I recently got a call from someone claiming to have seen me looking at porn (really?) and that if I don't send them a payment in bit coins they were going to release it to all my contacts, and all over the internet.

I guess people who really do look at porn might fall for this and call the number the caller (aka scammer) left.

"My sister in law got a call "This is a call about your lawsuit. There is a warrant for your arrest". this was extremely upsetting to her."

I hope you'll have a chance to have a long talk with her so that this is the last time she has such a reaction to a phony call because she will be receiving more. She needs to be more aware of what to expect when the phone rings in today's world. Be a good resource for her.

I've been getting the Social Security one and one about renewing the warranty on my car. I havent heard from the Microsoft scammers for a few months so they are due to start in again.

I'm sorry the vermin upset your SIL.

What really frosts my cookies is that it's not just the landline anymore; now they are calling the cell phone too. I don't bother to answer either phone.

Are you saying you don't answer the phone when you don't recognize the Caller ID, or you never answer a ringing phone at all?

...and this is why scammers prey on the elderly. Or those who do not stay informed.

Unless I share DNA with the caller, I am not answering.

( I am that sick of it all )

The other day, a friend of mine got a phone call that the caller ID showed up as her own phone number. She was so upset about it and tried to find out what was going on. I have had this happen so many times, it doesn't even faze me. I found it odd that she was worried about this scam call.

I've been getting the Chinese calls again. I read that they are spoofing the number of the consulate in Chicago, and are threatening the people with deportation. I thought they were targeting those of Chinese ancestry or immigration, so don't know why I'm getting the calls. Maybe they are just random. They always leave a message, in Chinese, so I don't know exactly what they are threatening.

Seems like this was discussed recently.

There are choices to make about the current state of phones and the profusion of phony calls:

-You can be annoyed and or frustrated

-You can complain

-You can let it stop you from answering the phone and getting important calls

-You can (mostly) fix the problem

We get too many calls I want to answer from callers not in the contact file with poorly chosen caller IDs, none at all, or numbers I don't immediately recognize. I've mostly fixed the problem of unwanted calls. It wasn't hard or particularly expensive, that too was discussed recently.

I would never call someone who I know doesn't answer their phone as a matter of course and I'm certain others feel the same - why bother?

raee, I got that call too. I answered the phone and the person on the other end immediately starting speaking in what I assume to be Chinese. Since I don't understand it, I just hung up. Curious. I don't consider any of the calls to be a "problem". It's very easy to hang up. What difference does it make in the long run? I guess if I got multiple calls a day like that it might be different, but mine are just occasional.

About the Chinese consulate calls.... it's so cheap to make calls now, the crooks don't care who they reach. If they cast a wide net, some fish will get caught.

I'm glad your method works for you, gardengal, but it doesn't for Elmer. Can you just give it a rest?

I got a call on my cell phone the other day. I answered and the person on the line was speaking in Chinese or something similar! I hung up and when I went into my recent calls it showed the call came from the Netherlands! Blocked that one for sure!!!

I’ve gotten the call from my own number. I don’t know how that could be, but it is.

The latest with me is voicemails left in Chinese and debt collectors. It’s outrageous.

I don’t know how that could be, but it is.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caller_ID_spoofing

I get 4 or 5 calls a day and usually when I look at the caller ID there is a string of numbers across the top then a phone number below it. I don't answer any of those calls and of course they never leave a message. It's quite irritating!

I keep getting the one where firemen or policemen need me to donate money to them. My bank sent out a warning that scammers were pretending to be "them" and asking for social security numbers, bank account numbers, ect.

I hadn't heard of the Chinese calls before. I had a voicemail in Chinese the other day, at the same time that my friend received half a dozen marketing or spoof calls while we were together.

I haven't gotten Chinese calls. I feel neglected. I have had my own number on the caller ID and local calls and so forth but they are always the same people. I don't say anything when I answer the phone which I answer because it annoys me to hear the phone ring. At least I can tie up a line so they cant annoy someone else for awhile before the system cuts me off. I have had real and necessary calls lost in this miasma of false calls. I hate it.

I choose not to answer also if I don’t know the number. Voicemail, text. If I know you then I’ll get back to you.

I get the social security call to my cell phone 3-4 times a day lately. I don’t know what to do anymore. I answered a few times but the calls kept coming. I started rejecting the calls when I saw them ringing, and blocked each number, but they just use new numbers and keep trying. So frustrating.

