I have experienced the same harassment as reported by the previous phone customers. I live in California.
The subject phone number is listed below.
This started, with me, all at once. This leads me to believe that phone number lists are sold and distributed rapidly. This is the same as phishing on a computer. They find out if a phone works and attempt to get information under the ruse of a request.
The phone companies are making millions of dollars from their blocked and unblocked toll free numbers and you can’t identify the actual name of the number holder as it is kept confidential by the company. Apparently there’s too much money to be lost if the bad numbers were turned off. My major phone company, AT&T, has written to me that they do not investigate “these types of calls” “collection or telemarketing are not illegal”.
The Telemarketers are using old phone lists. They use the name of my deceased father who has been gone for 32 years; many phone and state that the e-mail from “(father’s name) @reborn.net” appears on their request. The name on the account was discontinued over 13 years ago. I normally have a very quiet phone with only a few calls a week.
I started receiving these calls for my deceased father on 7-30-08 and have received many, many calls ever since, at all hours, seven days a week. Many Telemarketers have called with the same pretext. "We are returning a request so the "Do not call list" doesn't apply to me." many different numbers call.
Since 8-6-08, when I had caller ID and privacy manager installed I have received the following phone calls with hang ups or weird theatrics such as the same person imitating various ethnic accents:
800-809-8813 “US Medical Supply” &-30-08 at 7am with numerous names given on 7-30&31-08, this started the chain. 5x
866-852-2520 ”Lasic Vision Institute” which is/was located in Rancho Cordova, “Real Corp”. 3x
866-583-1670 A.I.G “American International- Long Term Care Insurance Group”. 3 x
866-480-0048 “Voicelink” phone service plus a package was received two days later, addressed to my deceased father, via U.S. mail marked “Invoice”. The package was returned to the mail unopened and marked “Wrong Address”. I expect the bill collector ruse to be used next.
The following are from my caller ID with hang ups on the answering machine:
800-259-7317 3x – “800 Services”
800-519-7502 12x – “800 Services”
800-258-7317 11x – “800 Services”
800-584-4150 2 x – “800 Services”
866-583-1670 – “800 Services”
800-259-1317 – “800 Services”
800-927-1235 2x – “800 Services”
800-927-1239 – “800 Services”
402-2232172 – “Custom Response”
I have caller ID and privacy manager on my landline with AT&T and am screening calls. I am, for now, keeping a log of the numbers, maybe some one will read this that can implement the “Do not call” list against these a** holes, we have the numbers.
I don't understand why the appropriate agencies, with the enforcement powers, or the phone companies, don’t respond to the legal issue and customer/tax payer complaints.
The "Do not call list" was a good thing but if no action is taken against the "The "I'm returning a request" ruse, it will only get worse.
Maybe we should start requesting our elected officials to respond to their constituents and enforce the law. We passed a law against being phone spammed so let’s enforce it. All the enforcing agency has to do is go to the phone company, secure owner information (subpoenas are easy) and take action including fining them and pulling the plug.
I don't understand why the FCC or the FTC or the phone companies that we complain to can't do what we did and look at the number of on-line complaints against specific violators. We pay taxes and phone bills.
All they have to do is call one of these numbers and get on the list. I'm not sure how many civil servants it would take to do this. It seems like it might be good to have a few attention getters by law enforcement and/or the phone company and stop the Ruse of "I'm calling back" with “Do not call list” fines to pay for the effort. Looks like “Do not call” didn’t work. The Boiler rooms are back.
My only suggestions are: #1 Don’t let them get to you (they love that). Use caller ID and never answer unknown. Use call screening, if you don’t know them and if the call is important they can leave a message.
I am going to keep submitting this same post with each toll-free hang up I get from different numbers with an up dated list.
Have started getting calls from Wells Fargo when we are already in Bed. I do not think a company of this size should be calling after normal working hours.