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PX Eliezer1
Premium Member
join:2013-03-10
Zubrowka USA

PX Eliezer1

Premium Member

Surge in telemarketer calls

I have NEVER seen such a large volume of spam calls as in the last few days....

"Oh, hi, This is Joe your copier guy...." (THAT one was clever social engineering).

"This call is to update your Google listing...."

"Your credit card terminal needs updating...."

"Solar panels are your way to a bright future...."

"The FBI warns that burglars are out of control, protect yourself now...."

"Is life too rough? Get our anti-aging skin cream...."

But literally, from numbers supposedly from Illinois, Florida, California, they are like fricking LOCUSTS.

Just curious if others are seeing the big surge.

UHF
All static, all day, Forever
MVM
join:2002-05-24

UHF

MVM

Telemarketers - no. Political spam? YES. I really hate Iowa most days.. They've been using local phone numbers which gets around the telemarketer filter in Callcentric since I stupidly assumed that people calling from the 3 prefixes in my town would be people I probably want to to talk to.

mugurd
join:2001-05-24
Ottawa, ON
·Bell Fibe Internet
·Fido
(Software) pfSense
Netgear RAX50
Netgear R7000

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I saw a spike on one of my GV numbers...not others.
Despite being blocked and replied with the "Number not in service message", they are dumb enough to keep calling .
Their automatons need some intelligence added to detect these things and stop calling. I'm sure they don't give a flying .......
OzarkEdge
join:2014-02-23
USA

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No surge here... blacklisting on my 30 year old number has telemarketing calls down to 1 every 1-2 weeks or less. Recently a caller complained that I was hard to get a hold of... so I guess they keep trying when they get blocked by a busy signal.

I can't say that I've noticed them changing up their CallerID much. I have repeat offenders but they often seem to sound different i.e. not the exact same system calling with a changed CallerID. That's my impression.

OE
GusHerb
join:2011-11-04
Chicago, IL

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Our line has been getting calls from California and Florida a lot lately, always a different number. I had to set up the robo call filter on my Callcentric account to keep them from getting through.
mikev
Premium Member
join:2002-05-04
Leesburg, VA
·Verizon FiOS
(Software) pfSense
Panasonic KX-TGP600

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Got two calls from a local carpet cleaning company two days ago... they (or the company they use to make these calls) happily ignore the DNC list, as I've never done business with them (and never will) so they shouldn't be calling me. But I already had them in my spam group from three previous times they've called over the past year, so they just got an error message.

Otherwise, no other recent increase in spam, with the exception of political related calls, which I'm not usually home to answer anyway.

Maxx2006
join:2013-02-02
Guelph, ON

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It seems to go in spurts here. It's been relatively quiet lately. That being said we will probably get swamped shortly. I am on the do not call list in the great white north but it is a joke.

Will probably be looking at switching to VOIPMS as a permanent Voip provider in the new year with the IVR set-up. Have been testing them out and it work fine. Have someone in the house looking for a job so do not want to port over right now. It will at least stop the computer generated calls.
Mango
Use DMZ and you get a kick in the dick.
Premium Member
join:2008-12-25
www.toao.net

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It's been absolutely dead here. I haven't had a telemarketing call on any of my DIDs in three weeks. There was one number on my Caller ID that I didn't recognize, but they called while I was out.

PlancDePlanc
@46.165.192.x

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Will probably be looking for a new Voip provider in the new year with IVR. It will at least stop the computer generated calls.

I use Voip.ms to play a recording telling the caller to enter '1' if he wants to ring the phone. Works perfectly to get rid of the telemarketers.

Eventually they will probably make their computers smart enough to enter the '1', so a random digit thing like Callcentric's will be needed. I figure it will be at least another year of peace and quiet before they do, but Voip.ms and Anveo (and everybody else) should put it on the to-do list if it isn't there already.
steve1111
join:2009-09-23
Albany, NY

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I've not noticed a surge.

bitseeker
join:2014-03-05

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Comes in waves for me. My blacklist works pretty well most times. Recent annoyances are fake IRS lawsuit calls. At first they were backed by humans who would leave the ominous voice messages. Now they're using bots: machines leaving voicemails to other machines. What a hoot.
wideglide36
join:2003-11-08
Altoona, PA

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Nope. I have not noticed anything out of the ordinary.

I have quite a few numbers and really don't have a problem with spam, with one exception.

I have a number which does get spam calls from the same area in Texas, but even then it's only one or two a week, so I really can't complain.

Arne Bolen
User of Anveo Direct, 3CX and Qubes OS.
Premium Member
join:2009-06-21
Utopia

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said by PX Eliezer1:

Just curious if others are seeing the big surge.

No spam calls on any of my several numbers. Not even on my gold number 781-XX1-0000.

I guess I'm lucky.
PX Eliezer1
Premium Member
join:2013-03-10
Zubrowka USA

PX Eliezer1

Premium Member

I've blacklisted 5 exchanges today alone.

About 40 percent of my calls ("let us help you with Googul") probably trace to SEO outfits getting hold of my number. It's easier to leave the mob or the CIA.

[But as I said I have been getting targeted on my home number as well---which was never publicly listed anywhere].

Arne Bolen
User of Anveo Direct, 3CX and Qubes OS.
Premium Member
join:2009-06-21
Utopia

Arne Bolen

Premium Member

said by PX Eliezer1:

But as I said I have been getting targeted on my home number as well---which was never publicly listed anywhere

The phone spammers are hunting you.
PX Eliezer1
Premium Member
join:2013-03-10
Zubrowka USA

PX Eliezer1

Premium Member

said by Arne Bolen:

The phone spammers are hunting you.

Considering that I have already blacklisted lots of specific numbers, as well as many area code/exchange combos, as well as some entire area codes, as well as some entire states and provinces....

