Cell Phone blown up with calls ?

[*bengalfan74*]

I'm by no means a tech, phone, computer wiz, to say the least.

Lately, last 3 or 4 months my phone is getting blown up with calls from United States, Russia, several different cities here in Ohio, and just all over. I'm rarely on the internet on it and never give it out my number anywhere. I'll get 5-6 a day sometimes more. Even weekends and fairly late in the evening. Very few leave messages and when they do it's wanting to extend warranty on car, some survey or stupid stuff.

Should I get a new number ? Is there something else you can do ?

It can get very annoying !

I never answer them

[grampahol]

Get a google number..it's free.. https://voice.google.com/
I don't know that it'll stop calls on your other line, but I have two numbers to call to and from.. 

[HarleyDog]

(01-10-2019, 07:27 AM)grampahol Wrote: Get a google number..it's free.. https://voice.google.com/
I don't know that it'll stop calls on your other line, but I have two numbers to call to and from.. 

I would have an issue with that. It’s a huge invasion of privacy wrapped in a big box that says “Free.” Messages and communications would become property of google and it’s 3rd party associates. So, imagine saying to someone your going to check out lawnmowers at Lowe’s. Then every time you open a web browser you see an add for Lowe’s and or lawnmowers on sale everywhere? It’s probably more invasive then that but I would be extremely careful if privacy is important.

[treee]

If I had to guess, it's from the Equifax breach.

[Au165]

They most likely aren't really where the number says it's from. These scammers use spoofing to make the number say they are from where ever they feel like using a flaw in the phone system and caller ID. If you ever pick up you'll often times here a long pause then what sounds like someone on the other side picking up the phone, this is because auto dialers are attempting to get people to pick up and when they do a guy sitting in a room is waiting to take the call, it's a numbers game.

It happens to almost anyone anymore and there is nothing that can be done about it. The phone industry is working on rolling out a new standard to stop this but it's still a year or two away. I simply don't answer any number that I don't know. They have gotten smart though and will try to make the number look like it is from your same exchange, your number is 555-5XXX so they use 555-5XX+1, in order to make you think you know the person.

[*bengalfan74*]

(01-10-2019, 09:46 AM)Au165 Wrote: They most likely aren't really where the number says it's from. These scammers use spoofing to make the number say they are from where ever they feel like using a flaw in the phone system and caller ID. If you ever pick up you'll often times here a long pause then what sounds like someone on the other side picking up the phone, this is because auto dialers are attempting to get people to pick up and when they do a guy sitting in a room is waiting to take the call, it's a numbers game.

It happens to almost anyone anymore and there is nothing that can be done about it. The phone industry is working on rolling out a new standard to stop this but it's still a year or two away. I simply don't answer any number that I don't know. They have gotten smart though and will try to make the number look like it is from your same exchange, your number is 555-5XXX so they use 555-5XX+1, in order to make you think you know the person.

That's what I'm hearing - it's happening to almost everybody. And there's not really anything that can be done about it. Change numbers and in short order they'll be calling it as well.

I hope the phone companies can get it fixed because it sucks.

[XenoMorph]

(01-09-2019, 09:06 PM)bengalfan74 Wrote: I'm by no means a tech, phone, computer wiz, to say the least.

Lately, last 3 or 4 months my phone is getting blown up with calls from United States, Russia, several different cities here in Ohio, and just all over. I'm rarely on the internet on it and never give it out my number anywhere. I'll get 5-6 a day sometimes more. Even weekends and fairly late in the evening. Very few leave messages and when they do it's wanting to extend warranty on car, some survey or stupid stuff.

Should I get a new number ? Is there something else you can do ?

It can get very annoying !

I never answer them

its these scam auto dialers... they are getting better to try and make it look like a number from your area...

best bet if you don't know it don't answer..

They are cracking down on these guys a big ring was busted not long ago.

[*bengalfan74*]

(01-10-2019, 11:01 AM)XenoMorph Wrote: its these scam auto dialers... they are getting better to try and make it look like a number from your area...

best bet if you don't know it don't answer..

They are cracking down on these guys a big ring was busted not long ago.

