topic Re: Telemarketer phone call yesterday.. question about in Community Chat

Telemarketer phone call yesterday.. question about

June222 — Tue, 10 Nov 2015 14:15:48 GMT

I had a 518 area code number call three times yesterday... I would pick it up the phone, and it would then hang up on me. I did a reverse look up and it said it was a telemarketer.... But Why would a telemarketer hang up on you if you pick up?

Normally I do just not answer, but, I thought this one I would because of the hang up the first time. any idea why the hang up so many times?

Re: Telemarketer phone call yesterday.. question about

Mominohio — Tue, 10 Nov 2015 14:21:31 GMT

I was told years ago that often numbers are auto dialed and sometimes the first ( or first so many numbers) that actually answer are who they hook to and talk to, and the rest get dropped.

Don't know if that is true but what I had been told.

Re: Telemarketer phone call yesterday.. question about

kdgn — Tue, 10 Nov 2015 14:21:47 GMT

@June222 wrote:
I had a 518 area code number call three times yesterday... I would pick it up the phone, and it would then hang up on me. I did a reverse look up and it said it was a telemarketer.... But Why would a telemarketer hang up on you if you pick up?

Normally I do just not answer, but, I thought this one I would because of the hang up the first time. any idea why the hang up so many times?

By picking up the phone you have alerted the computer system that your phone number is active, it belongs to a real household. Whoever is running the system can now sell your phone number to telemarketers.

Re: Telemarketer phone call yesterday.. question about

curlywhitedog — Tue, 10 Nov 2015 14:25:04 GMT

@June222 wrote:
I had a 518 area code number call three times yesterday... I would pick it up the phone, and it would then hang up on me. I did a reverse look up and it said it was a telemarketer.... But Why would a telemarketer hang up on you if you pick up?

Normally I do just not answer, but, I thought this one I would because of the hang up the first time. any idea why the hang up so many times?

This is purely speculation but I have heard of phone scammers who call and ring once or call and hang up, either way prompting you to call them back. The phone call you make may actually be routed to a place where the cost of a call might be exhorbitant. I have gotten these calls as well, some on my land land and some on my cell but the one thing I NEVER ever do is call back.

Maria

Re: Telemarketer phone call yesterday.. question about

dooBdoo — Tue, 10 Nov 2015 14:26:13 GMT

@kdgn wrote:
@June222 wrote:
I had a 518 area code number call three times yesterday... I would pick it up the phone, and it would then hang up on me. I did a reverse look up and it said it was a telemarketer.... But Why would a telemarketer hang up on you if you pick up?

Normally I do just not answer, but, I thought this one I would because of the hang up the first time. any idea why the hang up so many times?
By picking up the phone you have alerted the computer system that your phone number is active, it belongs to a real household. Whoever is running the system can now sell your phone number to telemarketers.

That's exactly what happens, @kdgn. It's not a reputable organization calling, it's affiliated with one of the ubiquitous scammers who only want someone to pick up the phone so they then can add the phone number to a list of "live" numbers. And the list will be shared and sold. That's why security advisors tell us not to even pick up the phone, much less engage unsoliciated callers.

Re: Telemarketer phone call yesterday.. question about

dooBdoo — Tue, 10 Nov 2015 14:29:07 GMT

@curlywhitedog wrote:
@June222 wrote:
I had a 518 area code number call three times yesterday... I would pick it up the phone, and it would then hang up on me. I did a reverse look up and it said it was a telemarketer.... But Why would a telemarketer hang up on you if you pick up?

Normally I do just not answer, but, I thought this one I would because of the hang up the first time. any idea why the hang up so many times?

This is purely speculation but I have heard of phone scammers who call and ring once or call and hang up, either way prompting you to call them back. The phone call you make may actually be routed to a place where the cost of a call might be exhorbitant. I have gotten these calls as well, some on my land land and some on my cell but the one thing I NEVER ever do is call back.

Maria

@curlywhitedog, You're right about some of the calls to cell phones. I'd have to look for articles about this, but in some cases calls from certain area codes (outside the USA) will actually add charges to our phone bill -- if I remember correctly, just answering the call can cause a problem. It's never wise to call them back.

Re: Telemarketer phone call yesterday.. question about

maryebrown — Tue, 10 Nov 2015 14:30:25 GMT

It gets worse when the Election Season starts.

Re: Telemarketer phone call yesterday.. question about

June222 — Tue, 10 Nov 2015 14:32:33 GMT

Thanks for all the information...interesting.

Re: Telemarketer phone call yesterday.. question about

dooBdoo — Tue, 10 Nov 2015 14:33:52 GMT

This is what I was thinking of:

"'One Ring' Wireless Phone Scam

The FCC has recently learned of a new phone scam targeting wireless consumers.

Some wireless consumers are receiving calls from phone numbers with three-digit area codes that appear to be domestic, but are actually associated with international pay-per-call phone numbers. These calls often disconnect after one ring, not giving the consumer time to answer the call and tempting them to return the call. If you receive a call like this and do not recognize the number of the incoming call, do not return the call.