If I don’t recognize a number, I don’t answer, either. If people want me to call back, they’ll leave a voice mail. It’s not any different than if they had called while I'm in the bathroom, dentist chair, or otherwise indisposed.

We never answer our landline, but keep it for outgoing calls (cell service is terrible at our house,) Our phone announces the incoming number, and frequently we get one that starts with a V. Yeah, really going to jump right up and answer THAT one.

About a month ago I too got a call on my cell phone from my own cell phone number.

It hasn't happened again. I do continue to get the voicemail messages (I used to get about 2 years ago, then it stopped and now has resumed) that this message is for Willie Stargis. Please call me as soon as possible to discuss your student loan.

It;s an annoyance but thankfully my spam blocker is pretty effective- except for the few that do get to voicemail.

Press 7 to delete.

I too have gotten the call from my own number. I've gotten pretty much all the spam calls except for the Chinese one. And yes it irritates me to no end. I never answer if I don't know who it is, I have a message machine but it still aggravates me because: I don't want to be bothered. I do have a life and occasionally get a call that's important business or from someone I know and I hate the fact that I have to constantly screen before I pick up. And the most important reason is that here where I am we have to pay extra for caller ID. There are some people, specifically old folks on a fixed income who can't afford an penny extra for anything, and that includes a message machine or caller ID. These are the ones I really feel sorry for not only because they are forced to answer the phone every time or they are very likely to fall for a scam. Hell is too good a place for these scum-bags that do this, IMO.

Am I not allowed to express my opinion?

In a recent thread, a memorable line was 'No, it was Tuesday'. I think from now on, when I feel like I just have to say something on the subject, I will say 'No, it was Tuesday'. If everyone does that, it will express not only our opinion, but our solidarity.

"We never answer our landline, but keep it for outgoing calls (cell service is terrible at our house,) "

Many of the phones sold by the mainstream cell carriers have a "telephone over Wifi" function. At times or in places that the normal mobile signal is weak, the phone call signals are routed to the Wifi connection instead. That's assuming the phone had been previously connected to Wifi. The Verizon signal at our house is variable but phone calls are always clear and steady due to this feature. As with unwanted calls, this is another "problem" with an easy solution.

I actually received the "Chinese" call. I did wonder if it was a recording as there were no inflections in the voice. Since I collected peonies it is not unusual for me to receive email in various languages so I listened to see if there was a person. Decided that it was a robot after I tried to interrupt stating I only spoke English and there was no hesitation.

I appreciate you claim of easy and cheap solutions Elmer but some specifics would actually be helpful. We have Verizon and cellphone calls are anything but steady and clear. I also do not answer my phone if caller ID can't tell me who it is calling and that I know them. Not answering is the only solution I have heard as to how to get robo calls to stop. They are fishing for real numbers. Answering them gives information even if you then politely hang up. As to the fear some of these scam calls cause, it is frightening how easily we believe what we are told. Fear is never fun and even after being told one often has an inkling of "what if'...good people expect good from others.

" Elmer but some specifics would actually be helpful. "

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

Cellphone high quality over Wifi in low reception areas, like at home:

On my about to be replaced Android phone with 7.0:

Settings

Advanced Calling

Wifi Calling

Switch to "On"

Then with

Settings

Wifi

Switch to "On"

Choose your Wifi signal and enter your Wifi password, same as for tablets and PCs you use.

You can leave it "On" if you don't want to toggle it off/on when you leave the house.

iPhones will do the same thing, I don't have one here to take you through the setting.

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

Blocking the VAST MAJORITY of land line calls.

Replace your current landline provider with Ooma. At one time, if you signed up with Premier service to begin with, there was no charge to port (change) your existing landline number to become your Ooma number. If not now free, it's maybe $30-$40.

Buy the box - $74 on Amazon. Anyone even at a beginner tech level can install it, or a younger generation family member can do it

The basic service is ~$5 per month, varies slightly by location, for excellent quality phone calls, routed over your internet connection. A fast connection isn't required.

Opt for Premier Service for another $10/month. that includes several versions of call screening and blocking. Basic and premier offer unlimited US calling, Premier also (i think) offers unlimited Canada and Mexico calling too)

Total phone cost with primo blocking is $15/month

You can block all calls not in your contact list and that will end ALL unwanted calls. Or use their provided three separate services to block calls - Nomorobo plus Known Spammers plus anon calls. Plus numbers you choose to block. Route to voicemail with no ring or give them a "number disconnected" reply, separate choices of which for which. I do the second and get very few unwanted calls.

