topic Re: Strange baiting phone number in Community Chat

Strange baiting phone number

Abrowneyegirl — Sat, 21 Dec 2019 14:01:45 GMT

What do you make of this?

Starting yesterday morning I received several calls from the same number, does not leave a message. Then last night the text messages started. Simple messages looking for a response like

"Hi how are you?" "what are you up to?"

I just got another one today.

I would think if it was a wrong number they would have figured it out as my VM message says my name.

It seems like I am being baited to respond.

Re: Strange baiting phone number

jackthebear — Sat, 21 Dec 2019 14:03:48 GMT

@Abrowneyegirl wrote:
What do you make of this?
Starting yesterday morning I received several calls from the same number, does not leave a message. Then last night the text messages started. Simple messages looking for a response like
"Hi how are you?" "what are you up to?"
I just got another one today.
I would think if it was a wrong number they would have figured it out as my VM message says my name.
It seems like I am being baited to respond.

block

you are not being "baited"

just block and move on and in the meantime remove your name from your voicemail, and replace it with the "generic" voicemail

Re: Strange baiting phone number

Krimpette — Sat, 21 Dec 2019 14:07:44 GMT

When I get a call with no clear identification and with a number I don't recognize, more often than not I just block the call. If they don't bother to leave a message, I feell that it's not a legitimate call.

Re: Strange baiting phone number

millieshops — Sat, 21 Dec 2019 14:12:28 GMT

@AbrowneyegirlTRY really hard not to take the bait

It's beyond annoying. I wish the phone companies would raise the rates big time for buyers of huge numbers of robo calls - at least 5X what they're paying now and if that doesn't decrease the calls, every 6 months up the ante for them by 5.

Re: Strange baiting phone number

SharkE — Sat, 21 Dec 2019 14:12:39 GMT

Thank God we don't have one of those Ring security things after seeing on the news how people hack into those things and start talking to you out of the blue and can watch you, etc.

Sometimes high tech is not such a good thing. I'm not touching that stuff

more trouble then it's worth.

Re: Strange baiting phone number

chrystaltree — Sat, 21 Dec 2019 14:13:45 GMT

Baited for what? Just block the number and move on. It's no big deal. You should have blocked it the second time it came since you knew the call was not for you.

Re: Strange baiting phone number

Shanus — Sat, 21 Dec 2019 14:20:38 GMT

I have caller ID that displays on my home phone, cell and TV screen. If there's no name with the number or a name I don't recognize, I just don't answer.

Re: Strange baiting phone number

NickNack — Sat, 21 Dec 2019 14:25:46 GMT

Do you not have call blocking on your telephone? You can block text messages, too. If you don't have call blocking on your landline, your phone co. probably does on their website. I would suggest blocking the phone # and the text messages.

Re: Strange baiting phone number

Abrowneyegirl — Sat, 21 Dec 2019 14:27:39 GMT

I am amazed at how many here block all unknown numbers!

I have a Google phone so spam numbers are ID'ed as such and are eliminated after 1 call. Google tracks all spam numbers as part of a database.

If I blocked all other calls that came through as unknown or do not leave messages I would be blocking 5 numbers a day every day.

After 5-6 blocked numbers the major cell phone carriers charge you unless you pay for blocked call feature monthly.

This is a HUGE moneymaker for cell phone companies as people think 1- it is free and 2- it lasts forever Both 1 & 2 are false.

I never had a 'caller' convert to text messaging though.

Re: Strange baiting phone number

CLHS68 — Sat, 21 Dec 2019 14:28:17 GMT

I had a call yesterday & all it showed on caller ID was incoming call, no number or anything else. I did not answer.

Re: Strange baiting phone number

Abrowneyegirl — Sat, 21 Dec 2019 14:29:39 GMT

@Shanus wrote:
I have caller ID that displays on my home phone, cell and TV screen. If there's no name with the number or a name I don't recognize, I just don't answer.

After we moved we did not plug in a home phone.

We have a landline for the security system but no phone.

Re: Strange baiting phone number

Abrowneyegirl — Sat, 21 Dec 2019 14:32:49 GMT

@CLHS68 wrote:
I had a call yesterday & all it showed on caller ID was incoming call, no number or anything else. I did not answer.

I get about 9 of those a day.

