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[Stuggernaut]

Ok title is weird I get it...

I have this company that is frustrating me right now, and wondering about options.

It started a few weeks ago, I kept getting a phone call that was just an automated voice saying the following;

"Hello, you have a call from BLANK (seriously, blank, instead of a name there is just no sound). To accept this call, hit 1. To send to voicemail, hit 2"

I said hell no and just hung up.

They called again a few hours later, I ignored, then someone reminded me I could block the number. Which I did.

Then they called again, from a different number. So I called it back.

"All representatives are busy, if you received a call from this number, someone will call you again. If you received this call in error, press 1 to be put on our no call list"

Press 1, great!

No shit, same call, 30 minutes later, on a different phone number lol.

At this point, I think, "accept the call and just tell them to fuck off". But I am a stubborn individual.

So now it stands at 121 calls, from 8 different phone numbers in one week. It's kind of laughable.

Here are a few of them lol

• 360-572-6171
• 509-317-6583
• 360-928-6061
• 253-215-6766

I googled the numbers many times, all of them point to the same company...

Neutral Tandem-Washington, LLC - No idea who these people are, so I Google THEM.

Subsidiary of a company called "Inteliquent". Generic communications company.

So, should I just answer the damn call and "accept" whatever that entails? Or just keep blocking till they run out of numbers lol.

 

[Skellig Gra]

They aren't gonna run out of numbers. Just don't answer your phone unless you know who it is.

 

[Redd]

They aren't gonna run out of numbers. Just don't answer your phone unless you know who it is.

Yup. If it's important leave a message or text me.

 

[v1lla21]

You're fucked. They will not stop now. Going through the same thing and now I just don't even answer my phone unless you're a contact.

 

[crimsonheadGCN]

" If you received this call in error, press 1 to be put on our no call list.

I am pretty sure that when they tell you to do this, it is not for being placed on a no call list. They are just trying to confirm that this is a real number and person.

 

[Blitzrules240]

On topic (sorta)

Tonight I kept getting calls from a 512 area code and I looked into it and apparently it was a Hurricane relief fundraiser but I read online they charge you $15 if you pick up (could be bullshit idk)

Anyways, they called six fucking times and I had enough, so I blocked their asses.

 

[linkboy]

Downloading an app like Hiya can help, but they know they've got a human on the end of your number, so they're going to spam the hell out of it.

Sadly, it's an exercise in futility.

 

[____]

Happens to me too. Really fuckin annoying.

I bought a CPO car in December and it’s some third party hat keeps telling me that my factory warranty is expiring soon and I need to contact them IMMEDIATELY to renew. They call from a diff number every time because I keep blocking it every time. I’ve spoken to someone and ask them to stop and that I’m not interested but they just say okay and call from a different number.

They’ve also sent countless WARNING - FINAL NOTICE mailers also. Infuriating 😂

 

[Beilttog]

Same thing here they call 3-6 times a day sometimes as early as 8am est and as late as 10pm est. I just send them to voice mail. Every couple days number and location changes its annoying but what can you do.

 

[Lebon14]

Like someone mentionned, you could download a blocking app that allows only calls in Contacts to reach you. The others are sent to voice mail. However, I'd check the voice mail if they leave any. If they don't, you're good to go. Only meaningful contacts will leave you a voicemail. If they do, and you have a limited number of voice mail, you are fucked. The only option I see then is to change mobile number.

 

[theofficefan99]

I legit get at least 5 calls a day. I gave up. I just don't answer.

 

[Shadybiz]

They aren't gonna run out of numbers. Just don't answer your phone unless you know who it is.

Yep. Any number that I don't recognize goes to voicemail. If it's important, they'll leave a message (it's usually a 2 second message with nothing on it).

 

[NeonBlack]

I use the Mr. Number app. It has its own database of suspected numbers. It auto ignores spam numbers.

 

[The Real Abed]

Never answer it if you don't know who it is. And if you do, hang up immediately.

If you press any keys they will know the number is legit and will use that information, for instance putting it on a list of "known real numbers" and selling that to others to do the same.

If you hang up without sending a tone, they don't know if it exists. It's a computer. It's listening for tones. It doesn't know the difference between a human talking or a voicemail or a "sorry, this number is disconnected" message. All it wants to hear is a number tone.

Most of the time I never get a voicemail. But occasionally I get a recording in my voicemail from a smarter machine that's designed to activate when it hears a voice and wait for the voice to stop before saying its thing. (For instance the outgoing message. It will just wait until your message stops making sound then start its recording.)

At least that's my observation over the years. Never interact with them. Don't answer. And if you do, don't press anything except the disconnect button if you do decide to listen to it. Then immediately block if you know it's a scam.

My block list is pretty long now. My routine usually goes as follows. I get a call from an unknown number. I don't answer. No message is left. I Google the number and see if it's in one of the dozens of "scam caller" databases. (Google should really just make a service for when people Google a phone number that tells you right at the top of the page if it's likely a scam number or not if just to save time.) If it is a scam, I add it to my blocklist. If it is unclear, I leave it and see if they call again. If still no message, into the blocklist it goes.

Fortunately iOS is designed so if you block a number, they can still leave a voicemail or text message, but they go into a separate "folder" where you can check them manually if you want or just ignore them and you won't get a notification about it. This is handy just in case you block a number that may actually be someone legitimately trying to get a hold of you. Of course it's up to you to actually check and see if a message was left, which you might not even do but once a month or so so let's hope they aren't someone important.

 

[FTF]

I've blocked literally 250+ spam #s over the last past couple of years. It's at least 3-5 a week now. The bullshit is tiring.

 

[gcubed]

The "new" Android phone spam alert/block has been a godsend

 

[Stuggernaut]

Thanks for all the tips people

Going to look at some of the apps mentioned. May not be a solution, but may help.