Community Chat

[WenGirl42]

Everyone recommending getting rid of landlines to solve this problem is hastening us to the point where cell phones become subject to this constant harrassment as well.  It's already starting, and it's only a matter of time before it becomes as pervasive.

[vermint]

@ID2

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@ID2 wrote:

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A few simple words of recommendation.......GET RID OF YOU LANDLINE PHONE!! Once I dumped my landline phone, many years ago, I got rid of ALL unwanted calls! I honestly get NONE now. 

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Not all of us CAN get rid of our landlines! We live in a rural area, and while cell coverage is better than it used to be...it's still not reliable all the time. It's only been in the last couple of years that we could get cell calls at all!

Oh, and we DO get junk calls on our cell phones...as others here have mentioned they do as well.

[KathyPet]

As I said the Social Security Admin sells information from their database to outside vendors.  COmpanies purchase lists of people who will be 65 within the next year and uses that information to start soliciting them to purchase supplemental Medicare insurance.  WAnt to know how they got your husband's information?  THey got it from your friends in the SSA.

[TX-starlight]

Same thing going on with me. What ever you do, when they ask a "yes/no" question, NEVER, NEVER say yes. Even if they ask if this is you speaking. I always ask who's calling, WHEN/IF I even answer. On my landline, I do not answer at all, unless i know the name or number calling. On my cell, same thing, if it is a number I don't know, it gets blocked. This is SO annoying. I bet both phones get close to 20 calls a day.

[Carmie]

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@KathyPet wrote:

As I said the Social Security Admin sells information from their database to outside vendors.  COmpanies purchase lists of people who will be 65 within the next year and uses that information to start soliciting them to purchase supplemental Medicare insurance.  WAnt to know how they got your husband's information?  THey got it from your friends in the SSA.

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My DH is not collecting SS.  They would not even have his phone number to even give out.

[software]

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@ID2 wrote:

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@Carmie wrote:

My DH will be 65 in February.  It is too early for him to sign up for Medicare, but apparently not too early for the solicitations to have begun.

For the past two months, our phone has been ringing off of the hook for callers claiming to be from Medicare and those who admit to being brokers selling supplements and Advantage Plans.

We have an unlisted number and are on the Do Not Call List and it is illegal for insurance companies to cold call anyone to sell them insurance,

i have blocked the numbers, but they call again on a different extension. I block that number too.  My phone rings once for each blocked call, annoying me.

This week i answered a few calls and gave the caller a piece of my mind and asked them not to call.  The next day, they called again.

Today, I received seven calls from different numbers in about an hour.  Some called back a couple of times within that hour after their number was blocked.

Having had enough, I called the Federal Trade Commission.  They took my info and the numbers and entered them into their data base.  I looked at their website too.  There is a lot of information there that was helpful about illegal trade practices and fraud by phone.

i have no idea how these people got our phone number.  They know my DH's age and name, so they are getting this info somewhere.  

i will be 65 fifteen months after him.... Oh my!  I can't imagine even going through this all over again,

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A few simple words of recommendation.......GET RID OF YOU LANDLINE PHONE!! Once I dumped my landline phone, many years ago, I got rid of ALL unwanted calls! I honestly get NONE now. 

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I get 3-4 unwanted calls on my Cell phone PER DAY.

I got 2 from the "IRS" in one day.

scams

I don't answer and I can block

[software]

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@Carmie wrote:

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@KathyPet wrote:

As I said the Social Security Admin sells information from their database to outside vendors.  COmpanies purchase lists of people who will be 65 within the next year and uses that information to start soliciting them to purchase supplemental Medicare insurance.  WAnt to know how they got your husband's information?  THey got it from your friends in the SSA.

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My DH is not collecting SS.  They would not even have his phone number to even give out.

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They may not have his phone number but they have everything else.   Phone number is not that hard to get.

[Cakers3]

We also have not had a landline in years but I do undersand the need for one for some people, especially where cell service is spotty.

DH has more arrest warrants out for him from the IRS than we can count.  LOL

I get some calls but only a few where a message is left and even then nothing is said-just some noise or unintellible voice sounds.

He receives more than I do.  I have a different ring tone for all my contacts from family to doctors.  That way as soon as I hear the standard tone I know I don't have to bother even looking at my cell.

One thing I found out about the Do Not Call registry is that they only block legitimate callers from real companies.  Unless that has changed?

[Cakers3]

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@Carmie wrote:

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@KathyPet wrote:

As I said the Social Security Admin sells information from their database to outside vendors.  COmpanies purchase lists of people who will be 65 within the next year and uses that information to start soliciting them to purchase supplemental Medicare insurance.  WAnt to know how they got your husband's information?  THey got it from your friends in the SSA.

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My DH is not collecting SS.  They would not even have his phone number to even give out.

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@Carmie  It doesn't matter if he is not collecting.  He still has an SS# and I am assuming he pays into SS and you file taxes.

Anybody who thinks a phone number, even an unlisted/unpublished one, cannot be found is incorrect.

Nothing, and I mean nothing, is private today.

[Spurt]

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@hoosieroriginal wrote:

I think you did the right thing - we need to stand up for ourselves and the nonsense that is thrust upon us all the time with these robocalls.  Next one that calls, tell them you are reporting them immediately - bet the calls stop.  This is why I just have a cell phone.  I received not one call from insurance companies this year. 

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@hoosieroriginal

I have both a landline and smart phone and I get these solicitations on BOTH and block the numbers..... In addition to do not call lists for both state and federal, there was also another opt out list for insurance and credit cards that I registered my numbers but that also did no good!!!  And some are robo calls, but some of these are live agents leaving a message--some local.  I don't answer but if I did I want to tell them, "why would I want to do business with a company that doesnt follow the law and honor do not call/solicit lists, what kind of company are you!!!"