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sheilajoyce_gw

Those Awful Scam Calls

sheilajoyce_gw
5 years ago

I have had at least 10 calls today that start with a recording of a woman's voice saying, "Do not hang up." Then it goes into some story of a breach in my Apple account. I talked to the fellows from India twice, and one mentioned several attempts at trying to breach my account have been detected and something about the Cloud. Gads, I can't get them to stop calling. I even called them a scam.

Comments (47)

  • kathyg_in_mi
    5 years ago

    Haven’t gotten calls about Apple. But many, many calls about my cars warranty Expiring! HELLO, my car is only 2 months old!

    sheilajoyce_gw thanked kathyg_in_mi
  • Iris S (SC, Zone 7b)
    5 years ago

    There sure are a lot. At least once a day it is Microsoft (I think, they start talking before the answering machine kicks in). Warns me to not do online shopping or online banking. Very annoying.

    sheilajoyce_gw thanked Iris S (SC, Zone 7b)
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  • User
    5 years ago

    I keep getting those calls. Just block them is all you can do. There are apps you can use to help stop them.

    sheilajoyce_gw thanked User
  • joyfulguy
    5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    (Back when my phone was alive, I didn't get those calls often, but when I did, sometimes ... )

    Reply 1: "Since you claim that you've accessed my internet account, you must know my password. What is it?"

    Reply 2: "My computer died about four years ago and I've never replaced it.

    Is your mother proud of you for getting paid for being such a liar; many times every day?"

    (You don't suppose they may have murdered my phone/line, do you??).

    Raee ... I love your system! Siri's counterpart/double, yet - marvellous!

    ole joyful

    sheilajoyce_gw thanked joyfulguy
  • cooper8828
    5 years ago

    I've gotten a few very demanding calls about my student loans. I don't have any student loans. Also, health care enrollment, warrant for my arrest, auto warranty expiring, you name it. These mainly come on my work cell phone, and IT won't install any of the apps to block.

    sheilajoyce_gw thanked cooper8828
  • User
    5 years ago

    I've been using this [linked below] service for a long time and I am extremely happy with their performance. I recommend them highly. Prior to installing their app...I received on average at least 4 scam calls per day and had absolutely no success in blocking them with the usual tools. As soon as I would block one of their #s they'd switch to a new #. Then they got so clever that the caller ID on my phone showed their calling #s were local, legitimate telephone #s. I was completely amazed at how quickly NoMoRobo succeeded in eliminating them from my life...and soooo grateful. I don't know whether it will help you with your work cell phone,Cooper...but it will help with any land line you might have.

    https://www.nomorobo.com/

    sheilajoyce_gw thanked User
  • arcy_gw
    5 years ago

    I do not answer calls from numbers I don' t know.

    sheilajoyce_gw thanked arcy_gw
  • User
    5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    It’s gotten so bad that we’ve actually turned the phones for our home line off and that’s the number we mostly give out. That line is connected to an Ooma system with an app the tracks the calls and we can screen them. If someone doesn’t leave a message, “oh well”. It’s the only way to get some peace. Once a week I go to our account online and block the calls that I don’t recognize. Two calls from same number + no message left = that number is blocked.

    Just so you know, answering those calls only prompts more calls to come, so if you can, don’t answer them.

    sheilajoyce_gw thanked User
  • Iris S (SC, Zone 7b)
    5 years ago

    Mine are mostly to the landline, so there are no apps to install. I can just block 9 numbers at a time, so it is not very helpful. I did get one of these gadgets to block calls, but it didn’t work. Messed up the internet in the whole house.

    sheilajoyce_gw thanked Iris S (SC, Zone 7b)
  • PRO
    Anglophilia
    5 years ago

    I get these all the time. I don't have caller ID on any phones other than my cordless ones, so I do answer. I also hang up immediately! Unfortunately, they now have these calls so that just hanging up does not free your line for a dial-tone. It's tied up until their robo-call message is finished, which can be 2-3 minutes. THAT to me is the most annoying part!

