BEWARE PHONE SCAMS -

[ShadowsPapa]

BEWARE OF PHONE SCAMS!
I have received more than 12 - yes, I lost count at 12, 3 just came in minutes ago. The numbers range from [insert name of small African country here] to Brithish Virgin Islands, to places I didn't even bother to look up. And guess what - Barbara isn't far behind. She has received 9 up to this point.
Three of the calls to my phone came within 5 minutes of each other, 2 weren't even a minute apart.
Why are they calling? Easy - ring and cut. They want you to think you are getting an important call from overseas and since you are getting more than one - it must be VERY important! So they hope you are curious or worried and call that number back!
And if you do - they gotcha - money-wise, that is. These are "pay-per-call" numbers. Some rack up charges in the range of $25/minute. Yes, that's right. If you stay on the line 5 minutes you will have a bill for over 100 bucks!!
The other end will answer and appear to put you on hold or a party will answer and pretend to speak broken English or pretend to not understand you - all to keep you on the line.
Who benefits? The person running the calling system (typically robo-call but not always) and the small phone company in the case of those tiny African nations - those phone companies make no money there, are barely afloat and do this to generate revenue. It's a scam - but, we are powerless because they are not US-based callers and are in countries we have no agreements with on this sort of scam. Our laws don't apply.
So if you see missed calls - especially that are from over-seas or appear fishy, do NOT call them back.
My motto - if someone calls my phone and really wants to talk - they'll leave a message. If they don't, then obviously it's not important.
I as a matter of habit and safety do not answer calls if the number is not in my contact list. Again, leave a message.
If it's not some African scammer or BVI pay per call scam, it's likely trying to sell "extended auto warranties (another big bucks maker for the callers) or insurance (I have all I need and work only with TRUSTED people I KNOW on insurance so don't even bother!)
As for the rest of the day - to avoid the constant wondering - my phone is OFF, turned clear OFF - not down, not muted, not on vibrate only, but OFF.
What's left of my family knows ways to reach me if necessary.
Anyway, to summarize - if you get a bunch of calls - or even just one - from a number you do not know, a non-US country code, or even one that doesn't show a non-US country code (British Virgin Islands?) They won't give you a chance to answer - ring and cut - they want YOU to call them - do not!

Some phones, like the iPhone for example, may have the option to block calls from unknown callers, or at least silence them - that's another way to stop the annoying A-holes scamming people (often elderly or low income or those who DO have family or friends off-shore get caught up in these things)

I don't know what's going on, why today, all of a sudden, there's a rash of these things, I mean by the dozen and then some, call after call, and not all from the same non-US location, but apparently some kid with a server and a few modems has gotten contracted to make some money.

Sponsored

 

[MrFahrenheit]

Yeah, I just have silence unknown callers setup on my iPhone:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT207099

Enabling that feature will make your phone not even ring/vibrate if it’s from a number not in your contact list. You Just get the missed call and VM notifications. What’s nice about the iPhone’s feature is that if I called that number first, even if it’s not in my contact list, it will ring through still as it knows you may want to take that call.

If that unknown number is someone I need to talk To, the dealership let’s say, they will leave a voicemail. Otherwise it wasn’t important.

Android has some similar feature but I’m not sure on the specifics.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.businessinsider.com/how-to-block-unknown-numbers-android?amp

 

[punk'n]

I do not answer any phone calls that I do not recognize. And, if I don't recognize your number and you do not leave a message, you get blocked via the phone block setting. I never call you back. This has cut down on a ton of BS calls.

However, blocking callers did not automatically block those scammers that use text once you block them (I switch my house phone to a cell phone a year ago. That dropped my bill to $8 a month before taxes. I can block calls but not texts on it.) I did have fun with one group who sent numerous texts. I called them (something like 116 times in 25 minutes) to tie up their line. They finally asked me to stop and they stopped the texting they sent to me.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Yeah, I just have silence unknown callers setup on my iPhone:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT207099

Enabling that feature will make your phone not even ring/vibrate if it’s from a number not in your contact list. You Just get the missed call and VM notifications. What’s nice about the iPhone’s feature is that if I called that number first, even if it’s not in my contact list, it will ring through still as it knows you may want to take that call.

If that unknown number is someone I need to talk To, the dealership let’s say, they will leave a voicemail. Otherwise it wasn’t important.

