Computer Crimes, Hacking Telephone scammers are making me crazy

[justblue]

Perhaps flyingron will let us know elsewhere

I'm currently on time out "elsewhere". I was a little...just a little mind you...out of line with that necroposter bakertaylor. I'm in the corner till the 20th.

 

[flyingron]

My disseminated phone number goes to a service called RING CENTRAL. It's designed for small businesses. If they pass the prompt it rings both my cell and the VOIP phone on my desk. So I know that if it doesn't bounce through RING CENTRAL it's either someone who legitimately had my cell (mostly friends who have it for texting) or spam.

I believe you can do the same thing with google voice.

 

[army judge]

HAR! No, the numbers are spoofed. Often they appear to come from the same exchange as my cell phone. I just don't answer these. I don't answer pretty much anything I don't recognize. Voice mail works fine.

NOMOROBO worked for a while, but now since they spoof the incoming it's near impossibe.

What does work is my phone now has a "Press 1 for Flying Ron" prompt. Most of the robospammers won't hear that nor press 1

We have Spectrum as an internet provider and their VoIP phone.
Spectrum has an excellent proprietary blocker.
Our home phone only allows those callers we add to our contacts to call us, all other calls never ring, nor do they go to voicemail.
We don't even know what numbers are blocked, but if one is curious, Spectrum offers you a way to see what scammers have been summarily blocked.

My mobile devices are protected by "Should I Answer", which only allows callers in my contacts to call me.

If a spammer or someone NOT in my contacts list tries to call, my device makes no noise, the unauthorized caller is simply intercepted and blocked, again the unauthorized caller never reaches my voicemail.

It is amazing, because the products do exactly what I wish them to do, stop unauthorized callers from bothering me.

My wife allows anyone to call her mobile device, but chooses to block most by using an algorithm and product offered by our provider, other callers she blocks as they ring.

Our mobile phone provider is AT&T.

There are choices out there that don't allow unwanted callers to leave voicemail messages.

I apply the same AUTHORIZED callers only to my text messages using an app named "TEXTRA". If you are unauthorized, your text will never reach my device.

My wife is curious and obsesses about each and every attempt to contact her, even on her personal devices. As a high school principal she has a district supplied mobile phone, where she gets calls from parents, district officials, teachers, universities, athletic officials, vendors, and staff.

These days you can enjoy peace and quiet, or "ding-a-ling ring ring ring" to your heart's content.

 

[Zigner]

I'm currently on time out "elsewhere". I was a little...just a little mind you...out of line with that necroposter bakertaylor. I'm in the corner till the 20th.

Ouch - I hate it when that happens - particularly when the poster deserves it

 

[justblue]

Ouch - I hate it when that happens - particularly when the poster deserves it

Mom is real serious about NOT using the f-bomb.

 

[Liane Bianco]

This is the first time you've said that]

Sorry, I thought I had.

90% of the calls are automated. The computer on the other end doesn't care if you blow a whistle.

There are humans on the other end. But thanks for your reply.

The inappropriately named "free phone" or "Obama phone" is meant to be used for PERSONAL communications, NOT business communications.

That's actually not true. I called Assurance to be sure and asked. I can use the phone for whatever I want, including freelancing, as long as I'm within their income guidelines. Hopefully, soon I won't be.

That said, I obviously asked my question in the wrong place. I can understand your condescending attitude towards me because I am using a government phone - 5 years ago I was the same way. But then I got cancer, insurance didn't cover all my expenses and my savings were eaten up. I'm doing my best to dig myself out of this hole. I'm not looking for your pity - like I said, I understand. If the same series of events happen to you, I hope people are a bit nicer about it.

Have a great day.

 

[Zigner]

I can understand your condescending attitude towards me because I am using a government phone ...

I don't believe that anyone presented a "condescending attitude".

 

[Liane Bianco]

My disseminated phone number goes to a service called RING CENTRAL. It's designed for small businesses. If they pass the prompt it rings both my cell and the VOIP phone on my desk. So I know that if it doesn't bounce through RING CENTRAL it's either someone who legitimately had my cell (mostly friends who have it for texting) or spam.

I believe you can do the same thing with google voice.

Thank you - I googled it and am on the site now, about to sign up for their free trial. Sounds like just what I need. Thanks very much!

 

[Liane Bianco]

Blow a whistle if it will make you feel better, but it won't change anything. It won't cause them to stop calling you, because they're robo calls that just dials every number in rotation. They haven't singled your number out; it was just the next number on the computer-generated list, and it will be the next number on another computer-generated list whether you blow a whistle or not. So do whatever floats your boat; just don't expect anything to be different once the boat has floated.

Thank you.

 

[Zigner]

That's actually not true. I called Assurance to be sure and asked. I can use the phone for whatever I want, including freelancing, as long as I'm within their income guidelines.

And that is actually not true:

Assurance Wireless - Terms and Conditions for Lifeline

Permitted and Non-Permissible Uses: You may use our network for: live voice calls for personal use, messaging and data (web, email, file transfer, apps, social media, gaming, streaming content). You are not permitted to use your device or services, including unlimited, in a way that: (1) is fraudulent, unlawful, infringes on intellectual property rights, harms or unduly interferes with the use of our network or systems or other parties' resources; (2) uses services for commercial use (monitoring, telemarketing, auto dialed calls, unauthorized marketing, connections consisting of uninterrupted live dialogue between people; (3) with devices that are incompatible with our network (that will be blocked); and (4) is contrary to our customers' or network interests.

(Emphasis added)

 

[justblue]

That's actually not true. I called Assurance to be sure and asked. I can use the phone for whatever I want, including freelancing, as long as I'm within their income guidelines. Hopefully, soon I won't be.

That said, I obviously asked my question in the wrong place. I can understand your condescending attitude towards me because I am using a government phone - 5 years ago I was the same way. But then I got cancer, insurance didn't cover all my expenses and my savings were eaten up. I'm doing my best to dig myself out of this hole. I'm not looking for your pity - like I said, I understand. If the same series of events happen to you, I hope people are a bit nicer about it.

Have a great day.

Excuse me! I was quite nice to you.