I still have a Texas number, even though I haven’t lived there since 2002. Anyone there I need to speak with is in my address book, and I can see if they’re calling. Anything else coming from Texas is spam or (just as likely) a wrong number (in one case, quite memorable).
But I think they’ve caught onto this and I’m getting more and more calls (ostensibly) from random area codes, like Idaho or South Carolina (granted, where I don’t know anyone, either). Occasionally I’ll get a call from an area code where I actually live; these would seem to be local businesses that don’t know better (or don’t care) rather than someone spoofing a local number.
At least it’s flagging more calls as spam. The phone still rings and I still have to stop what I’m doing to check, though. It’s better about pushing SMS into the spam folder now.
Blocking a number works only as long as they continue to use that number. More often than not it seems to be a one-time use of a given number; sometimes I’ll see where they’ve tried 4 or 5 times before, all using the same number.
I’d guess that if anyone was in favor of allowing telemarketing (except, naturally, when it happens to him) it would’ve been the guy in charge of the last US Administration.
I would like to see a program where employees of the spam callers could turn in their employer and collect a portion of the fine as a reward. If it were more profitable to turn in your boss than working for your boss, I suspect a lot of people would do just that.
Google Pixel phones have spam filtering and call screening. When you get a call you have the option of screening the call. The phone will answer it and tell the caller that you’re screening your calls and for the caller to say what they’re calling about, and the phone then silently displays a live transcription of their reply, letting you answer real calls, and ignore spam calls without ever having to actually listen to the live audio. You can also check the transcription later. As well as report spam calls and have them automatically blocked.
The call screening feature is so useful that I’d be reluctant to buy any phone that doesn’t have this feature. It’s one of the primary killer apps on my phone.
Very occasionally I answer calls from unknown numbers to see what kind of scam it is (and sometimes they’re incredibly persistent, and answering the phone seems to stop the calls), but increasingly I find there’s no one on the other end of the phone, not even an automated message. It’s like even the scammers don’t expect me to answer the phone anymore.
I’m on the Do Not Call list, and I still get both robocalls and live-person scammers calling my cell phone. The latest trick is spoofing phone numbers starting with the same three digits my phone number begins with. I made the mistake of answering one, once, and I started getting four to six calls a day. I stopped answering those calls, and the attempts are no longer as frequent.
I often get legitimate calls from numbers I don’t recognize, such as the vet telling me my dog is ready to be picked up for something, so blocking everyone who isn’t in my whitelist isn’t an option. I block the numbers of scam callers when I get them but it’s usually a new number each time anyway.
Also unfortunately scammers now have caller ID spoofing technology that makes their calls appear to be coming from a different number than the line they’re actually calling from. There was a span of about a week when some scammers somewhere were apparently spoofing my home number for their robocalls because I got angry calls from some of the victims.
These bastards are a virus that keeps mutating new defenses.
Android even has a call screening function that will answer the call, have a robot read a script at the caller. Transcribe any response so you can pickup if it turns out to be something real. Or block the number and demand the caller remove or “unsubscribe” you if it isn’t. Supposedly it also plays a tone that causes most robo calling devices/software to drop your number. Though that part might be a rumor.
This issue is that certain parties in government, mostly from Utah and Texas, actively sand bag enforcement on the acams and undermine the regulations that ban the practice.
Cause those in those states both robocalling and scams are big chunks of the economy. For Utah it’s like second only to supplements and homeopathy.
I get multiple calls like this a day. Each is from a different number, so blocking the call or screening it doesn’t really impact the total number of calls.
The silent calls are because telemarketers have their robodialers phone several numbers at once. If someone picks up, they put a live person on the call, and drop the rest. You didn’t pick up fast enough to be graced with a living voice. /s
My mobile number has all these problems (plus spam text messages, plus there’s no mobile service available at my home). Our landline, however, receives almost no spam, no telemarketers, and no robocalls. I wonder whether the spammers aren’t bothering with landlines because they don’t think they can make as much money from landline users.
My quick Google searches haven’t found a good list of models other than Pixel phones that have the call screening feature. Google claims there are hardware dependencies needed, but it could just be Google retaining a key feature for itself.
On top of that, I also get calls with valid digits for local exchanges that fit about six different areas near me. No matter what shows up on caller ID, I let those ones go to voicemail. They aren’t flagged as probable spam, but don’t usually result in a message that has to be deleted.
This. With a small kidlet that’s at school for part of the day, I don’t have every number for every phone at the school programmed in, so I can’t use a “reject all unknown numbers” tactic.
What I’ve found is at least somewhat helpful is “youmail”, which is an app that acts as a community sourced blocker of spam (takes a while before numbers get marked though). It also marks things as spam when a message is left about auto warranties etc…, so much like gmail, it is scanning my VMs, but I’m old and don’t care. There’s nothing that’s going to be left of my phone that needs to be kept private.
I absolutely love the google assistant call screening.
I recently got beta’d into the “Hold for Me” feature. If you call any toll free number, you can hit the hold for me button and the phone will automatically transcode the robo messages and [music] until you see someone asking if you’re on the line.
