topic Re: I'M BLOCKING PHONE CALLS !! in Community Chat

I'M BLOCKING PHONE CALLS !!

Goodie2shoes — Thu, 27 Oct 2022 22:59:43 GMT

my landline phone has been ringing off the hook lately and it announces possible "Spam Risk" so of course I don't answer and then I block the call but of course they use a different number and call back at another time. I'm also getting calls from what looks like they spoofed someone's number so it looks like a real call from someone and it shows the persons name and actual local number. I decided to answer 2 calls today, the first one claimed she was calling from "my health benefits" so I asked what was the companys actual name and she hung up. RED FLAG !! it's open enrollment for medicare, scammers are out there in full force !! I got a second call today, decided to answer it (again a local number spoofed by some scammer} She starts telling me she's calling about my funeral plan, no company name so again I hung up. I'm sure there are plenty people out there getting these calls since it's annual medicare insurance enrollment time so just be smarter than they are and keep your money and yourself safe !! It's so frustrating that there are those willing to take advantage of others !

Re: I'M BLOCKING PHONE CALLS !!

Kachina624 — Thu, 27 Oct 2022 23:10:39 GMT

@Goodie2shoes As long as you answer your phone, you let the spamming community know that yours is a good number with a potential party at the end of the line who answers. DON'T ANSWER UNLESS YOU RECOGNIZE THE NUMBER!!!

Re: I'M BLOCKING PHONE CALLS !!

mspatmac — Thu, 27 Oct 2022 23:29:30 GMT

@Goodie2shoes

@Kachina624 is absolutely right. Now I know this is not right for many but I got rid of my landline because of those types of calls.

Unless your name and number are in my contact list the call is not put through. They are classified as spam or blocked. Voice mail is available but seldom used. Most delivery services that are delivering inside the home are aware people do this and always leave a voice mail and I call them to confirm I'm home. I haven't had a political or Medicare call at all.

Re: I'M BLOCKING PHONE CALLS !!

skatting44 — Fri, 28 Oct 2022 00:08:37 GMT

Once a week , I've been getting calls fon my cell # and landline from Md state health dept telling me abt the covid vaccines available for those over 65. I am tired of all these robo calls. I do not answer any of them .

Re: I'M BLOCKING PHONE CALLS !!

JoyFilled Warrior — Fri, 28 Oct 2022 00:58:52 GMT

< Deleted by User >

(I learned my lesson.. not to offer suggestions)..

Re: I'M BLOCKING PHONE CALLS !!

Kachina624 — Fri, 28 Oct 2022 00:19:08 GMT

@JoyFilled Warrior Once again, when you answer the phone with a smart aleck greeting, youre telling spammers they have a good number and you'll go on the lists they exchange.

IMO the Do Not Call list is worthless. If you registered once, you've been on it all along. It doesn't expire. It's just ignored.

Re: I'M BLOCKING PHONE CALLS !!

Goodie2shoes — Fri, 28 Oct 2022 00:24:08 GMT

@Kachina624wrote: As long as you answer your phone, you let the spamming community know that yours is a good number with a potential party at the end of the line who answers. DON'T ANSWER UNLESS YOU RECOGNIZE THE NUMBER!!!

99.9% of time I don't answer my phone because most of the time it's spam. I sometimes like to give them a piece of my mind just because ! I think it's sad that these idiots try to take advantage of others especially seniors so just a reminder to all.

Re: I'M BLOCKING PHONE CALLS !!

Chopsmom — Fri, 28 Oct 2022 00:28:39 GMT

It is very frustrating.

Does your phone company offer a telemarketer blocking feature? Mine does and it's inexpensive.

Anyone who calls our number has to press a certain digit to get through. We have had zero spam or telemarketer calls for years now.

Re: I'M BLOCKING PHONE CALLS !!

judianne — Fri, 28 Oct 2022 00:30:48 GMT

l tried every trick in the book! Answer , don't answer, complaining to the phone co , blocking , the phone rang at least 8 times a day and maybe one real call for us . l couldn't take that ringing so l had that landline removed ! We have cell phones , anyway . lt is now so nice and quiet , l love it ! With the cell , l can silence it and people can leave messages or text . No more ringing at my house !

Re: I'M BLOCKING PHONE CALLS !!

Kachina624 — Fri, 28 Oct 2022 00:37:38 GMT

@Chopsmom wrote:
It is very frustrating.

Does your phone company offer a telemarketer blocking feature? Mine does and it's inexpensive.

Anyone who calls our number has to press a certain digit to get through. We have had zero spam or telemarketer calls for years now.

@Chopsmom Mine does (Century Link). I've had it for years and it works like a charm. I rarely get suspicious calls of any kind.

Re: I'M BLOCKING PHONE CALLS !!

haddon9 — Fri, 28 Oct 2022 00:41:53 GMT

@Kachina624 wrote:
@JoyFilled Warrior Once again, when you answer the phone with a smart aleck greeting, youre telling spammers they have a good number and you'll go on the lists they exchange.

IMO the Do Not Call list is worthless. If you registered once, you've been on it all along. It doesn't expire. It's just ignored.

