The latest Credit card scam

[Chef Duane]

I answer all spam calls. I just tell them "Please Hold" then put the phone down.

 

[DonTom]

In Reno, I get robo calls and scammer calls all day long, on most days. Makes me wonder why and how they can do it here in Auburn, CA but not in Reno, NV.

This must have changed in Reno in the last few weeks or so.

I never got any robocalls in Auburn, so whatever they did there, they must now be doing in Reno as well.

When I got back to Reno the other day, I noticed NO robo calls mentioned as "missed calls" on my telephone here. I usually see a bunch of them as "missed calls".

Has anybody else here noticed such a difference in the last few weeks or so?

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[RedForeman]

Has anybody else here noticed such a difference in the last few weeks or so?

I recall seeing some news not too long ago that the major phone carriers were implementing a tech solution to eliminate spoofed caller-ID. If the transmitted source number doesn't match what's on record, the call is dropped inside the network before your phone would even ring. Unfortunately that doesn't affect a lot of robo and spam calls using properly registered numbers. As much as everyone hates nuisance calls, most of the network providers make big bucks off the commercial subscribers generating those calls, and aren't in a hurry to interrupt their service.

I finally joined the 21st century and let my land line service go. I had kept it on for the longest for teleconferences with my really good Polycom desk phone. Bonus was cheap international calling, and that I have 3 antique dial phones around my house to confound guests with. We're on Xfinity/Comcast. They dropped pulse dial service several years ago, and I never got around to buying tone converters. Teleconferences these days are done on the computer or smart phone apps, using bluetooth audio devices. International rates on our cell provider have also diminished over the years. No more reasons to keep the land line, so I dropped it and recovered a square foot of my desktop removing the now inop Polycom.

 

[Firstime RVer]

I just let all our calls go to voice mail and return the one's I recognize. Most of the time the phone will ring 3 times and they hang up without leaving a message.
Every once in a while, If I do answer a call I ask who is calling and then hang up.

Safe travels and all the best.

 

[Kodiak34SS]

Has anybody else here noticed such a difference in the last few weeks or so?

It's hard to tell with the recent flurry of political campaign activity. Lots more calls and texts coming through. I don't answer them anyway.

 

[DonTom]

If the transmitted source number doesn't match what's on record, the call is dropped inside the network before your phone would even ring.

They must be doing that here. In Auburn, CA I never got a call that could be a robocall of any type. If that phone rings it is for me only. And now it looks like they did the same here in Reno.

Unfortunately that doesn't affect a lot of robo and spam calls using properly registered numbers.

I guess none of them have such registered numbers around here and Auburn, as it has worked 100% so far so my phone doesn't ring on any such call.

I am sure glad they took care of this issue here in Reno too.

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[DonTom]

It's hard to tell with the recent flurry of political campaign activity. Lots more calls and texts coming through. I don't answer them anyway.

I am not receiving the political calls at either location.

And my phones are working normally otherwise!

I never answered such either, but sometimes it was a hassle to stop to see who was calling. Such as when I am working on a motorcycle in the garage and need to stop to see who is calling. My phone would say "spam risk" on robo calls.

So the robocalls were always detected here, but only recently were stopped.

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[garyb1st]

Unless I'm expecting a call or the caller ID is one of my contacts, I don't answer the phone. They'll leave a message if important.

For the past year, I get at least 2 or 3 calls a week from a company called Health Net. They always leave a message for Bruce Morrison. I've called them at least 4 times to let them know that Bruce is not at this number. I have also asked that they correct their records. Nothing works. Blocking their number is a bit like what-a-mole.

 

[old RV guy]

I answer all spam calls. I just tell them "Please Hold" then put the phone down.

The bot on the other end doesn't care, it can't be bargained with, it can't be reasoned with, It doesn't feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And it absolutely will not stop....ever, until you are dead.

 

[jymbee]

Unless I'm expecting a call or the caller ID is one of my contacts, I don't answer the phone. They'll leave a message if important.

Simple, and effective.

 

[Chef Duane]

The bot on the other end doesn't care, it can't be bargained with, it can't be reasoned with, It doesn't feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And it absolutely will not stop....ever, until you are dead.

Typically after you say "Hello" the bot switches you over to a real person. That is when I tell them to hold. But your point is well taken.

 

[RedForeman]

They must be doing that here. In Auburn, CA I never got a call that could be a robocall of any type. If that phone rings it is for me only. And now it looks like they did the same here in Reno.

Possibly they're going a step further and using a database of known robocallers and filtering that out. Of course the risk to them is lawsuits for equal access. Services like nomorobo and the like offer services direct to the consumer, so the network provider isn't denying anyone access. I'm not being critical - it's very fortunate if one or both of your telcos is offering it. I surely won't be holding my breath for Xfinity or Verizon to do that.

When I said "registered" what I meant was: a phone number that is subscribed and trackable to an owner. That is, confirmed it is not faked.

 

[Chef Duane]

When I said "registered" what I meant was: a phone number that is subscribed and trackable to an owner. That is, confirmed it is not faked.

When people insist on my telephone number I usually give them 867-5309 and tell to ask for "Jenny."

 

[DonTom]

When people insist on my telephone number I usually give them 867-5309 and tell to ask for "Jenny."

 

[DonTom]

Possibly they're going a step further and using a database of known robocallers and filtering that out. Of course the risk to them is lawsuits for equal access.

I have no idea how or what they do, but the difference sure is obvious and it's a very nice change.

I think in Reno the Robocalls pissed off way too many people. That probably includes the people who can change this for all of Reno. A dozen robocalls here in one day would be around average. It's weird not to hear my phone ring like it used to.

BTW, I would sometimes turn my ringers off and just let it go to voicemail. I no longer need to do that.

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[cwilt]

When people insist on my telephone number I usually give them 867-5309 and tell to ask for "Jenny."

This brings back fond memories...



I’ve helped support a manufacturer’s equipment/software for close to 20 years now. This was the password they used for many years to gain access in the service functions of their software and firmware.



My work duties include talking customers through logging in and making changes. When I would give them the password, most would get it and say something funny. I was always surprised by those that didn’t get it.



Fun times.

 

[DonTom]

Here in Auburn, CA under Optium Cable landline telephone, I get NO robo calls. No scam calls, nothing other than legitimate phone calls to me.

The last time I was in Auburn, I was checking things in my router/cable modem combo (one unit) which is for telephone and cable internet.

It is NOT my router, but one from the cable company, Optima.

I discovered an interesting setting which explains things.

There was a setting in it for:

Allow Robo calls? Y/N. "No" was the default, which can be changed.

"top Robocalls Feature: Optimum Phone customers are automatically enrolled in the "Stop Robocalls" service, which uses a database to block known spam and telemarketing calls before they reach your phone. "

Perhaps others here can also turn off their robo calls.

I have not had even one robo call for years at either house, and here I have a different cable company (Spectrum).

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[whiteva]

If a caller is not in my contacts list? That call goes to voice mail. Cuts out 95% of spam calls.

 

[LarsMac]

My phone service is with Google Fi.
Their spam protection is Terrific. It has been a long time (about a year) since a spammer got through the screen.

 

[DonTom]

If a caller is not in my contacts list? That call goes to voice mail. Cuts out 95% of spam calls.

Yeah, there are other ways, if you do not mind going through a lot of voice mails with one spam after the other.

-Don- Reno, NV