"National Pharmacy" sales calls

Insane salescalls | 12/10/19 | self

[pabianice]

I am getting multiple daily phone calls from a "pharmacy" boiler room. Each from a different state. All states. All area codes. I hang up and block that number. Doesn't matter. I get the same from each state. Several dozen a week. Month after month. The background as always the boiler room with many voices in other cubicles. I block each number but they call on another number. I am on the "do not call" list. Makes no difference. They call every day, from another number.

How can I get them to leave me alone??

[jimbug]

We have OOMA as our VOIP service provider. It has a very handy utility that allows you to block future calls from a scammer’s phone number. I have several hundred blocked.

[Cold Heart]

“I’ve even received calls from my “own” number”

I got two of those today.

[Qiviut]

That system only works for callers who are using their real number.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

While you are correct that spammers spoof numbers all the time; however, you are incorrect that the Digitone will only block “real” numbers & not spoofed ones. The Digitone works off of whatever shows on the CID & that is either a “spoofed” number or a real one. I have blocked ALL calls except those I allow, using the “Global Block Method”. The calls allowed are:

1. Family/friends/business on “invited” or “VIP” lists
2. Calls showing our area code number (real or spoofed - whatever shows on CID) because I have put our area code on the “invited” list

We do get ‘spoofed’ and ‘real’ calls within our own area code. As they occur, I either block the number individually or block by area code/exchange. I can also block up to 20 by name. The only calls I have to actively block are those with our own unblocked area code showing on CID that prove to be spammers, frequent hangups, robo callers or whatever.

[ptsal]

Try
YOUMAIL.com
They have a Whitelist feature.
If the caller is not in your contacts then bang it goes to message.
Quieted my phone immensely.

[JimRed]

Are they robocalls? Or does a person talk to you right away?

I defeat most of the robos by picking up but not answering for five seconds or so. If there’s a person there they’ll usually start to say “hello” or something by 3-4 seconds. The robos will hang up (three beeps).

[aMorePerfectUnion]

Apple iPhone -> turn on setting to only accept calls from numbers in your contact list.

All other calls go to voicemail quietly and automatically.

Or, complain how expensive those iPhones are...

[JimRed]

There’s a setting in iPhones to only let calls through that are in your contact list.

As a licensed real estate broker I sometimes get calls from folks who have seen my name and number on one of my signs, or from people referred to me by past clients. So I do pick the calls up, I just don't speak right away, eliminating the robocalls.

[JimRed]

The “do not call list” is perhaps W’s greatest legacy, and it doesn’t work.

I have long suspected that the Do Not Call list is a jobs program for the otherwise unemployable relatives of politicians.

[George from New England]

Clark Howard pointed out that this situation is where a company providing us with phone service, has an obligation in exchange for taking our money to insure we get enjoyment and a useful product. Under the current state of robocalling, the mega phone companies are STEALing our monies as they make no effort to insure we can use our phone as intended.
Fraudulent and criminal is where we stand.

[catnipman]

i think that most land line services have a service that forces all callers to press 1 before they can get through ... hat will stop robocallers, and most boiler rooms use auto callers as the first step before a live call is switched to a person

if you don’t have this, try switching your land line service to voip.ms and use this auxiliary service to manage your phone service:

https://myvoipmsalt.com/

[Leaning Right]

I’ve had some success with this method. When I get a scam call, I’ll politely answer all their questions. And I’ll ask a few of my own. And I’ll do all of this in Hungarian. Twice already I’ve had the exasperated scammer say “I don’t understand you. You are off our list.”

I realize, of course, that not everyone has the time or the expertise to do this. But it has worked for me.

[joe fonebone]

Easy..... tell them you can’t understand them..... after a few times tell them to speak English.... after they are really mad ask to speak to supervisor....hang up on supervisor.... do this with every call.... in short order they will stop

[dfwgator]

And I’ll do all of this in Hungarian.

[BunnySlippers]

I have heard from a government source that changing your number does nit work. these places have methods to get around your block.

[Leaning Right]

LOL! I had forgotten all about that old routine. I’d like to say more, but I’ve got to go now. I’m cleaning out my hovercraft. It is full of eels.

[ml/nj]

Get the Congress to pass a law that invalidates any debt arising from a cold call.

ML/NJ

[mumblypeg]

You’re being robo-dialled.
If you answer every time, you’re letting them know your number will be answered every time.

Don’t answer. Ever. Eventually your number will be phased out of the robo-call system.

If you do inadvertently answer, ALWAYS tell the caller they are IN VIOLATION of the DNC law and you plan to sue for $5000 for every call.
I’ve found this also cuts down A LOT on the calls.

[WildHighlander57]

Disconnected phone message or tone does work.

[Vermont Lt]

I tell them I don’t need their viagra. Then I start describing what I am doing to myself to check. I’ve gotten about 90 seconds into it before they hang up.

I had one of them laughing his Pakistani ass off.

You gotta have fun in life.

[Starcitizen]

Most of the scam and robo-calls are coming from
India. We need to ban international use of inbound VOIP numbers.