I hope they bust em all ! soon

[George Cantstandya]

I've had the same issue over the last year with one scam place.  They call me several times a day from spoofed numbers always leaving some voice mail about some health insurance scam.  I tried spam call blockers like nomorerobo but they still don't work so well since the scammers constantly change to different spoofed numbers. 

As mentioned above phone numbers may have been harvested from data breeches.  Also worth noting if someone who has your number saved in their contacts, installs some app and allows the app access to their contact list then those places can also harvest those numbers and of course sell them.  That's how I think the place mentioned above got my number.  Probably my mom or her husband installed some weird app related to facebook or similar and gave access to their contacts.  They are getting fairly old and are not very tech savvy.  The reason I suspect this is because I have been at their house and the same spam caller rings their phones within seconds of mine.  So somehow all three of us ended up on the same list.

Then of course there are the multitude of "people search" sites that harvest and sell personal information under the umbrella of information that is public record.  If you looked at some of these sites you would probably see your phone number is posted right there for everyone to see as well as your address, past addresses, previous phone numbers etc.  So these scam callers can easily use web crawlers to harvest phone numbers the same way spammers harvest a lot of email addresses.  That's one reason you should never post your email address on the Internet unless you like spam. Or the spammers just buy the data from any number of data brokers.

What I have started doing in the evening is setting my phone to do not disturb mode and have it set to only allow calls from those on my contact lists.  If a spammer calls it still goes straight to voice mail but at least the phone does not ring.  Then during the day since I may be expecting legitimate calls from those not on my contact list I turn do not disturb off.  This at least gives me the evenings, nights and early morning a bit of a break from obnoxious phone calls.

One thing you don't want to do if you get a spam call that has a recording and says press such and such number to be placed on their do not call list is press the number.  All that does is allow them to verify that the number has someone on the other end that actively answers and listens.   Instead just hang up. If you have not already, you should have your number registered with the national do not call registry.  So that line of press this number to be placed on their do not call list is pure b.s. because if the spammers were actually going to honor the do not call they would be abiding by laws already and not calling people registered.

From what I have read phone carriers are working on some technology that would stop calls from spoofed phone numbers. As for now though I think this is something that happens to most everyone these days.

What it comes down to is most everyone that has access is selling and trading people's contact info and data. If you look into most website's and company's privacy policies where you have to register with name, phone number, address, etc, many have some clause that states they may share the info with certain third parties, their affiliates and in some cases non-affiliates. Even your bank, credit card, insurance etc. usually have such a clause. Many these days allow you to opt out of sharing your information in some cases but you have to contact them to do so. Until you do, that information is getting sold to as many people as their policy allows. Then guess what, the people that buy use it and sell it and so forth and so on.

Here is just one example. This is from the privacy policy of one of my credit cards. One of the largest and most popular credit card companies in the US. I removed the name with paint just because. Note how it mentions under "Reasons we can share your personal information", and lists "nonaffiliates to market to you" and share is set you "yes". Then it tells you how to opt out or "limit sharing". So basically unless you knew about this, then took the steps to contact them and ask them not to, they have all the rights to share/sell your information to anyone they want.



If you look at the privacy policies of your bank, credit card, and insurance companies... those places you trust with your most personal information, you will probably find similar conditions and rules that allow them to share your information with third parties in one form or the other unless you contact them to opt out. But even then, probably not a guarantee.

[*bengalfan74*]

Good info George

Another thing I recently found out is if you do answer a call and it's some BS, never answer their questions !

They ask you some generic question: "do you have car insurance?" and you without thinking answer - Yes

They will take that YES and marry it to something entirely different. "Would you like to purchase our insurance?"

[George Cantstandya]

(01-10-2019, 12:50 PM)bengalfan74 Wrote: Good info George

Another thing I recently found out is if you do answer a call and it's some BS, never answer their questions !

They ask you some generic question: "do you have car insurance?" and you without thinking answer - Yes

They will take that YES and marry it to something entirely different. "Would you like to purchase our insurance?"

