Re: OT: spam phone calls

On 3/21/25 5:51 AM, Carlos E.R. wrote:

On 2025-03-21 12:41, John C. wrote:

Newyana2 wrote:

Graham J wrote:

>
I know you're all very knowledgeable here, so:
>
Received a call on my mobile, from a lady in Scotland who says I rang
her landline earlier this morning.  I did not, and my mobile phone has
been sitting on the windowsill (being the only place it can get a
signal) all morning, with nobody near it.
>
The lady used 1471 to find out who had rung her number, and used it's
recall facility to ring me; so she didn't make any transcription error
in dialling my number.
>
I'm aware that spammers spoof mobile numbers but had always assumed
that they chose unallocated numbers.  That is now apparently no longer
true - unless all you here can think of another way that the 1471
service can see an erroneous number.

>
    Not quite the same in the US, but similar. Here spoofed calls
are possible. I've had calls from myself. :) But it could also
be a scam, where someone gets you off balance and defensive,
then pulls some kind of trick.
>
    Scammers/spammers have become so common that I just
don't even answer the phone anymore unless I recognize the
number. If it's a legit call they can leave a message.

 I add all such calls to my blocked list. Over time, that's helped reduce
spam calls tremendously. Also, I'm like you in that I won't answer a
call from a number I don't recognize.

>
Unfortunately, as they are faking the caller-id number, and they rotate their numbers, you are probably blocking some innocent person, and not really blocking the spammers. That said, I also block them.
>
I also use an application that has a huge list of numbers to block, Truecaller.

I simply use Do Not Disturb, a feature that came on my 5 year old Galaxy
 S10+ phone. If the number is not in my contact list the phone won't ring
 but will send it to Voicemail. I have Voicemail set to beep once so I can
 check it if I'm nearby. Dunno how many new phones still have this feature.
 So important calls like family, doctors, etc. get through but otherwise
 not. To my surprise looking at the missed calls list I've found that only
 around 1 in 10 non-contact (junk) calls leave a Voicemail, and even then I
 can easily dispatch it after listening only a few seconds, so IMO I'm ahead
 in the battle. YMMV...