Yes, I think they are.
wideglide36
join:2003-11-08
Altoona, PA

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said by Arne Bolen:

said by PX Eliezer1:

Just curious if others are seeing the big surge.

No spam calls on any of my several numbers. Not even on my gold number 781-XX1-0000.

I guess I'm lucky.

Nice number you got there Arne,

What's the story behind that? How did you manage to snag it?

I'm sure that's a number you only give to your closest amigos.

Is that the actual area code where your from?

How do you convey that number to someone over the phone? 781-XX1-four zeroes? 781-XX1-zero,zero,zero,zero? 781-XX1-quad zeros?or even 781-XX1-ought,ought,ought,ought?

My best is probably a XXX-XXX-1000, which is easy to convey over the phone.

Congrats on your number.......

Sorry PX for going OT a little.

Arne Bolen
User of Anveo Direct, 3CX and Qubes OS.
Premium Member
join:2009-06-21
Utopia

Arne Bolen

Premium Member

said by wideglide36:

Nice number you got there Arne,

What's the story behind that? How did you manage to snag it?

I checked Anveo Direct for some easy-to-remember numbers around Cambridge/Boston, MA and found 781-XX1-0000.

The XX's are also extremely easy to remember. The whole number is so easy to remember it's surprising phone spammers have not discovered it yet.

I paid only $0.19 in setup fee and the monthly subscription fee is $0.19. It's a real bargain to get such gold number for only 19 cents a month.
said by wideglide36:

How do you convey that number to someone over the phone? 781-XX1-four zeroes? 781-XX1-zero,zero,zero,zero? 781-XX1-quad zeros?or even 781-XX1-ought,ought,ought,ought?

I have no idea at all. Probably just zero zero zero zero.
said by wideglide36:

I'm sure that's a number you only give to your closest amigos.

Actually, after a few months in quarantine I will use it as my main phone number.
said by wideglide36:

Congrats on your number.......

Thank you.
twinclouds
join:2010-06-12
San Diego, CA

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Nothing abnormal observed.
scooper
join:2000-07-11
Kansas City, KS

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Nothing here. and I'm not turning off my random number TMB until I have to.

XANAVirus
Premium Member
join:2012-03-03
Lavalette, WV

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Haven't had any spam calls for a few months on my Callcentric line.

My old Google Voice line that I keep around to catch new numbers (to add to my Callcentric block list), though - that does get spam calls at least once a month.

One thing I've noticed on political calls is that they're now using local numbers (probably some organizer's local own phone) to get my phone to ring more often.

cb14
join:2013-02-04
Miami Beach, FL

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Not really. One or two daily calls on me cell phone from "heather with credit card services" but nothing unusual.

nunya
LXI 483
MVM
join:2000-12-23
O Fallon, MO
·Charter

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I've noticed a strong uptick as well. My business number is all over the internet though.
I have local NPAs whitelisted. Anything with non-local CID has to go through an IVR prompt.
These fuckers have gotten smarter. Now they just spoof a random local number when they call. Sometimes, they even use my own number when calling me!

The most common, by far, is "Google" calling (yes, I know it's not really google).
Next is "Microsoft" security "technicians" from India.
Rachel from "card services' has made a big rebound lately. She hits my business line, cell phone, and home number.
PX Eliezer1
Premium Member
join:2013-03-10
Zubrowka USA

PX Eliezer1

Premium Member

Thanks to everyone for their replies.
GusHerb
join:2011-11-04
Chicago, IL

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One thing I forgot to mention earlier is we didn't get spam calls until after we switched the number from AT&T POTS to Comcast Voice - I'm highly certain they whored our number out the second the port went through. It also doesn't help that that's the number that has been given to every imaginable entity over the past 24 years.

My cell is a very easy to remember number that goes: 219-xxx-8000, obtained it three years ago by pure luck of the draw and never get any spam calls on it.

slyphoxj
join:2002-06-23
united state

1 edit

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Another "me too" here. My house line has definitely been spammed pretty hard in the last month or two. A week ago, I got 10 attempts from 777777777 and two from 17777777777, all at the exact same time . But, thanks to Callcentric's "Press 1 to connect..." combined with a blacklist and whitelist call treatments, almost none of these a-holes have managed to ring my phones . I've also see a number of 216 and 614 numbers that got blocked... I'm guessing that these must be political robocalls.

I also got a lot of spam on both my home and cell lines around time time last year too. September and October must be the spammer's favorite months for some reason..

EDIT: My home number is 30 years old, ported from AT&T POTS to Callcentric just a little over a year ago. Hopefully the scammers/spammers don't implement voice recognition that recognizes the "Press 1 to connect..." and acts upon it. I guess if and when that happens, I'll just have to send unknown callers to voicemail instead of giving them the option to ring my phones.
tired_runner
Premium Member
join:2000-08-25
CT

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One of my GV numbers gets an unknown number every now and then. Also, the local pols started calling more regularly now that election time is around the corner. Too bad that number likely changes often.
Pseudonym
join:2014-02-17
Kempton, PA

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Caller ID + blacklisting lessens the frustration. Imagine if you had to pick up the phone for every one of those annoying calls.

Pain cream robo calls started up recently. Press five to tell your insurance company that you are refusing your free shipment of pain cream, or something like that.

Can go for days without a scam call slipping past through, and then get two scammers within five minutes.
Stewart
join:2005-07-13

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Just received a robocall on one of my new DIDs, never published anywhere. They were selling health insurance in Spanish, with no option to hear the message in English. Miami caller ID, not spoofed.
iamhere
join:2013-01-26
canada

iamhere

Member

Stupid question... how can you tell the caller ID was not spoofed?