Posted on 03/05/2025 5:44:39 PM PST by Dad was my hero
Over the last 2 and 1/2 weeks I've been getting about 3 spam calls per day. The numbers all show as local and they aren't the same so blocking one doesn't help. They all begin the same way, someone says "hello" and if I answer they start their spiel (a recorded spiel) about having sent me mail about medicare. If I hang up then the next one will be sometime in the next couple hours. If I don't answer it goes to VM and they don't leave a VM, still doesn't matter as I can expect another either that day or the next. Often I make the connection but don't say anything and eventually they disconnect. Still makes no difference. Some numbers not in my directory are from my wife's hospice provider so I am never sure if the call is from one of them. However if it is one of them they leave me a VM.
I haven't tried this yet but am considering, I have a compressed air boat horn in my garage and am considering going to the garage for the next one, making the connection then blasting it. Of course if it is one of her hospice providers It'll likely scare the hell out of them.
I looked at Robo Killer in the app store but it's $10/month. If it was $2/month I might spring for it but $120/yr seems excessive. But I am considering it as I'm becoming desperate (and pissed).
I'd like to hear from other freepers about what if anything they do or recommend. Thanks.
“Leave instructions on VM to leave a message”
Why bother even doing that? We all use the stock answering message from T-Mobile. People know how to leave a message without instructions.
But your point is correct. If it is important and legit, they will leave a message. If it’s an emergency, they will call you two or three times in a row.
The problem with those that answer and have fun is that your number is now listed as “live” on the spammer call lists and calls will increase. I just don’t answer unless I know the number or it’s in contacts. If one should happen to get through I plan to ask them if they know Jesus.
Three calls a day? I get between 10 and 20.
Yes, you notice that remote callers can “spoof” your phone into thinking that a local call is being made.
My phone, and probably yours, offers the possibility of blocking calls. When I get a call from one of those where there is a HUGE pause before anyone says “hello” in many cases I have blocked the numbers, but I am concerned about blocking perhaps 400 such numbers. One of these days, it might be a legit call.
In any event, I save the call’s contact information as a caller named “spam likely”. About 3/4 of the times I just let the phone ring.
Sometimes, since 90% of these calls have a thick Indian accent, I just say “I can’t understand your speech”. They hang up.
Maybe “Hi, I have something on the stove. Could you wait a moment,” then set it down and walk away. Or a whistle into receiver.
I just let the phone ring. If they really want me they will leave a VM. If not I look to see where the call came from a make a choice whether to block or allow it to ring next time. I have AT&T and an iphone which provide good tools for that and over time I have reduced it to manageable levels.
In your hospice situation you can see what number is calling you and if its local you have to make a call whether to take it or not.
Messaging and Email spam is a bit harder. But I block and unsubscribe and have managed to survive it.
Good luck.
‘ If one should happen to get through I plan to ask them if they know Jesus.’
What happens if they say yes, he’s two houses down?
Oh, it won’t for a while. You “invited them into your phone” by answering it. Just stop and the calls will die off after a while.
Keep a Bible open and if you accidentally answer the wrong call just start reading from one of the 4 Gospels
Just start speaking and don’t stop.
Spiritual Darkness CANNOT stand the Light of God’s Word
And you might even make a new convert
“I think they end up flagging it as a bad number so they dont keep wasting their time.”
There is no “they.” They are automated call robots sending out millions of calls. Just by answering you mark yourself as a valid functional number.
We have the same - works like a charm since 99% of the calls are dialed by a computer which cannot press 1 or in our case, the # sign.
I use one on my cell phone—”Call Blocker”—which is free and has thus far been effective. It blocks all unknown calls. My wife insists we have a landline into the house, so I bought a Magic Jack and they have a program that asks callers to press whatever random digit they generate before they can get through. We get absolutely no spam calls any longer, previously it had been 5-10 a day!
Thats’ what voice mail is for. If its important or legitimate, they’ll leave a voice mail. If it is spam, etc., they won’t.
There are no laws that say you have to answer your phone or answer your door.
Me: "f I answer a phone call from an unknown number and it is junk, is my number put onto a "valid number" list?"So even the best AI is uncertain whether a master "valid number' list is available or sold on the Dark Web and it is uncertain whether you answering the call makes your situation worse.Grok: There’s no definitive evidence that simply answering a call from an unknown number directly flags your number onto a universal “valid number” list for telemarketers or scammers. However, it’s plausible and widely speculated—both in practical terms and across discussions on platforms like X—that interacting with such calls can increase your risk of being targeted more frequently. Here’s how it shakes out:
Telemarketers and robocallers often use autodialers to cycle through number combinations, a brute-force method to find active lines. If you pick up, even briefly, the system might log your number as “live” or “responsive.” This doesn’t mean there’s a single, centralized “valid number” database everyone shares—think more of individual operators or shady call centers maintaining their own lists. Some might sell or trade these lists on the dark web or through back channels, amplifying the effect. A 2022 FTC report noted that robocall complaints spiked to over 4 million annually, with patterns suggesting answered calls lead to more follow-ups, though it’s correlation, not proof of a master list.
Your behavior matters too. Hanging up silently might just mark you as active, but speaking—especially saying “yes” or pressing a key—can confirm you’re a juicy target. Scammers exploit this; a common trick is asking “Can you hear me?” to record a “yes” for later fraud. X users frequently warn about this, with anecdotes of call floods after answering unknowns, though hard data’s thin beyond call volume trends.
The Do Not Call Registry helps with legit firms, but junk callers—especially overseas scammers—ignore it. Tech like caller ID spoofing lets them mask origins, and VoIP makes calls dirt cheap, so they don’t need a “valid list” to keep dialing—they just blast everything. Still, answering likely bumps you up their priority queue. A 2023 study by First Orion estimated 50 billion robocalls hit the U.S. that year, with predictive dialers optimizing for answered lines.
Does it happen every time? No. A dead-end call (no answer, voicemail) might still get recycled, as they’re guessing half the time anyway. But answering probably doesn’t help.
Best move: let unknowns ring out, block them, or use call-screening apps. X chatter leans hard on “never pick up”—it’s not science, but it tracks with the incentives at play.
“They get an earful.”
Hardly. The robot calling you doesn’t care one bit if it hears fax tone screeches.
When another calls say "call me back on my other line" then hang up
My dear departed father did this back in the day of double glazed windows,
I just don’t answer any calls with phone numbers I don’t recognize. If it’s important, they’ll leave a message.
I also have my contact list set to a a ringtone that is not the default ringtone used by Verizon. That way, I can tell just by the ringtone whether I need to an answer it or not.
I have had the same cell phone number since the 1990s. It got to the point where I was receiving over a dozen spam calls every day. All spoofed numbers, so it does no good to block them.
A couple of years ago I started getting angry calls from people wanting to know why I keep calling them and trying to sell them Google ads, car warranties and Obamacare policies, because a spammer had spoofed my number.
I finally had to set my phone to block any incoming calls except calls from a favorites list. Every other call goes straight to voicemail. They rarely leave a message, except I sometimes get a recording of the second half of a robocall (they start their sales pitch before my voicemail gets finished with my “leave a message” announcement).
I kept getting calls from one number almost daily.
I ignored them and after they didn’t give up, I blocked the number. For all I know, they still could be wasting time trying to call me. Let them. Not my problem any more.
If they’re not in my contact list and it’s a legitimate call, they’ll leave a message.
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