# Number Of Robocalls Is Up



## fmdog44 (Apr 7, 2021)

Americans received  4.6 billion robocalls  in February up 15% from January according to YouMail, a robocall prevention service.


----------



## Elsie (Apr 7, 2021)

I stopped answering my phone because of robocalls, unless the phone rings on a day, or a couple, that someone I know will be phoning me to let me know some info for which I've been waiting.


----------



## MarciKS (Apr 7, 2021)

fmdog44 said:


> Americans received  4.6 billion robocalls  in February up 15% from January according to YouMail, a robocall prevention service.


Now that we don't answer the phone they're texting the messages now. *Rolls eyes* I had to put 2 in call rejection within 30 min of each other.


----------



## Ruthanne (Apr 7, 2021)

I just got the scam call that my social security number it's being blocked for some reason but I know it's not true.


----------



## asp3 (Apr 7, 2021)

This is probably due to new regulations called STIR/SHAKEN that will go into affect July 1, 2021.  Here's a link for more info https://www.fcc.gov/call-authentication .

I think these folks are trying to get as many calls in as possible before the new regulations are in place.


----------



## jujube (Apr 7, 2021)

Here's something weird:  we were out of state for a week.  Instead of the daily or twice-daily or sometimes thrice-daily robocall on my cellphone "your auto warranty has expired", I didn't get a single call.  Not ONE!  Now that we're back, I'm getting them again.

Could they tell I was out of town?  If so, that's scary.....


----------



## Jules (Apr 7, 2021)

jujube said:


> Could they tell I was out of town? If so, that's scary.....



It makes you wonder sometimes.  

Our cell phones don’t ring very often.  As soon as we’re travelling more than 25 km, we’ll start getting calls.

We don’t use data provided by stores.


----------



## Don M. (Apr 7, 2021)

We've pretty much quit answering the phone, unless its a number we recognize.  Seldom do any of these caller leave a message....however, in the past couple of days we've had a dozen calls leaving a message that our Amazon account has a fraudulent charge of over $700 from a person in Dayton, Ohio....and the caller ID shows a local phone number.  We don't have an Amazon account, and probably never will.  Even though I block these calls, each new call shows a different local phone number.  There must be a lot of gullible people out there who respond to these calls, such that these hackers continue to make gobs of money.


----------



## JustBonee (Apr 7, 2021)

jujube said:


> Here's something weird:  we were out of state for a week.  Instead of the daily or twice-daily or sometimes thrice-daily robocall on my cellphone "your auto warranty has expired", I didn't get a single call.  Not ONE!  Now that we're back, I'm getting them again.
> 
> Could they tell I was out of town?  If so, that's scary.....



Something in the airwaves in the immediate area  makes for activity ?  ....    my weirdness is  that   while at home,  I don't get those random calls,  hardly ever.    
But every time I am out shopping,   I can bet on a call or two like that coming thru my cellphone.   I don't answer.

Also if I'm on a call at home,  and the call lasts a while,  when I hang up I sometimes get  a strange call almost immediately.  
I don't answer.


----------



## JustBonee (Apr 7, 2021)

Don M. said:


> We've pretty much quit answering the phone, unless its a number we recognize.  Seldom do any of these caller leave a message....however, in the past couple of days we've had a dozen calls leaving a message that our Amazon account has a fraudulent charge of over $700 from a person in Dayton, Ohio....and the caller ID shows a local phone number.  We don't have an Amazon account, and probably never will.  Even though I block these calls, each new call shows a different local phone number.  There must be a lot of gullible people out there who respond to these calls, such that these hackers continue to make gobs of money.


Those  "local numbers"  are probably calls coming from  Nigeria.


----------



## fmdog44 (Apr 7, 2021)

My flip phone shows SCAM when I get them


----------



## SetWave (Apr 7, 2021)

I often get voicemails in Chinese. Honest. I find it hilarious.


----------



## MarciKS (Apr 7, 2021)

MarciKS said:


> Now that we don't answer the phone they're texting the messages now. *Rolls eyes* I had to put 2 in call rejection within 30 min of each other.


Wanna hear something funny?

So people who know me know that I don't possess a smart phone. So my boss sent a mass text to all of us about some numbers on our employee cards cuz we're having trouble with the temp kiosks (big surprise). 