@Kachina624 I agree that the "Do not call list" is worthless! I have it on both my land line & cell phones. I used to only get the endless annoying calls on the land line but now they are on the cell a lot too.

This time of year is really bad with "medicare", "health care" or political calls which are getting ridiculous.

My question....what is the difference if I answer or leave it to the answering machine to answer? Most of the time I just don't answer, sometimes I will just pick up the phone and slam it down just to stop it from ringing and other times I will answer with a "Nobody's home!" I always block the calls but they just keep sprouting new numbers!

Re: I'M BLOCKING PHONE CALLS !!

haddon9 — Fri, 28 Oct 2022 00:43:29 GMT

@Chopsmom wrote:
It is very frustrating.

Does your phone company offer a telemarketer blocking feature? Mine does and it's inexpensive.

Anyone who calls our number has to press a certain digit to get through. We have had zero spam or telemarketer calls for years now.

@Chopsmom I really don't know. I will have to look into that. I have Verizon.

Re: I'M BLOCKING PHONE CALLS !!

Chopsmom — Fri, 28 Oct 2022 00:50:24 GMT

@haddon9 I don't have Verizon, but it's worth a try to call and ask them. Mine is a small cable company and I couldn't believe they had such a thing. Glad they do.

Re: I'M BLOCKING PHONE CALLS !!

Kachina624 — Fri, 28 Oct 2022 00:52:31 GMT

@haddon9 I'm betting a human answer and an answering machine answer count as the same thing in the eyes of telemarketers. I haven't turned on my machine for years. Haven't missed anything important. If I see a number twice in the same day, I answer it in case it is important as telemarketers aren't likely to do this.

Re: I'M BLOCKING PHONE CALLS !!

haddon9 — Fri, 28 Oct 2022 00:58:03 GMT

@Kachina624 I think both answering & the machine answering would be the same to them too. However though family & friends call on my cell, I still use the land line for doctor calls since DH is disabled and I would hate to miss some of those calls. At this point in my life I wouldn't mind getting rid of the land line but DH still likes keeping it.

Re: I'M BLOCKING PHONE CALLS !!

Spurt — Fri, 28 Oct 2022 01:02:17 GMT

@judianne wrote:
l tried every trick in the book! Answer , don't answer, complaining to the phone co , blocking , the phone rang at least 8 times a day and maybe one real call for us . l couldn't take that ringing so l had that landline removed ! We have cell phones , anyway . lt is now so nice and quiet , l love it ! With the cell , l can silence it and people can leave messages or text . No more ringing at my house !

@judianne

Yep, I got rid of my landline 6 yrs ago and is been so peaceful----no telemarketers, no robo calls.....And during this time on my cell phone I got ONE telemarketer (auto warranty) which I blocked and no more calls since!!!! Not even political calls which are exempt and allowed under the Do Not Call Register----SILENCE IS INDEED GOLDEN! 😁

Re: I'M BLOCKING PHONE CALLS !!

hckynutjohn — Fri, 28 Oct 2022 01:39:09 GMT

@Goodie2shoes

I have mentioned on different forums here, about the cordless phone set I bought a few years ago from HSN.

All the phones, and base, have an Auto Call Block. When turned ON, it will block every call that IS NOT in your phone's Directory. Your phone will not even ring when you have this set on Auto Block. This Model will block up to 1,000 phone numbers.

We needed a new landline phone, so I opted for this 4 handset package. Well worth the money. I think the price figured out to be about $20 per handset.

It's up to you if you wish to have this feature Turned ON or OFF. Our phone only rings when it is someone's phone number we have in our Directory.

Might give it some thought if you are in the market for a new phone, or! If you just want to eliminate your frustration.

hckynut 🇺🇸

Re: I'M BLOCKING PHONE CALLS !!

Goodie2shoes — Fri, 28 Oct 2022 02:15:11 GMT

@hckynutjohn wrote:

We needed a new landline phone, so I opted for this 4 handset package. Well worth the money. I think the price figured out to be about $20 per handset.

It's up to you if you wish to have this feature Turned ON or OFF. Our phone only rings when it is someone's phone number we have in our Directory.

Might give it some thought if you are in the market for a new phone, or! If you just want to eliminate your frustration.

I just might look into that phone. I prefer to keep my landline I have had it for years and years guess I'm just stuck in the old days of landlines. I don't have the problem with my cell phone. Thanks for the info

Re: I'M BLOCKING PHONE CALLS !!

chrystaltree — Fri, 28 Oct 2022 03:00:07 GMT

I just don't understand why people these calls and then have a conversation with the callers they don't want to talk to. It's that season when everyone, even when we aren't eligible for Medicare, gets those calls. I get them on my cell, I don't have a landline. If I don't recognize a number, I let it go to voice-mail. If I recognize it as one of those Medicare insurance callers, I terminate the call without answering. No point in blocking because they use different numbers. Never in a million years would I have a conversation with those people.

Re: I'M BLOCKING PHONE CALLS !!

Sooner — Fri, 28 Oct 2022 03:19:17 GMT

If you have someone in a care facility you simply can't block every call you don't know. Aids call, nurses call and there are people you don't know.

We don't answer calls that we know are bogus, but we can't just block all.