If it is a SPAM call Google turns off the ringer and it just shows a missed spam call in red with a stop sign with an option to confirm SPAM and block all calls from that source.

Re: Strange baiting phone number

Still Raining — Sat, 21 Dec 2019 15:12:30 GMT

Good for you for not using your landline for calls.

Next you need to get your name off the messages.

Check your carrier, but you should not be charged for blocked calls.

Then set up your contacts/address book two ways - always or usually. By default everyone else is Do Not Disrurb.

Then you can choose - DD calls at 1AM? Better ringlong and loud. Drs office with reminder? Put it thru. Everyone (unknow) else? Just show on screen. Then you can choose to add them or block them. Works for text too.

You also can let it run free like when you know the furnace repair will confirm time with some unknown cell.

Re: Strange baiting phone number

sunshine45 — Sat, 21 Dec 2019 15:28:33 GMT

@Abrowneyegirl wrote:
I am amazed at how many here block all unknown numbers!

I have a Google phone so spam numbers are ID'ed as such and are eliminated after 1 call. Google tracks all spam numbers as part of a database.

If I blocked all other calls that came through as unknown or do not leave messages I would be blocking 5 numbers a day every day.
After 5-6 blocked numbers the major cell phone carriers charge you unless you pay for blocked call feature monthly.
This is a HUGE moneymaker for cell phone companies as people think 1- it is free and 2- it lasts forever Both 1 & 2 are false.

I never had a 'caller' convert to text messaging though.

@Abrowneyegirl i have ATT and do not pay for blocking numbers on my cell phone.

When you block a number on the device through the settings, this does not create a charge. To learn how to block a number on your device, please use our Device Support page. Make sure your phone is selected, and then go Tutorials > Calling > Block or Unblock Calls.

We also offer a great app called Call Protect. This app will block fraud calls, notify you of suspected spam calls and you can block a number on a cellular level. This is a free app but must meet certain requirements.

Lastly we offer Smart Limits. This is $4.99 for a single line and $9.99 for up to 10 lines per month. In addition to other features it does offer call blocking.

Re: Strange baiting phone number

BlueFinch — Sat, 21 Dec 2019 15:52:32 GMT

It infuriates me that due to pest calls, we may actually miss a call we'd really like to take.

I get a dozen calls a day from cities and numbers I don't recognize, since my personal information went public as the executor of an estate. I've reached the anger point that if I'm near my phone, I'll just immediately hang the call up, hoping it'll appear they're blocked, until I can actually do so.

The other day I kept getting one of those calls. It was from a little city where I knew no one, OR, so I thought.

I finally picked up the call because it's unusual for the same number to keep repeating. It seemed a sense of urgency. It was my nephew who had moved to a new city and had a new cell number, wanting to update me.

I've learned now to NOT hang the calls up and wait them out to see if there's a legitimate VM before hanging up, or blocking. We shouldn't have to be playing these games.

Re: Strange baiting phone number

Krimpette — Sat, 21 Dec 2019 17:07:13 GMT

@Abrowneyegirl I have call blocking feature on my landline (Panasonic system), so no additional charge for me. I have never paid for call blocking on my iPhone either. Is that something new? I'm puzzled as to why they would charge to call blocking. Maybe I'm misunderstanding.

Re: Strange baiting phone number

Bri369 — Sat, 21 Dec 2019 17:22:08 GMT

There is no charge to block a call on an iPhone . If there is a number that I don’t recognize and they leave no voicemail, it gets blocked.

Re: Strange baiting phone number

riley1 — Sat, 21 Dec 2019 17:25:15 GMT

just block the number and/or delete the texts. A couple of weeks ago I woke up to several texts that I had no idea who they were. Just delete.

Re: Strange baiting phone number

VegasBusinessWoman — Sat, 21 Dec 2019 17:26:32 GMT

@sunshine45 Thanks for the tip. We have ATT, too, so I'm going to do just that!

Re: Strange baiting phone number

ScarletDove — Sat, 21 Dec 2019 18:02:17 GMT

With caller ID, I see the numbers/names coming in....most, unfortunaely are obvious telemarket or those "disguised" phony calls. I purchased a "call blocker" from QVC and it saves much grief; only problem, answer machine does not work with "call block" plugged in. If I do not recognize name/number, I hit #2 & add to auto block. Might I add I also receive calls flagged as "blocked".