Yep, I agree.  The only response to a spam call should be to immediately hang up if you answer one.  On another note, one app I have not tried yet is called robokiller.  Supposedly it has a setting where if you get a spam call it will play some random or preset recording they call an answer bot that sounds like a live person and messes with the caller and wastes their time.  I have not tried it because most of the spam calls I get are just recordings and not a live person.  Plus I'm not so sure I want to make a live spam caller that angry because then I fear my number would end up on even more lists.       The app has decent reviews though.

They have samples of calls on their website though that are funny to listen to.  If you are bored check it out.   Scroll down on the page to Answer Bots in action.  Reload the page to hear a different one.

[sandwedge]

I have gotten to the point I don't answer. Goes to voice mail and I will get back to them. I have let my family know that if it's an emergency call the house phone.

[BengalHawk62]

I usually answer calls from a number I don't know with, "Madison County Sheriff's department....."


You'd be surprised at how few phone calls I get now. 





What I've done in the past is politely, but firmly tell them to take this number off their call list.  and that's all I say......if they ask me a question, all i'll respond with is, take this number off your call list.

and I honestly don't get very many robocalls anymore. 

[George Cantstandya]

To continue. One thing you can do if you think your personal information has be compromised (and it probably has been) and maybe you should do any way given all the data breaches is to put a freeze on your credit. In the past some credit agencies charged a fee for placing a freeze and fee for removing them. With all the data breeches law was recently placed that requires the credit agencies to allow you to do so for free.

Before the most recent law, putting a freeze on your credit was often a burden because it sometimes cost money to do so and cost money to remove the freeze. The new law allows you to do so for free. So unless you are expecting to apply for credit soon, as in the next few days, I would suggest placing a freeze on it. Even if you plan to apply for credit in the near future you can request the freeze to be lifted and according to the new law it must be done so within one hour after a verified request.

To enable a freeze you will have to contact the three major credit reporting agencies, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Note when you add a freeze you will have to provide or be given a pin code. Don't lose it, save the code in a number of ways, on thumb drive as well as on paper etc. It won't totally lock you out but will be harder to to remove the freeze if you lose the code.

More info

https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/2018/09/free-credit-freezes-are-here

Note putting a freeze on your credit doesn't harm your credit score. All it does is lock you out from new credit requests until the freeze is removed by you. Thus saving you should some scammer have your personal information and apply for credit under your name.

P.S. Some of those credit agency websites will try to offer credit monitoring and other shit with pop-up windows, check boxes, this or that, etc. Don't mess with that and click no, "X", close the pop-up or whatever. Just add the freeze or remove it for free as required by law. They may even try to sell you a credit report. Don't buy that either. You are entitled to one free credit report from all three agencies once a year. From the Federal Trade Commission:
https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0155-free-credit-reports

Personally I get my free report from each agency offset by several months. So I start with my free report from TransUnion then 4 months later or so request my free one from Experian, and four months later Equifax.

[Millhouse]

Yeah it's the auto-caller thingy AU mentioned above. I have been getting a lot of these calls too lately, and I ALWAYS lie what my number is to anything I sign on with, except the pizza guys in case they need to call me back.

[Au165]

Yea this isn't a case of a "data breach". Your phone number isn't really protected information and frankly can be scraped from a million places it's not really a breach. These are auto dialers for today's technology and in most cases they are just calling random number combinations looking for people who will answer. They spoof the caller ID system based on the setting to show a number that may appeal to you and they attempt to verify numbers through audio inflections on the other end. If they verify the number that number can then be resold to telemarketers as a verified live number for more money, or it will transfer you to a guy in a call center who's job is to wait for one of these systems to get someone. A lot of times you know the exchange is happening because there will be a long pause then it'll sound like someone picked a phone up off a receiver.

[Beaker]

If the number isnt from somebody in my contacts I dont answer it and I block it. I figure if it is someone I know, they will ask me why, then I can add them. Has worked well for me so far.

[HarleyDog]

(01-10-2019, 07:22 PM)Millhouse Wrote: Yeah it's the auto-caller thingy AU mentioned above. I have been getting a lot of these calls too lately, and I ALWAYS lie what my number is to anything I sign on with, except the pizza guys in case they need to call me back.

The pizza guy?