Ask HN: I'm Being Spammed by Sequential Phone Numbers. What Can I Do About It?

#1

Post by notional » Fri, Jun 04, 2021, 4:42 PM UTC

I'm really not sure what triggered this and I'm so lost on how to stop this besides just changing my phone number. I'm hoping with the broad audience on here I can get some advice. I've never experienced spam at this level on a personal device.

For the last 2 weeks I've been getting spammed by sequential phone numbers from my phone number's area code (which I no longer live in same state either).

The numbers look like,

470-220-2708

470-220-2709

470-220-2710

470-220-2711

470-220-2712

...

470-220-2724

Every time I block and report the number but I don't really think the report does anything.

There was another 470 area code sequential phone number set that was also spamming me for a few days but those stopped.

Re: Ask HN: I'm Being Spammed by Sequential Phone Numbers. What Can I Do About It?

#2

Post by gostsamo » Fri, Jun 04, 2021, 4:43 PM UTC

What is the exact spam? Can it be reported to the police or to the telecom selling those numbers?

Re: Ask HN: I'm Being Spammed by Sequential Phone Numbers. What Can I Do About It?

#3

Post by throw14082020 » Fri, Jun 04, 2021, 4:45 PM UTC

Stop using your phone number. It's a drastic solution, but the sooner we stop and find alternatives, the better position we will be in. You don't get spam called on Signal, Facebook Messenger nearly as much, do you?

Of course there are problems with this, but these can be solved. Phone spam can't.

Re: Ask HN: I'm Being Spammed by Sequential Phone Numbers. What Can I Do About It?

#4

Post by cddotdotslash » Fri, Jun 04, 2021, 4:54 PM UTC

Turning on Google phone screen (if you're on Android) has been helpful for me. It doesn't block everything, but a decent number of spam calls get picked up by the Google bot and then hang up.

Re: Ask HN: I'm Being Spammed by Sequential Phone Numbers. What Can I Do About It?

#5

Post by notional » Fri, Jun 04, 2021, 5:05 PM UTC

cddotdotslash wrote: post #4

Turning on Google phone screen (if you're on Android) has been helpful for me. It doesn't block everything, but a decent number of spam calls get picked up by the Google bot and then hang up.

Thanks I haven't heard of that before. I will try installing this and see if it blocks the numbers from getting through.

Re: Ask HN: I'm Being Spammed by Sequential Phone Numbers. What Can I Do About It?

#6

Post by notional » Fri, Jun 04, 2021, 5:06 PM UTC

gostsamo wrote: post #2

What is the exact spam? Can it be reported to the police or to the telecom selling those numbers?

I'm unsure because I do not answer the calls.

Since I do not live in 470 area code I do not answer calls from there. I've read (unsure the validity) that answering spam calls alone can be used as another data point in phishing.

Re: Ask HN: I'm Being Spammed by Sequential Phone Numbers. What Can I Do About It?

#7

Post by gostsamo » Fri, Jun 04, 2021, 5:17 PM UTC

notional wrote: post #6

gostsamo wrote: post #2

What is the exact spam? Can it be reported to the police or to the telecom selling those numbers?

I'm unsure because I do not answer the calls. Since I do not live in 470 area code I do not answer calls from there. I've read (unsure the validity) that answering spam calls alone can be used as another data point in phishing.

Well, the information that you can gain might be more than what they will gain from you. Options are not to talk and just to check what will be said on the other side. Also, not sure if there is a way to blacklist phone numbers by regex, but it is worth exploring. :)

Re: Ask HN: I'm Being Spammed by Sequential Phone Numbers. What Can I Do About It?

#8

Post by runjake » Fri, Jun 04, 2021, 7:18 PM UTC

On iPhone, enable “Silence unknown callers” and add the callers you care about to your contacts. The calls will go straight to voicemail.

If you’re expecting a call from some random person, just disable it temporarily.

Re: Ask HN: I'm Being Spammed by Sequential Phone Numbers. What Can I Do About It?

#9

Post by seattle_spring » Fri, Jun 04, 2021, 8:03 PM UTC

gostsamo wrote: post #2

What is the exact spam? Can it be reported to the police or to the telecom selling those numbers?

I get the same shit. I rarely pick up, but when they do leave a message it's for one of:

* Extended car warranties

* "Winning" a free Marriott trip

* Claims that I owe money to the IRS, and if I don't call back they'll "be forced" to send an agent to arrest me

In other words: 100% scams.

Re: Ask HN: I'm Being Spammed by Sequential Phone Numbers. What Can I Do About It?

#10

Post by swiley » Fri, Jun 04, 2021, 8:37 PM UTC

throw14082020 wrote: post #3

Stop using your phone number. It's a drastic solution, but the sooner we stop and find alternatives, the better position we will be in. You don't get spam called on Signal, Facebook Messenger nearly as much, do you? Of course there are problems with this, but these can be solved. Phone spam can't.

I've stopped creating accounts on services like signal because I'm tired of them doing something stupid, everyone leaving, and then my data ending up owned by Facebook.

If you want to have a voice conversation how do you intend to do that? I haven't found something that effectively replaces my landline yet but I'm all ears (and could hear a lot better if I didn't have to deal with the ringing in the background.)