If you return the phone call, you may be connected to an international hotline than can charge a fee just for connecting, along with significant per-minute fees if they can keep you on the phone. These charges may show up on your bill as premium services.

This scam appears to be a variation of an old long distance phone scam that tricks consumers into receiving high charges on their phone bills. In the past, telephone consumers have been fooled into making expensive international calls by scam artists who leave messages on consumers' answering machines or their email accounts. The messages urge consumers to call a number with an "809," "284," "876" or some other area code to collect a prize, find out about a sick relative, or engage in s-x talk.

How the Scam Works

Your wireless phone rings once or twice and then disconnects the call. When the number appears in your wireless phone log as a missed call, it appears to be a typical domestic telephone number; or you get an email or voicemail telling you to call a phone number with an "809", "284", "876" or some other three-digit international area code.

When you return the call, you assume you are making a domestic long distance call – as "649," "809," "284," "876" and other area codes involved in this scam, appear to be typical three-digit U.S. area codes. When you dial the three-digit area code plus the number, however, you are connected to a phone number outside the United States, often in Canada or the Caribbean, and are charged expensive international call rates, and may be charged for pay-per-call services as well. (For example, "649" goes to the Turks and Caicos, "809" goes to the Dominican Republic, "284" goes to the British Virgin Islands, and "876" goes to Jamaica.)

You don't find out about the higher international call rates until you receive your phone bill.

More at safe link: https://www.fcc.gov/guides/one-ring-wireless-phone-scam

Re: Telemarketer phone call yesterday.. question about

silkyk — Tue, 10 Nov 2015 15:30:34 GMT

Just set your answering machine to 3 rings and NEVER answer it again.(unless you can see on id that it IS someone you want to speak with) Tell all your family/friends to wait and then talk and you will answer if home. This way the telejerks can call and call and after a while they give up. Works for us! OH and leave the generic answering man that comes with the machine as your answerer. That way they have no idea who lives there and they know that generic "voice" and what it means. If you answer they know they have a "live one" that WILL answer the phone....they live for that! And yes they call a bunch of numbers all at once and if someone answers they hang up on all the other calls. And then call back again. So darn annoying.

Re: Telemarketer phone call yesterday.. question about

LTT1 — Tue, 10 Nov 2015 15:37:58 GMT

@June222@silkyk@dooBdoo@maryebrown@curlywhitedog

I like all of these suggestions...

However, a question?

not to scare anyone, but could it be someone calling to see if people are home and at what times (landlines)?

We registered our phones with the National Do Not Call register... for all this helps. We assume the land line is being called by political orgs b/c these are the only entities that are allowed to call if you are registered. Most of these calls leave long extended messages.

So the calls we are getting now, when no message is left, have been getting more numerous and they are bothersome.

Re: Telemarketer phone call yesterday.. question about

Nightowlz — Tue, 10 Nov 2015 15:46:00 GMT

I cannot believe all the people that actually call back a number they have no idea who it is. I have never done that. Who cares who it is. If I don't recognize the number I don't answer. You can Google the number & generally find out who the caller is by clicking on 800notes or whocallsme. The blood institute keeps calling here plus a bunch of other yahoos. I turned off my answering machine & seem to get less calls. The calls seem to come in spurts & then slow down. I turn the ringer on the phone off when we go to back so they cannot wake us up.

Re: Telemarketer phone call yesterday.. question about

dooBdoo — Tue, 10 Nov 2015 15:51:37 GMT

@LTT1 wrote:
@June222 @silkyk @dooBdoo @maryebrown @curlywhitedog

I like all of these suggestions...
However, a question?
not to scare anyone, but could it be someone calling to see if people are home and at what times (landlines)?

We registered our phones with the National Do Not Call register... for all this helps. We assume the land line is being called by political orgs b/c these are the only entities that are allowed to call if you are registered. Most of these calls leave long extended messages.

So the calls we are getting now, when no message is left, have been getting more numerous and they are bothersome.

Hi, @LTT1. I think it helps to keep in mind that the DNC registry only works with reputable companies. It also doesn't protect us from political calls or certain charities or exempt surveys, or from companies we knowingly or unknowingly agreed to receive calls from (the fine print on websites, contests, etc., sometimes includes an agreement to accept phone calls, for example). So it's still worth it to register, but as we all know it doesn't stop all the unwanted calls.

Just my opinion, but I don't think the calls are trying to determine when someone is or isn't home. I say that because the proliferation of answering devices, call blockers, and systems to forward calls to a different phone which might be in a completely different location have changed things to such an extent that it would be very difficult to pinpoint which calls really did find a pattern -- and it would take a lot of technically sophisticated calls to even attempt to determine that. Interesting question, though.

Re: Telemarketer phone call yesterday.. question about

LTT1 — Tue, 10 Nov 2015 15:56:25 GMT

@dooBdoo@Nightowlz

Thank you for the information.

We used to keep our landline on silent ringer, but now it is on due to a family "situation." That should be a moot point pretty soon, tho.

We did get curious about the cell phone calls from strange area codes. My phone gave the info as someone calling from a nearby municipality, so I returned the call. Nobody answered! LOL (but they may have sold my #)

Since we ignore the few calls we get on our cell phones that are unknown, these calls (twice daily) have stopped.

