23 Feb 2015, 2:25pm, 404-381-1115, Card SVCS/Consumer SVCS, auto dumped into the bottomless bit bucket
This scum targets the elderly and uninformed. Get a call blocker and deep 6 these criminals. Any response just adds your name to multiple calling lists.
I've had a high of 53 calls a month. I am down to only 9 this month. Call blockers can work!!!
Here is a full history on my experiences with the criminal scammers and how to defeat them. Hope this may be a help to someone trying to defeat this criminal low life!!!!
I had been receiving harassing telephone calls for several months, but the number of calls per day finally exceeded my toleration level. The calls were from a person living in my town, who will remain nameless, and from telephone solicitors/robo call operators from around the country. The telephone company was unable to block the calls because many of the harassment calls were being generated using a device called an ID spoofer which generates phony caller IDs on your phones caller ID display. The telephone solicitors are largely criminals and scammers who refuse to follow federal no-call laws.
One of the options to defeat the harassment calls was to change to a new unlisted telephone number, but this would be giving-in to the harassment. It would also make it extremely difficult, if not impossible, for legitimate callers, friends, and family from around the country from contacting me. Paying the telephone company for providing a call blocking service would be costly and time consuming. Legal action and call tracing by the phone company using back tracking through the local telephone switching matrix is possible but difficult, especially when caller ID spoofers are used to impede normal call tracing. There had to be a better option, and there is.
I am a retired military officer. One of the many training courses I attended in my 27 year career included training in “The Art of War” by Sun Tzu. One of the maxims is to know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never need to fear a battle. The harassment calls, robo calls, telephone solicitors, political calls, Etc, are engaging in an “act of war” by essentially taking over my telephone. I proceeded to research the situation and develop a plan of action.
I had been program manager and program engineer for installation of many USAF class 5 digital telephone exchanges, but had been out of the business for many years. In talking to the police and the telephone company technicians, I found out about the new technology to generate digital spoofing calls with phony Caller IDs from computer APPs. This matches with the pattern of the Caller ID data I had recorded from the harassment calls. Analysis of the data confirmed that I had both robo scammers/solicitors and an individual in my town responsible for the harassing calls.
Research also showed call spoofing can be generated from smart phones, I-pads, computers, robo call devices, or any device with phone access and a spoofing application. Some devices will allow spoofing and also generate robo voice traffic. Additional indication of spoofing is the fact that the Caller IDs sometimes had full 10 digit numbers and other times had only the 7 digit local origination numbers with known out of state robo call messages.
Caller IDs with only 7 digits originate from within the local area code. One of the local calls used my own phone number as the caller ID, and two of the call ID’s used phone numbers with only one digit different from my phone number. I confirmed that the owners of these local phone numbers had no one at home when the calls were made. Spelling errors and robo messages from these numbers clearly proved use of a spoofing application.
I have found an effective way to combat these harassment/robo callers that has been over 90% successful. I spread the word by posting the following to 800notes.com/phone and other selected web sites each time I receive a harassment call.
* HOW TO DEFEAT HARASSMENT/ROBO CALLS!! CALL BLOCKERS WORK!!
**
I research a harassment/scam caller then post this msg every time a robo number calls. NEVER press X to opt out, and NEVER respond in any way because it just adds your name to multiple robo calling lists.
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The federal no-call list is a joke - the government does nothing. The phone company wants the money from robo companies and will do nothing to stop the harassment/robo calls. Local police do not have the manpower or technology to track/block these calls. Most robo callers are criminals/drug addicts/scammers. Here is a one-time relatively low cost way to beat those harassment/robo calls.