    sheilajoyce_gw thanked Anglophilia
  • User
    5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    With the Ooma system, you don’t have to caller id on your phone and while there is an Ooma App available to manage your phone, you don’t have to use it, you can always go to their site. It’s VoiP though and not everyone wants to use VoiP; even though it provides a free line for a home phone system. The only thing we pay are the 3-4 dollars a month in taxes that are charged by the government for using it. It works great!

    https://www.ooma.com/

    sheilajoyce_gw thanked User
  • marilyn_c
    5 years ago

    I have more calls blocked than the legitimate numbers in my contacts' list.

    sheilajoyce_gw thanked marilyn_c
  • sushipup1
    5 years ago

    Forget blocking niumbers, most of them are spoofed anyway. Just hang up as soon as you know it's not a legit call. Talking to anyone, pressing a button, nothing will stop them. Either don't answer or hang up ASAP.

    sheilajoyce_gw thanked sushipup1
  • eld6161
    5 years ago

    I never answer an unknown number. If it is legit, they will leave a message. If they don't, I then block that number.


    What is most annoying to me is my vet! I have one number in my directory. I have learned that they have 7 numbers and return calls on any of them.

    sheilajoyce_gw thanked eld6161
  • Kathsgrdn
    5 years ago

    I got 3 calls from a car warranty company wanting me to extend my warranty on my almost 11 year old car. No thanks. They had sent multiple flyers in the mail and e-mails. I'm assuming it was from the car dealership I bought my car from since they had my name and car information. I answered each one and told them no, last one I asked them to take me off their calling list. I blocked all 3 numbers as soon as they called. Hopefully they will stop.

    sheilajoyce_gw thanked Kathsgrdn
  • lulu bella
    5 years ago

    I have a pretty good spam blocker but occasionally some of them do get through. My favorite is the student loan one ( I never had one and am over 60 now).

    It really is ridiculous how we have not been able to cut this garbage out.

    sheilajoyce_gw thanked lulu bella
  • Rose Pekelnicky
    5 years ago

    I have a landline with caller I'd. If I don't know the number calling, I don't answer. I have an answering machine so if it is important they can leave a message

    sheilajoyce_gw thanked Rose Pekelnicky
  • sjerin
    5 years ago

    Sushipup is right on the money. Don't wait to hear the "reason" for the call. It's all nonsense--anything to get attention. If it's something important, they'll even leave a message or call right back, which spammers generally don't do.

  • nicole___
    5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    Centurylink landlines aren't covered by nomorerobo. I wish! Ooma charges to block calls, or at least mine did...?

    I get the warranty on your car has expired....geez....really! My newest vehicle is 22 years old!

    sheilajoyce_gw thanked nicole___
  • colleenoz
    5 years ago

    I have to answer unknown numbers as our home landline is also our home business number, but if it starts with an out of state area code I don’t bother as we don’t get business or personal calls from out of state.

    When I do answer the phone, in case they’ve spoofed a local number, I answer in French, “Bonjour! Comment ca-va?” In a cheery tone. The scammers generally hang up (the ones who don’t do after a few “Je ne comprend pas. Parlez-vous en Francais?”) while genuine callers say, “Uh...is that [our business]?” And then I talk to them in English.

    sheilajoyce_gw thanked colleenoz
  • sephia_wa
    5 years ago

    I never get spam calls. i don't have a landline, just a cell phone. i have McAfee security on my phone, just like I do on my laptop and tablet. it filters spam calls yet saves the numbers so I can review them. it filters them so my phone doesn't even ring.

    sheilajoyce_gw thanked sephia_wa
  • lily316
    5 years ago

    I never answer my landline . I have nomorobo and it rings once and stops. If I'm nearby I look and many times it says?spam? Almost all the calls are local. My regular calls go thru and ring five times. How it knows the difference baffles me. I don't give my cell phone number to anyone except my kids. So any call I get I know is a scam and I don't answer.

    sheilajoyce_gw thanked lily316
  • arcy_gw
    5 years ago

    My cell has never been given to anyone except for people I know. Never a business. Never. I get plenty of spam calls on it. I was unaware one could get McAfee or other protection. I will have to look into it. Thanks!!