Good info... we're not answering!

Re: Telemarketer phone call yesterday.. question about

curlywhitedog — Tue, 10 Nov 2015 15:59:22 GMT

@LTT1 wrote:
@June222 @silkyk @dooBdoo @maryebrown @curlywhitedog

I like all of these suggestions...
However, a question?
not to scare anyone, but could it be someone calling to see if people are home and at what times (landlines)?

I suppose it could be the case, lovestoteach, but the likely hood of that being the case is not high enough for it to cause me to start answering telemarketing calls of which I can field a half a dozen or more every day (thank goodness for my call blocker).

Anyone who wants to check out my house when I'm not home is going to have to get past my security system and curlywhitedog. Lots of luck with either.

Maria

Re: Telemarketer phone call yesterday.. question about

60sgirl — Tue, 10 Nov 2015 16:04:52 GMT

looking up cell phone numbers on google has only gotten me information as to the location i.e, from what city that call was made, however, if I use my cell phone while traveling and I am in another state, looking up my cell phone number might tell you the location of where the tower is generating my phone's power but it doesn't tell you that I was in a different state when I made the call.,

I don't answer strange numbers either but this leads to other problems too. When I am waiting for a contractor to call me about a job I want done, or a carpet installer might call to tell you when they are coming, numbers you don't know, you don't pick up the phone, miss the call, and either listen to see if they left a voicemail and try to play catch up at that point, or they don't leave a message for whatever reason and you end up having someone arrive at a time when you are not at home. I was told recently that I will get a call from a technician in about a week who is going to start a remodel job in my house and that person will let me know the date he can come. I won't know the phone number because the company employs lots of people so they don't know who will be calling you. If I miss the call and can't reach that person right away, my job could get delayed because they gave away that date to another customer.

Trying to out-trick tricksters on the internet, cell phones, and all the other tech stuff we use these days can be a real PITA.

Re: Telemarketer phone call yesterday.. question about

maryebrown — Tue, 10 Nov 2015 16:15:12 GMT

If I don't recognize the number, I don't answer it. I dumped my landline 3 years ago, so my cell phone is my home # and it is unlisted. I google the number and if it's legit I call them back. I do not have voice mail on my cell, I would get charged minutes for looking (Nokia tracfone).

Re: Telemarketer phone call yesterday.. question about

curlywhitedog — Tue, 10 Nov 2015 17:31:55 GMT

@maryebrown wrote:
If I don't recognize the number, I don't answer it. I dumped my landline 3 years ago, so my cell phone is my home # and it is unlisted. I google the number and if it's legit I call them back. I do not have voice mail on my cell, I would get charged minutes for looking (Nokia tracfone).

I totally agree with not answering a number I don't recognize, as a matter of fact, first thing I do when a strange number appears on my caller ID is to hit call block which disconnects the call and gives the calling party a dial tone. Next thing is I Google the number to find out who it was. Only once in a year and a half have I ever had to re-instate a number that called and was blocked.

I've been thinking of getting rid of my land line but it's so hard to cut that umbilical. My number (landline) is also unlisted but that doesn't deter robo-dialing which works on a progressive pattern of numbers, i.e., 555-0000 and then onto to 555-0001. It's all automated now.

Maria

Re: Telemarketer phone call yesterday.. question about

Nightowlz — Tue, 10 Nov 2015 18:22:12 GMT

@curlywhitedog wrote:
@maryebrown wrote:
If I don't recognize the number, I don't answer it. I dumped my landline 3 years ago, so my cell phone is my home # and it is unlisted. I google the number and if it's legit I call them back. I do not have voice mail on my cell, I would get charged minutes for looking (Nokia tracfone).

I totally agree with not answering a number I don't recognize, as a matter of fact, first thing I do when a strange number appears on my caller ID is to hit call block which disconnects the call and gives the calling party a dial tone. Next thing is I Google the number to find out who it was. Only once in a year and a half have I ever had to re-instate a number that called and was blocked.

I've been thinking of getting rid of my land line but it's so hard to cut that umbilical. My number (landline) is also unlisted but that doesn't deter robo-dialing which works on a progressive pattern of numbers, i.e., 555-0000 and then onto to 555-0001. It's all automated now.

Maria

We have been debating on getting rid of our home phone also. We have had the same number for 40 yrs. I need a new phone. I don't like the DECT 6.0 technology phones because they emit radiation 24/7 where a regular cordless phone only emits it while you are using it. When I use my cellphone I use speakerphone as I do with my home phone.

Re: Telemarketer phone call yesterday.. question about

2blonde — Tue, 10 Nov 2015 20:04:57 GMT

If you have AT&T U-verse as your telephone provider you can sign up for Nomorobo. It stops all robo calls after the first ring. You go to the Nomorobo website and it will tell you what to do there, then it gives you directions on how to set it up on your AT&T account online. It was pretty easy, and I couldn't believe it when it started working! There may be more phone carriers with it by now, so you'll need to check. I actually found out about it from someone on these boards. BTW, it's totally free!