topic Re: Ghost calls in Community Chat

Ghost calls

songbird — Tue, 15 Jun 2021 15:54:31 GMT

For some time now, I've been receiving calls with no response on the other end. Just silence. I googled this and it's a machine that gets random numbers and just calls. Mostly to see if a live person responds from that number. This part of the information places get to target you for scams, etc. It started about 4 months ago. And at it's peak, I was getting calls up to 6 times a day. My caller Id would cut them off. But the computer (that's calling) would create more numbers. Finally they started to drop off. Now for the past 4 weeks, I've received none of the calls. Has anyone else received these calls? They are robo calls with no humans voice recording. This all happened with my land line. Reporting those numbers doesn't help at all. They simply scramble more numbers. Strangely enough I don't get any unwanted calls on my smart phone. And I don't have Robo Killer (the app that stops them)

Re: Ghost calls

deepwaterdotter — Tue, 15 Jun 2021 16:02:04 GMT

We get them on our landline, but just ignore them.

Re: Ghost calls

kaydee50 — Tue, 15 Jun 2021 16:06:10 GMT

We never answer the phone unless we know who's calling via caller ID.

Re: Ghost calls

songbird — Tue, 15 Jun 2021 16:06:48 GMT

From the first call I got (which I answered) I would let it go to my voice mail. So I simply ignored it. Took quite a while, but glad it not continuing. For a while there, I wanted to change my land line number.

Re: Ghost calls

beckyb1012 — Tue, 15 Jun 2021 16:08:12 GMT

Contact list only are the ones I answer too.

Re: Ghost calls

Venezia — Tue, 15 Jun 2021 16:16:54 GMT

I think that's what was happening to us with our landline. One ring, a long string of numbers on my caller ID and then nothing.

Only problem for me was this was happening at 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning and, of course, my immediate thought was something had happened to a friend or family member.

I did report it to my phone company and I also blocked the number (as it was always the same). Then I switched the ringer off on the phone by my bed, so I could get some sleep, the night they rang three times! So far since then no more calls.

I won't say what I think of the lowlifes who do this kind of thing.

Re: Ghost calls

Spurt — Tue, 15 Jun 2021 16:17:45 GMT

@songbird wrote:
For some time now, I've been receiving calls with no response on the other end. Just silence. I googled this and it's a machine that gets random numbers and just calls. Mostly to see if a live person responds from that number. This part of the information places get to target you for scams, etc. It started about 4 months ago. And at it's peak, I was getting calls up to 6 times a day. My caller Id would cut them off. But the computer (that's calling) would create more numbers. Finally they started to drop off. Now for the past 4 weeks, I've received none of the calls. Has anyone else received these calls? They are robo calls with no humans voice recording. This all happened with my land line. Reporting those numbers doesn't help at all. They simply scramble more numbers. Strangely enough I don't get any unwanted calls on my smart phone. And I don't have Robo Killer (the app that stops them)

@songbird

So tired of these scammers and the games they play....

I finally made the decision to get rid of my Landline 3 years ago....WHAT A DIFFERENCE IT MADE!!! And the last time I got a robo call on my Android phone was 2 years ago and that was only one call for the auto warranty a well known scam, I blocked the number and no more calls.........

Re: Ghost calls

AuntG — Tue, 15 Jun 2021 16:20:58 GMT

Land line user. We get about five a day. Rarely do they leave a message.

Re: Ghost calls

Venezia — Tue, 15 Jun 2021 16:21:03 GMT

@Spurt - Do you have an app like NoMoRobo on your cell phone? DH and I get annoying robo calls all the time on our android phones even though we're supposed to have some kind of blocker loaded.

I'd like to find one that works.

Re: Ghost calls

SeaMaiden — Tue, 15 Jun 2021 16:23:06 GMT

yes... if that is what they are called I too have gotten them... I pick up the phone say hello... silence and then the phone on the other end hangs up.

Re: Ghost calls

Spurt — Tue, 15 Jun 2021 16:29:35 GMT

@Venezia wrote:
@Spurt - Do you have an app like NoMoRobo on your cell phone? DH and I get annoying robo calls all the time on our android phones even though we're supposed to have some kind of blocker loaded.

