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thucythucy

(7,983 posts)
Fri Nov 1, 2019, 04:10 PM Nov 2019

Silly question about nuisance calls.

These past months I've been receiving more and more calls (on my landline) that are obviously nuisance calls, but I can't figure out what the scam is. The phone rings, my caller ID clicks up generally a geographic location "Fort Worth, Texas." Sometimes there's a number, but usually a city and state. Those times I pick up I get nothing--not a sound, until a minute or so I get a rapid busy signal until I hang up. I don't usually answer now until I recognize the name or number (business stuff comes through the cell) but then my voice mail fills up with lots of these "missed" calls.

What's the deal with this? One friend tells me it's a scam to get people to call back, which somehow costs me and benefits them, though I don't see how. Another says it's a robo call and I hear nothing because all the other humans in the room are busy, and it's essentially putting me on hold until a salesperson/con artist is available. But that's not what usually happens, instead it's like I said: dead air, rapid busy signal, dial tone. One of my more conspiracy oriented friends says it's a way for credit card scammers to get a recording of my voice (the idea being that I'll say something like, "Hello, who is this?&quot and then they'll use the recording to somehow access one of my accounts.

Anyone have experience with this, and know why this is happening? Anyone know how I might put an end to it? (And yes, I'm already on the "do not call" list).

Thanks and best wishes to all--

Thucythucy

8 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Silly question about nuisance calls. (Original Post) thucythucy Nov 2019 OP
They dial 100 numbers at a time. Chipper Chat Nov 2019 #1
Okay that makes sense. thucythucy Nov 2019 #3
On my cell I do get quick hangups which I think are to stimulate call backs. braddy Nov 2019 #2
When I get a call on my landline and I don't recognize the number or there's not a valid number abqtommy Nov 2019 #4
Look into this nykym Nov 2019 #5
I just bought new landline phones SonofDonald Nov 2019 #6
Since you have a "land line" I think you can report that to whatever phone company you have MatthewHatesTrump2 Nov 2019 #7
Thanks! nt thucythucy Nov 2019 #8

thucythucy

(7,983 posts)
3. Okay that makes sense.
Fri Nov 1, 2019, 04:23 PM
Nov 2019

Last edited Mon Nov 11, 2019, 04:26 PM - Edit history (1)

Damn irritating though. I work at home and sometimes get three or more calls an hour. Just another way corporate greed heads are screwing with our lives.

Personally I'd like to see this practice banned as a nuisance, but I doubt it'll happen anytime soon.

Thanks for the explanation.

abqtommy

(14,118 posts)
4. When I get a call on my landline and I don't recognize the number or there's not a valid number
Fri Nov 1, 2019, 04:25 PM
Nov 2019

I don't answer and let it go to voicemail. If they leave a voicemail I'll listen to it but in most cases there's
no voicemail so no problem. I delete the number/call. I don't get calls on my cell since the only thing I use it for is to stay in contact with my son at home. I've never activated my cell's voicemail function so no problems there either. All this works for me.

SonofDonald

(2,050 posts)
6. I just bought new landline phones
Fri Nov 1, 2019, 05:15 PM
Nov 2019

That have a block function, if they don't leave a message I block them after two calls

If it's an obvious scam I block them right off the bat, or a caller I don't need to listen to due to the caller ID

there was a scammer that used four different phone numbers with the same caller ID and I had to block each in turn

My phone will only ring once if they try again

In a nearby town I found out there was a call center? that calls my cellphone constantly with the same area code and prefix from the same location but never leaves a message

I have around 120 numbers from that place blocked by now

It never ends

MatthewHatesTrump2

(915 posts)
7. Since you have a "land line" I think you can report that to whatever phone company you have
Fri Nov 1, 2019, 06:58 PM
Nov 2019

as an "Annoyance Call"and they might be able to do something about it.

In California, where I live, if someone calls you twice in a 2 week span, they can track them down.
1st you should call your phone company & ask if they have an "Annoyance Call" department.
If they do, they might tell you to call your local police dept.to get an "incident number" and then call the phone company back and give them the incident number.
We did that once after getting many "wrong number" calls, (before we had Caller ID), and the police put a trap on our line which resulted in them discovering who it was who was deliberately making "wrong number" calls to our house.

Hope this helps.

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