It works. When I sign on to Ooma, it reminds me how much money using it instead of AT+T has saved me since Day One. It's approaching $3000.

For unwanted calls on a cell phone, there are apps and modestly priced subscription services.

the best and easier method for me is not answering the phone. if it's important, leave a message. The person calling pops up on our tv so we know when to answer and when not to answer. we did notice a lot of scam calls have been eliminated. we're down to 1 or 2 calls a day now instead of 15.

So you get al call from a number you don't recognize so you let them leave a message. It is your clinic calling to set up your appointment. They give you a number to call and you call it and get voicemail so leave a message, they call you from a number you don't recognize so you don't answer the call...…..

That is good but because of privacy rules some doctor's offices will only leave the number and request that you call them back. That would be alright except in this area most doctors use a call service. When you call back then they will tell you why they are calling. Happened last week when I went to make my annual appointment. I called the clinic number but received an automated message that someone would call me back. The number that called me back was not even in this state. The only message I received from their call was that they were calling me back. It was a guessing game deciding which one of the various places I had called that morning was "IT".

Just to lighten things up a smidge, we have one of those answering machines that has a robot woman that tells you who is calling or at least the number if you don't want to get your lazy butt up to look at the screen. It's so funny sometimes how she enunciates things like she say's "imeck" for "IMC" which is some place that calls all the time and never leaves a message. Well it is funny, I guess you have to be here - I can almost see the quizzical look on all your faces. LOL!

ritaweeda--You should hear her pronounce "name unavailable". Cracks me up.

helper

The one that cracks me up every time is "invalid number" she pronounces it as "invalid" as in a person that is sick and bedridden. There's more but I can't remember them.

You should hear her pronounce anonymous.....she says Anna Nim Us. LOL

From Jannie the originasl poster-Now here is quite a coincidence- ths morning I put on TV early, around 5 thirty am, I wake up early to feed my cat and I always check the weather forecast. Anyway, there was a Public Service Announcement from the Social Security Administration covering just this very phone scam. The announcer described my exact phone call and advised everyone to just hang up, Social Security Representaties will never call anyone promising benefits if you give them information. JUST HANG UP!

I received the SS call yesterday (they left a message--I didn't answer the phone).

I see doctors at UCLA Medical Center, and they are very difficult to reach by phone. For one doctor, whenever I would call, my call would go directly to their voicemail, and they would say that they would call me back. When they did call back, I usually did not have my phone with me or could not answer it fast enough, and they would leave a voicemail telling me to call back at a number other than the one from which they were calling, which I think is a general number for many departments. Anyway, while this was going on, I collected about six different phone numbers for one doctor, and finally I just called the number from which they were calling and got the main operator and explained the problem I was having. He then made the appointment for me himself without transferring me to another extension.

Some doctors are extremely difficult to get because they are so busy, and it usually takes at least a month to get an appointment. My brother can make appointments with his doctor on-line, but that is not an option at UCLA. The good thing is that there are lots of excellent doctors at UCLA - the bad thing is that it is difficult to get the appointments.

I try to answer the phone if the area code is 310 even if I don't recognize the number because there is a good chance it could be one of the doctors' offices. There are never any names that show up on the UCLA caller IDs unless I have saved that number in my contacts list.

I see my regular doctor in Pacific Palisades, and his office is always easy to reach, although I might be on hold for a couple of minutes. His office is better staffed than the offices at UCLA. My Medicare supplementary insurance (SCAN) is like an HMO, and so I generally have zero co-payments, but I have to see doctors in the UCLA system, and my regular doctor is affiliated with them. He recommended this insurance, and I am very happy with it. In addition to the Ronald Reagan UCLA hospital, I can also go to St. John's in Santa Monica or Cedars-Sinai in Beverly Hills with the plan that I have. There is also an emergency clinic in Marina Del Rey that is very close to my house, and it is open on week-ends. I do have a high co-pay for other emergency room visits ($75), but I have not needed to use that.

I've only gotten on phone call message that was Chinese, but when I lived in Venice, I used to get a lot of voice mail messages in Japanese because the people who had my number before me were Japanese. One time I had my BIL (who was visiting at the time) answer the phone in Japanese, and he had the most difficult time getting the people on the other end off. He could not convince them that they had called the wrong number. So if you get another call in Chinese, make sure that you do not speak Chinese back to them, unless they are someone you know.