A compulsory tariff system with a nominal charge per call would put an end to most junk calls.

 

Not much you can do for the cell and I leave mine turned off until I need to use it, however, my landline provider put something new on my number. When you call the house you get a recording telling you the number called does not accept any unsolicited phone calls and to press 1 to continue. Ended them immediately. Has continued to work for about a year now. The no-call list is a joke and not enforced.

Hi Sam,

That's interesting i was thinking of doing that too but with my own technology.
First, using the answering message just say "Hi this is Al please hit 1 to cointinue", or something like that, then when i hear the tone i know it is a human but if i dont hear the tone i know it's not. This could be coupled with a tone detector to detect the tone or tones and ring a separate ringer or see if they stop calling just becasue of that.

Maybe i should look at this as an opportunity to design something to help curb these kinds of calls.

 

I'm surprised they haven't programmed the robocaller to generate a 1 after it detects a pickup of the call.

Hi,

My idea would be to change the number each time, from 1 to 5, then from 5 to 3, etc, randomly.
I havent actually built anything yet though ha ha.
But the problem has gotten worse again so i am thinking about it again.

 

Two problems:
1) Some robo calls are just checking to see if it is a valid number. An answering machine confirms that. I keep mine turned off.
2) Enhanced security by various entities (namely financial institutions) require a handshake. I do not have a smart phone, so that hand shake is by an automated call to my telephone. One typically does not know that incoming call number, and they often begin with a question such as, "If you are expecting this call press some number." I suspect the answering machine solution could be made to work in those situations, but I haven't tried it because of #1

Anecdote:
As for government agencies being spoofed, I believe I got one such call awhile back from the "Social Security Administration" (I am retired). My caller ID even showed the local number that I had used before, so I answered. As the call proceeded, the caller asked for some personal information. I responded that before doing that, I needed her phone number and would call her back. The caller responded that she understood my sensitivity to giving such information, said the matter had been cleared up, and hung up. I then dialed the caller ID number. It had been disconnected and was no longer valid for the SSA.

It's funny i get the calls from the same name but different numbers too.
I looked some of the numbers up,and it says that they are invalid numbers.

I also found that there are "group" numbers out there. These are numbers shared by a lot of people from all over the USA. Someone in Colorado could be using the same number as someone in New Jersey. That's because they use an online service to make the call and it uses return numbers from a pool of numbers that other people would get automatically assigned to them when they use the online service.
It's strange how the telephone system has changed since the early days.
Even stranger is the return number. Someone in two different states could be using the same return number that actually accepts return messages. The way they get the return message is they look at the screen and see a bunch of return messages to that same number and pick the one where the first 6 digits are the same as the one they sent the message to originally so they know it was the return message. When they see that they read just that one message unless they get nosie they can read the other ones too.

 

Hi,

My idea would be to change the number each time, from 1 to 5, then from 5 to 3, etc, randomly.
I havent actually built anything yet though ha ha.
But the problem has gotten worse again so i am thinking about it again.

I like that idea. I would add a setting for the number of failed attempts before hanging up..

eT

 

It's funny i get the calls from the same name but different numbers too.

They spoof the caller ID number so it can appear as if it's a local call or from anywhere.
The caller ID number thus has nothing to do with the actual number they are calling from.

 

First, using the answering message just say "Hi this is Al please hit 1 to cointinue", or something like that, then when i hear the tone i know it is a human but if i dont hear the tone i know it's not.

But the vast majority of my robocalls don't leave a message, so I know it's a junk call when I hear nothing.
I don't want to listen to the ring, so I want something that stops the call before it rings.

 

I want something that stops the call before it rings.

That is exactly what my blocker does. Our local telephone company covers one single county and is one of the oldest privately-held independent telephone companies started back in the '30s? It now offers Internet and Cable TV in addition to telephone service. I don't know where they got this blocker from and I have never encountered one like it anywhere I have called. We have gone from answering machine screening calls, caller-ID to now this blocker which has been completely effective so far. They don't advertise it and I only found out about it when I called a friend who had it installed on their line and asked how they did that.

 

Number blocking is useless, what phones really need is a allow only list.

That feature is useless because phone numbers can be spoofed. Part of a real solution is to prevent spoofing and for providers to be required to actively block SPAM calls for free to landlines and cellphones.

I tried blocking entire area codes on my cellphone, but Spammers have been using "local" number spoofs to defeat that.

I was getting so many SPAM calls on my cellphone that I resorted to enabling the whitelist feature. I was expecting a call from SSA and found out they have a bank of phone lines and they don't know what number they're calling from.

 

I am convinced they use autodialers to Bruteforce call every possible number in an exchange to locate valid numbers to sell as dial-lists to customers.

 

Whats funny is I call the number back, which when it connects say's this number doesn't accept in bound calls. It is only one way connect.

They block me or when they say hit one to be put on the do not call list, for about 4 years I would just hang up, then block the number, it was that "you car warranty has expired" so I was off that day.

Now, I'm home and pissed they called and I thought alright I'll hit 1 to be put on the do not call list. Guess what for 3 days, people are calling me to ask why I keep calling them.

kv

 

I assume the hit 1 tells their #logger it's a live person and to place the number in their DO CALL list to market to other robodialers.

 

But the vast majority of my robocalls don't leave a message, so I know it's a junk call when I hear nothing.
I don't want to listen to the ring, so I want something that stops the call before it rings.

Well what i want is i want the phone to ring only when it is not a junk call.

 

I am convinced they use autodialers to Bruteforce call every possible number in an exchange to locate valid numbers to sell as dial-lists to customers.

That's an interesting idea. That could be it. Now how to stop it.

What i am looking for is a way to block the ringer for junk calls. I dont care anymore if they call just dont ring the phone and dont leave a message (ha ha).
So maybe i'd have to have the phone hang up on them.

 

I assume the hit 1 tells their #logger it's a live person and to place the number in their DO CALL list to market to other robodialers.

Ya, that's exactly what happened, how annoying.

kv

They cloned my number, and used it to dial other people.

 

What really annoyed me was (before robocalls) when I answered and it was a telemarketer I would simply hang up. Then the pissed-off telemarketer, when they got an answering machine, would leave my number on it for a callback. And I would receive a call from someone wanting to know why I called them. That was what prompted me to start paying for caller-ID.

 

That's an interesting idea. That could be it. Now how to stop it.

What i am looking for is a way to block the ringer for junk calls. I dont care anymore if they call just dont ring the phone and dont leave a message (ha ha).
So maybe i'd have to have the phone hang up on them.

Place a password on your phone for incoming calls and only give it to those you want calling you.

 

If you have iPhone:

 

I just got a call from "Wellington Ambulance Serv." (I am not in Wellington Village per se, but it is my postal address.) I answered, considering the source, on the chance that I might help (I know a few people there). It was a spoofed call. No one on the other end. These calls are getting more than an annoyance. They are getting dangerous.

Our providers can help, but aren't doing anything. At least, those who are "public utilities" are not doing anything. Private providers may be ahead of the curve. Time for America's well tested tort system to jump in. Congress will wait until 2056 to do anything.

Very annoyed.

 

Our providers can help, but aren't doing anything.

Consider changing providers. For landlines you may not have any choice.

You can complain to the FCC, but I don't see that getting any traction. I reported SPAM emails to the FTC and nothing happened until my email provider started blocking them.
https://consumercomplaints.fcc.gov/hc/en-us/requests/new?ticket_form_id=39744