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I have now defeated >90% of harassment and robo calls. I went on-line to Amazon and purchased an in-line "CPR CALLBLOCKER"! It has an inventory of up to 1200 numbers in your call blocker list. Be careful in setting up the list or you get unexpected blockages of valid incoming calls. Start by blocking all calls using caller ID’s of UNAVAILABLE, PRIVATE, or WITHHELD. I have also blocked many robo area codes which have no friends or family – 201, 212, 231, 239, 303, 304, 305, 307, 312, 321, 323, 331, 347, 360, 401, 404, 478, 502, 505 ,513, 516, 518, 565, 605, 608, 620, 630, 646, 650, 701, 708, 734, 740, 757, 772, 773, 779, 810, 815, 847, 918, 952, and 970. ONLY use 3 digit area codes, OR full 10 digit phone numbers (area code with phone number). Never use 7 digit inputs to the blocking list or you WILL have problems! Keep a complete written list of area codes and individual blocking numbers. A small glitch when entering a number into the list can mess up your entire blocking list requiring a hardware reset and complete reprogramming of the list.
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Harassment/robo callers frequently use a spoofing APP to create phony incoming caller ID’s on your phone. Hidden characters in a spoofer Caller ID’s number can sneak the robo call past some blockers. I use a separate secondary SENTRY BLOCKER that ignores hidden characters and blocks/kills the call when it’s turned ON. SENTRY BLOCKER also effectively blocks many unmonitored robo calls.
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There are many brands of call blockers other than the ones I have described. Choose yours and BLOCK THOSE HARASSMENT CALLS!!!!!
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It is really great fun watching my call blocker/Caller ID recorder light-up and then dump the call when the harassment/robo Caller ID matches the blocking list!!! I especially enjoy it when the call blocker hangs up on a persistent harassment caller!!! Take back your telephone from harassment/robo callers!!!!
CALL HISTORY
May – 37 harassment calls
Jun– 31 harassment calls –purchased call blocker. Installed blocker!
Jul– 26 harassment calls with 7 auto blocked.
Aug– 35 harassment calls with 23 auto blocked and 12 new numbers added to blocker list
Sep– 38 harassment calls with 26 auto blocked and 10 new numbers added to blocker list. 2 calls got past blocker list. Secondary blocker was turned off.
Oct – 53 harassment calls with 46 auto blocked, 4 new numbers added to blocking list.
Nov – 31 harassment calls with 28 auto blocked, 3 new calls added to blocker list.
Dec – 16 harassment calls with 14 auto blocked, 1 new calls for blocker list + 1 spoof with my Phone #.
Jan – 26 harassment calls with 25 auto blocked, 4 new #’s for blocker list (some spoof calls from non-existant area codes w/ a spoof of my phone #).
Feb – 9 harassment calls with 9 auto blocked, 3 new #'s (1 spoof of my own phone #) (23 Feb 2015)
CALL ZAPPER sends out a telephone office signal that the phone line is disconnected. Many
auto scanning robo systems will then automatically remove the number from
their calling list
CPR BLOCKER has blocker list of 1200 entries for area codes and/or phone numbers. On
detection of block listed numbers the blocker hangs up all lines. All other
callers are passed thru unless Sentry Blocker rejects/hangs up line.
SENTRY BLOCKER hangs up on all black listed phone numbers. White list numbers are
passed thru for phone/answering machine. Non-listed numbers have blocking
British/Spanish/German msg for solicitors to hang up, and all other valid
unlisted callers to dial zero to leave msg on answering machine - this auto
blocks all unmonitored robo calls.
When Sentry Blocker is OFF, all calls pass thru to phone/answering machine
unless blocked by CPR BLOCKER.
HOME PHONE rings ONCE if CPR BLOCKER or SENTRY BLOCKER blocks call. Call rings
thru if blockers are OFF or call is passed by blockers.
Yes, I got a call from them today. Same msg about lowering your interest rates.
Don't press 1 or any number to speak with or be removed, that is how they confirm
that the number they dialed connected to a live person. They will now have a
number to sell to all the other scammers.
If you don't care about this and want to mess with them, I would suggest the following. .
Google "fake credit card generator" and look for a website that makes fake numbers.
Make a list of 30 to 50 fake numbers and expiration dates and a fake name.
Or
Give them the first 9 digits of the above fake number and have a friend from across the room
yell out "these stocks are going through the roof. How many shares do you want to sell?"
Say "all 50 thousand" then tell the guy on the phone you have to go buy 20 mill of a stock
that is at a penny.
I kinda of recall that I never got Robocall before the DNC LIST existed.
I don't remember ever having to press 1 to opt out of a calling list before DNC.