I'd like to find one that works.

@Venezia

Nope I dont have "No More Robo".....Its only free for landlines and I didnt want to pay $20 a year to get it for my Android....A lot of the smart phone carriers started providing free robo blockers .......

Re: Ghost calls

Kachina624 — Tue, 15 Jun 2021 16:33:11 GMT

I never answer my phone unless I recognize the number. I don't use the answering machine. I almost never get robo calls or solicitations because the scammers don't know it's a good number. I don't seem to miss anything important.

Re: Ghost calls

songbird — Tue, 15 Jun 2021 16:36:07 GMT

All of these unwanted calls were on my land line. I wanted to keep my phones separate. Business calls on my land line, personal calls on my cell phone. One reason I wanted to keep my land line. This experience has made me rethink keeping a land line. I only know one other person who did this. Get rid of her land line. Although I have no app that prevents unwanted calls on my cell phone, the problem never arose. I very rarely get an unwanted call on my cell phone.

Re: Ghost calls

Venezia — Tue, 15 Jun 2021 16:36:59 GMT

@Spurt - Thanks. I'll look around to see if I can find something better to block these annoying calls. We never answer them, but they always ring at the most inconvenient times.

LOL - I just recently bought a new car and was home after talking to the dealer (and while deciding about it) and my phone rang. Didn't recognize the number so ignored it. My DH said "You don't think it's the dealership, do you?" I looked at the card the saleswoman had given me...YEP! Calling to make sure I got the email she sent with the offer for my trade and the new car.

Re: Ghost calls

catter70 — Tue, 15 Jun 2021 16:40:06 GMT

If it's a # I don't recognize, I don't answer the phone. If it's important, they'll leave a message, which they never do. I get a least 1 or 2 a day. I block that #, but they always have others they can call from.

Re: Ghost calls

Bri369 — Tue, 15 Jun 2021 16:50:54 GMT

If it's a number I don't recognize, I will not answer the phone. If I'm waiting for a callback from someone, I'll risk it and answer.

Once you start answering calls from scammers, they know your phone number is live and active and you'll get all kinds of calls all day and night.

If it's a legitimate call, they'll leave a voicemail.

Re: Ghost calls

Mindy D — Tue, 15 Jun 2021 17:50:17 GMT

@songbird wrote:
For some time now, I've been receiving calls with no response on the other end. Just silence. I googled this and it's a machine that gets random numbers and just calls. Mostly to see if a live person responds from that number. This part of the information places get to target you for scams, etc. It started about 4 months ago. And at it's peak, I was getting calls up to 6 times a day. My caller Id would cut them off. But the computer (that's calling) would create more numbers. Finally they started to drop off. Now for the past 4 weeks, I've received none of the calls. Has anyone else received these calls? They are robo calls with no humans voice recording. This all happened with my land line. Reporting those numbers doesn't help at all. They simply scramble more numbers. Strangely enough I don't get any unwanted calls on my smart phone. And I don't have Robo Killer (the app that stops them)

@songbird @Yes, some of the calls I get on my home phone are as you described. Unfortunately, you will probably start getting annoying calls on your smart phone too. These calls are increasing everywhere.

Re: Ghost calls

BoopOMatic — Tue, 15 Jun 2021 17:52:57 GMT

That reminds me of that Twilight Zone episode, "Night Call," where the elderly lady was getting calls from her late fiance.....

Re: Ghost calls

hckynut — Tue, 15 Jun 2021 18:16:56 GMT

I will answer this the same way I did in a different, but very similar thread. On our land line we have a 4 phone cordless set that has an Auto Block that holds 1,000 numbers and names. With this activated, if the name and/or number are not in our Directory? Our phones do not ring.

You have the option of turning off this feature if you choose, and can manually, block each call as you see fit.

hckynut

Re: Ghost calls

songbird — Tue, 15 Jun 2021 18:29:39 GMT

@catter70 wrote:
If it's a # I don't recognize, I don't answer the phone. If it's important, they'll leave a message, which they never do. I get a least 1 or 2 a day. I block that #, but they always have others they can call from.

The computer scrambles numbers around. Often they'll start with your local area code. Everything you block, more comes in. They are also difficult to trace what IP address they are coming from.