    sheilajoyce_gw thanked arcy_gw
  • ritaweeda
    5 years ago

    I've recently actually gotten 2 robocalls where the caller ID actually says "scam caller"!! I don't understand why there is no way to plug in acceptable phone numbers (on a landline) and all others aren't allowed through. How hard is that technically? I have an answering machine and caller ID so I NEVER answer if I don't know who it is. There are some days that I get up to 10 robocalls a day. I'm also getting so tired of telling companies that I deal with that if their company name doesn't show on the caller ID that I won't be answering the phone. Even Doctor's offices use unlisted numbers to call patients. And in the last few months I'm even getting them on my cellphone, which wasn't happening for years because I never give that number to anyone, not even my Dr's office.

    sheilajoyce_gw thanked ritaweeda
  • Elizabeth
    5 years ago

    My most annoying spam caller comes up as the American Heart Association. While I believe this to be a reputable charity, I find it hard to believe that they are calling me 3 and 4 times a day. That feels like harassment to me. I have blocked their number.

    Back when I had a landline, I used to save the numbers of the spam callers to my directory and then assign them their own ring tone which was NO ringtone. The phone lit up but there was no sound. Not all model phones have that option.

    sheilajoyce_gw thanked Elizabeth
  • sushipup1
    5 years ago

    It's probably not the American Heart Association but crooks using the name. Don't believe anything these callers say. They are all crooks, far as I can tell.

    sheilajoyce_gw thanked sushipup1
  • graywings123
    5 years ago

    The calls that start: "Do not hang up!" crack me up.


    I've noticed the spam calls come in rounds. I will get them repeatedly for a couple weeks, then they subside.

    sheilajoyce_gw thanked graywings123
  • User
    5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    Sephia, I’ve never heard that you can add McAfee to your phone, that’s a really good idea. My DH has started getting those calls on his phone. Other than to call me, he never even uses it. thanks for the info!

    sheilajoyce_gw thanked User
  • sjerin
    5 years ago

    Yes, Ooma charges to block calls. And I have to remember to blackball the ones that do get through, without mixing them up with businesses I'm dealing with--ugh.

    sheilajoyce_gw thanked sjerin
  • linda_6
    5 years ago

    I have blocked 25 calls from my landline and 25 from comcast. I quit because all they do is call back with a different number. We don't answer any calls. If it's important they can leave a message.

    sheilajoyce_gw thanked linda_6
  • maifleur01
    5 years ago

    Blocking the number will only cause them to use another as mentioned above. Recently with the call number spoofing numbers I recognize are being used. I do wonder how people would feel if the unknown number was from a hospital or other location that was important.

    FYI many doctors offices go through a call center rather than their personal telephone to make after hours calls. I found this out when I called back on a question about my husband a few moments after the doctor had hung up.

    sheilajoyce_gw thanked maifleur01
  • User
    5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    Sjerin, I’ve never heard of or been charged by Ooma to block any of my calls, are you sure? Maybe its a new thing?

    I stand corrected, we do pay for the premier service and that includes the call blocking. We’ve had it for a really long time and I don’t remember them charging for it originally, I apologize.

    sheilajoyce_gw thanked User
  • littlebug zone 5 Missouri
    5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    I got a call the other day from a really indignant woman who said my phone keeps calling her daughter's phone to sell her a timeshare. In spite of the number of times I tried to tell her it wasn't me/my phone, and her daughter should either not answer or block my number, she just didn't get it. She kept saying, "I thought you should know that your phone is calling my daughter and you need to take care of it." *sigh*

    sheilajoyce_gw thanked littlebug zone 5 Missouri
  • sephia_wa
    5 years ago

    When I renewed my McAfee security on my laptop, I could also include protection for other devices. I do everything on my cell phone so I wanted virus protection for it. I don't remember the cost to protect other devices but it wasn't much. Certainly less than the cost to have my phone wiped clean if it was infected with a virus.

