to trust a Scam filter again.

Re: Calling a real estate robocaller back

#116

Post by astura »

turc1656 wrote: post #90
FussyZeus wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Am I the only one who thinks this is bullshit? How is PATLive not also complicit in the crimes they're looking for "Will" to prosecute in? I get so tired of these B2B service providers who get caught up doing borderline illegal shit and then just shrug their shoulders and say "not our responsibility." Everybody has these clauses doing the ass covering so they can sell services to anyone who knocks and they're never h…

On a related note - I've had the opposite experience but it wasn't with telecom related services - it was cloud services. A friend of mine started a business that focuses on the highly anticipated luxury clothing and sneaker releases. He basically does a proxy business that routes traffic through his network so that people can use multiple IPs that aren't banned on those retailers websites so that they can purchase m…

I'd guess that they don't want major retailers blocking their IP range.

Re: Calling a real estate robocaller back

#117

Post by Nextgrid »

mothsonasloth wrote: post #52

In the UK I get robocallers phoning me about car accidents or triple glazing grants. I always say "yes", then you get a real person who picks up. Then I will do the old bait and switch. Start talking about how my car got written off after the great M25 exodus of 2018. That I lost my foot from a low flying scooter delivery driver. The story then becomes more and more ridiculous and eventually they will hang up. Since…

I use a fake identity generator (search for “fake name generator”) to play along and give them real-looking details and then ask them for the company’s details for whatever scam they’re shilling.

They’re never telling you that upfront but they’re usually more than happy to say after “closing” (or so they believe) their deal.

At that point I can go after the company in small claims court for calling a number registered on the TPS (equivalent of the do not call list in the US).

Re: Calling a real estate robocaller back

#118

Post by diogenescynic »

NickBusey wrote: post #100
fpgaminer wrote: post #96

We all hate robocallers and scammers. We all hate getting called every day by them. But did you know there's something worse? My wife recently discovered a not so fun side effect of spam calls... Scammers have this popular trick of spoofing the caller ID for a number local to you. People are more likely to pick up the call if it's a number that seems familiar to them (like, the first 6 digits are the same as your pho…

Yup. I've had this happen on my Verizon business phone. I called Verizon and was told the only recourse was to change my number, but of course the rep acknowledged the spammers could spoof any new number I received just as easily. So Verizon's only answer was basically "Deal with it."

Verizon’s scumbag lawyer was appointed as head of the FCC and promptly rolled regulation on robo-calls.

Re: Calling a real estate robocaller back

#119

Post by captncraig »

FussyZeus wrote: post #56
tyingq wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I read their "how it works" and other pages, and the sales pitch isn't bad. They should be more selective about clients though. https://www.patlive.com

Am I the only one who thinks this is bullshit? How is PATLive not also complicit in the crimes they're looking for "Will" to prosecute in? I get so tired of these B2B service providers who get caught up doing borderline illegal shit and then just shrug their shoulders and say "not our responsibility." Everybody has these clauses doing the ass covering so they can sell services to anyone who knocks and they're never h…

Would taking down patlive really change anything other than shifting the physical call center to India?

Re: Calling a real estate robocaller back

#120

Post by gowld »

diogenescynic wrote: post #118
NickBusey wrote: post #100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yup. I've had this happen on my Verizon business phone. I called Verizon and was told the only recourse was to change my number, but of course the rep acknowledged the spammers could spoof any new number I received just as easily. So Verizon's only answer was basically "Deal with it."

Verizon’s scumbag lawyer was appointed as head of the FCC and promptly rolled regulation on robo-calls.

You got it backwards?

https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-adopts-rules-help-block-ill...

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