Well...it turns out every time someone responded it resent the text from their number to me. So every few minutes I receive the same text from a different number. I'm old...I don't know jack about cell phones and this texting business so I start getting upset and texting back that I'm gonna call the cops if they don't knock it off. I called the office at work and the supervisor happened to hear part of the ph convo and then some of the kids wandered in saying they were getting messages from someone saying they were gonna call the cops. 

That would be me. LOL! So as I'm getting ready to email the supervisor she calls. So rather than sit here for 30 or 40 more texts...I turned my phone off for the night. What a pain!


----------



## MarciKS (Apr 7, 2021)

Bonnie said:


> Those  "local numbers"  are probably calls coming from  Nigeria.


Don a lot of folks are running around with readers now that can steal your phone number. That may be why it looks local. They got mine once and I had to buy a new phone. I was ticked.


----------



## Jules (Apr 7, 2021)

Marci, do you have to pay a charge for text messages?  I sure hope not.  Most people don’t any more, but some older style phones still have that.

Just realized that the other employees must have done a “Reply All”.


----------



## Murrmurr (Apr 7, 2021)

asp3 said:


> This is probably due to new regulations called STIR/SHAKEN that will go into affect July 1, 2021.  Here's a link for more info https://www.fcc.gov/call-authentication .
> 
> I think these folks are trying to get as many calls in as possible before the new regulations are in place.


Plus they know people are getting their income tax returns and stimulus checks.


----------



## Murrmurr (Apr 7, 2021)

SetWave said:


> I often get voicemails in Chinese. Honest. I find it hilarious.


I get those too! And yeah, they make me laugh. Wish it wasn't a robot, I'd order take-out just to mess with them.


----------



## Robert59 (Apr 14, 2021)

I've got 17 robocalls today trying to sell me health insurance which they can't because of my bad history of medical problems. UMR told me at one time if I ever dropped them I will never find another insurance company.


----------



## SeaBreeze (Apr 24, 2021)

We get a lot of those calls at home on the landline, even on my cellphone which I rarely use, there are spam calls and texts coming in.  Was just listening to a show on the radio about auto warranty spam calls.  24 minute podcast in link for those interested.

https://www.npr.org/2021/03/31/983109732/about-your-extended-warranty


----------



## Don M. (Apr 24, 2021)

The number of these Robo calls we receive has gone down substantially in recent months...ever since I put a Panasonic Call Blocker, which I got for free....and now sells for about $90...on our phone.  We used to get a dozen, or more, per day, but anymore 2 or 3 is excessive.  We do get a  "bleep" on the phone when a caller is trying to use one of these blocked calls.  

I also notice that the number of calls and bleeps we get have gone done over the past couple of weeks.  I suspect that this pandemic is impacting the crowded "call centers" in India...where most of these scams seem to originate.


----------



## MarciKS (Apr 24, 2021)

Jules said:


> Marci, do you have to pay a charge for text messages?  I sure hope not.  Most people don’t any more, but some older style phones still have that.
> 
> Just realized that the other employees must have done a “Reply All”.


Not on the plan I'm on. My parents have me on their family plan. They won't even let me pay for my part of the bill. LOL! But the texting is unlimited. When the thieves stole my phone number I had no service and didn't know why. They were using it to call another state and Turkey for conference calls. The Fraud dept shut the service off to my phone and didn't tell anyone. I spent 2 days more with no service and finally had to go to work and message dad on my tablet to have him tell mom to call Verizon. I ended up having to buy a new phone and get a new number.

I apologize I didn't see this post till now.


----------



## SetWave (Apr 24, 2021)

I know I mentioned this somewhere but what the heck I'm an old guy and we love repeating ourselves.
Way back in the 80s I got tired of rude wrong numbers and salespeople bugging me. So sent every single call to the answering machine. Everyone who knew me learned to just start talking as I leisurely strolled to the phone to pickup. Continuing to this very day on the landline and it has me feeling extremely popular.  As for the cellphone I just want to know why in the hell they need to call at 0200?!?!?!?


----------



## debodun (Apr 24, 2021)

They've stated spoofing telephone exchange numbers in people's locales to make you think someone close by is calling. Doesn't matter, if it's a number I don't recognize, I don't answer. The other day I got a recorded message saying that to get my Amazon order I should press 1 or to cancel press 2. I don't even have an Amazon account and the number that showed was in my community.


----------



## SetWave (Apr 24, 2021)

Exactly.


----------