    I also have a credit monitoring program where I receive status monthly from the three credit reporting agencies.

    Call me paranoid, which I'm not, but I don't want to deal with the mess created by identity theft. A little upfront protection will hopefully save me from the headache.

    I also have a monitored security system for my home. Hopefully thieves will move on to the next home that is easier to break into.

    sheilajoyce_gw thanked sephia_wa
  • User
    5 years ago

    A T & T now owns all that once was SBC, Southern and SNET. They know well how to spoof telephone #s and that's what they're allowing on their system. Until I loaded NoMoRobo, they were driving me bonkers with calls from local, legitimate telephone #s. That woman probably wasn't mistaken, littlebug. The problem is that you're not likely to convince her that it wasn't you...in person.

    One of the calls that once came through on my caller ID was from my next door neighbor. I knew it wasn't her. She hadn't been home in weeks. But it was her telephone #. I couldn't block her # because I was one of her emergency call #s. But NoMoRobo evidently goes right to the original source of the calling #. Since adding them...I've had no more "local" calls and my neighbors # is safe.

    sheilajoyce_gw thanked User
  • chisue
    5 years ago

    I get two or three scam calls a month on our old landline number, which is now on our cell phone service. I can't guess why, but it is a relief.

    sheilajoyce_gw thanked chisue
  • maifleur01
    5 years ago

    For a while my cell number also AT&T was calling people. Either people have wised up to the idea that if the area code and first three numbers of the telephone number showing the call is a spoofing call but I stopped having so many.

    sheilajoyce_gw thanked maifleur01
  • jrb451
    5 years ago

    I get about 5 of these calls a day on our land line. We let all calls go to the answering machine. If it's someone we know leaving a message we pick up. Most calls disconnect when the answering machine kicks in. Most everyone we need to speak with calls on our cell. So much so I'll probably cancel my land line when my Ooma contract period expires.

    sheilajoyce_gw thanked jrb451
  • dedtired
    5 years ago

    My mother, age 101, got a call from someone saying that her grandson was in jail and to send money to Texas to get him out. She even jotted down his "case number" that they gave to her. She swears they used his first name as well as her nickname. I doubt it. She was all upset because she did not want me to find out but I manage her finances so she can't send money without my help.


    My son lives in CA and I called him to ask what he was doing in jail and he said Um, I'm at work?


    Those b@stards. Most of my spam calls are blocked by Nomorobo.

    sheilajoyce_gw thanked dedtired
  • maifleur01
    5 years ago

    dedtired what some do is do a search for a telephone number. If that number is active it will show the names of people at that address along with random family members even if those family members never lived there. For some reason they show my FIL and one of my SIL's living at our house. Never had lived here but somehow it is shown on the record. Your mother may have been given your grandsons name. Another method if there are not many people with the same last name is to do a name search. I used to do a bit of skip tracing and it would amaze people how much information you can find simply typing in a name and hitting enter.

    sheilajoyce_gw thanked maifleur01
  • always1stepbehind
    5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    We get the google listing call here at work. I used to hang up but now I listen through to hear which button to push to be removed from the call list. The calls do stop for a little while and then we'll start getting them again.

  • jrb451
    5 years ago

    If your number is registered on a Do Not Call list then I have trouble believing the robo caller will respect your choice to be removed from their call list.

  • sushipup1
    5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    Yes, forget the do not call list. A crook isn't going to obey any law.

  • seniorgal
    5 years ago

    I was just reading this thread and smugly thinking that I get very few spam calls. Guess what!! As I was reading I received two of them.

  • kitz_2007
    5 years ago

    I got a call from someone who asked if I had called them about a credit card. The scammers spoofed my phone number to them. You would think that with the technology they have today, they could stop this from happening.

  • User
    5 years ago

    Do you block those #'s? I never answer unknown numbers. They can go straight to voice mail. If they don't leave me a voice mail, I block the #. If they do leave me a voicemail and they want me to pay the IRS (I'm in Canada, so that's not happening), I block their number. If they threaten to deport me for non payment of taxes, I block them. I was born here. :)

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