Android has some similar feature but I’m not sure on the specifics.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.businessinsider.com/how-to-block-unknown-numbers-android?amp

Some Android features vary by phone, some by provider, some by both.............. unless it came in on a recent update, there wasn't such a feature as of last year. But then, there's been an update or two since then.

What I can't figure is why so many in a row, why today. Not even from the same country so that is weird as well. Of course one entity could be covering it for multiple locations or multiple underworld businesses.

 

[IrishRob]

As well as your phone instrument, your carrier (eg Verizon) will also have a call blocker you can turn on from your account. Double up. And then there’s also NoMoRobo.

 

[saintpauljeff]

They want you to think you are getting an important call from overseas and since you are getting more than one - it must be VERY important! So they hope you are curious or worried and call that number back!

is this a problem for some people? I get that it varies by person, but I basically don't have a need to call an international number ever, unless it was related to some upcoming travel

 

[ShadowsPapa]

As well as your phone instrument, your carrier (eg Verizon) will also have a call blocker you can turn on from your account. Double up. And then there’s also NoMoRobo.

SOME carriers do - not all. Verizon, AT&T for example don't even work where we live. Iowa has limited cell coverage. Verizon doesn't work in the middle of Mason City, Iowa, for example, we are out in the sticks.
My phone now has the feature to not ring through any calls not in the contact list so I've had to enable that.

My point wasn't "how do you block these" it's more like "if you see them, don't ever respond".
I know calls can be blocked by various means and third party paid software add-ons.
I was also more wondering - what the heck SUDDENLY happened that we go years with only "spam" calls selling extended warranties or selling insurance - to dozens a day from scammers.

Both of our phones are today again showing multiple missed calls so it's a good thing I've blocked calls from coming through or it would be ringing like crazy again today.
Not nearly as bad as yesterday, but enough.
What the heck happened out there.

I found another issue when I started looking up phone numbers, including my own -
A bunch of a-holes running "clustrmaps" dot com had my number listed under 3 other people in various locations. I kept wondering why I was getting texts for "DeWayne", Daniel and a couple of other names.
And that outfit isn't east to contact so I smacked them on their fakebook page and told them their "multiple checks for accuracy" was a total cluster as I am not nor have I ever been called "DeWayne" or Daniel or Douglass or any of the other names they had me under and I've had my number for over 2 decades. Those calls have lessened in numbers since I made them remove my number from their listings (I've had this phone number since about 1995!!!) but that's another reason people get bad calls and texts. These outfits that monetize listings and don't bother using good info put your number out there connected to multiple names and locations. There's other such sites because there's so much money in that these days - and they hide themselves well making it very hard to contact them for corrections. They don't want corrections as it loses them clicks and money.
But once I told clustrmaps that indeed they were a cluster of another sort on fakebook, LOL - they quickly apologized and at least for now, I shouldn't get any more idiots calling and saying "Douglass? Is that you?" Sort of funny - obviously the Democrat party uses clustrmaps as it was them I was getting texts every week during primary season telling me how to vote and calling me DeWayne, Douglass, Daniel and one or two other names. clustr was the only source I found with my number connected to those names so I advised them nicely they should use better info.
That's fine - but I wish they would please use accurate information if they wish to speak with me about that.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

is this a problem for some people? I get that it varies by person, but I basically don't have a need to call an international number ever, unless it was related to some upcoming travel

Yes, it's a huge problem for some people based on their jobs or their family situation.
There are plenty of business people who do international business and daily get calls from outside of the U.S. I used to work for a large multi-national - actually, twice I worked for such global companies and it was common to get calls from Russia, Ukraine, certain African companies, Australia, Chile, Brazil, etc. so it absolutely is an issue for some.
If I was still working for CCC or PFG, I'd be dealing with international calls on a daily basis today.

I sort of miss working for those companies - dealing with people around the globe was interesting, educational, and sometimes fun. Especially working with Aussies- GREAT people to work with, the people in our Chile office were very nice, too but going through interpreters took some doing.
I had to memorize some country codes when my son isn't in the states with his family. Korea, China, Japan, for example.
When I worked for state government I ignored any call not in an Iowa area code as when you are in government, you are a target, even spear phishing was an issue as far as email.

These days if it's not (+1) I ignore it as my son let's me know when they leave the country (well, usually....)

The carriers CAN block spoofed numbers, etc. - but it takes their resources so they choose not to.

Sponsored