(Picture alt text: a screenshot of my phone’s call log, with numbers redacted (just in case). The phone numbers (except for one) are all spam calls)
I’m not sure if this is the correct place for this, but I am at my limit with these.
Constantly throughout the day I get spam call after spam call. I constantly report them to Google (I’ve got a Pixel 5, if it matters), yet nothing changes. This has been happening for months.
These calls will also leave the exact same, completely silent, 4-second voicemails. I will block and report spam, but you know how it is. There’s no way to turn voice mail notifications off, and I wouldn’t necessarily want to, because I know I’d miss something genuine or important.
What do I do? Is there anything I can do, beyond changing numbers? Even then, I’m sure a new number would exist in some database somewhere and be victim to more spam calls. This is heinous.
Thanks for reading. I’m just so frustrated.
Edit: this got a lot more attention than I anticipated. I appreciate the suggestions for different spam blockers and settings! It’s also nice knowing I’m not alone. Hopefully, at least in the US, we’ll get some real legislation eventually that will kill these spam calls once and for all.
You must log in or register to comment.
Since you have a Pixel maybe try changing the call screening settings?
So the solution is give Big Daddy G more control huh. How convenient for them.
I got so tired of them that I actually answered one a few weeks ago. I was shocked that an actual person answered.
I asked to be taken off and she was very nice and they actually did it.
Haven’t received one since.
Save all known callers to your address book. Set “block calls from unknown numbers” in the android caller settings. Done.
This is hard if you have to see doctors. They like to call from different variations of their numbers.
I’ve used it for years now. Very few calls make it through any more.
The issue is lots of countries (including America) let scammers spoof a real life number.
So you get a spam call from a random local number block it because it was spam, but the scammers just use another number and all you’ve done is block a random number that’s owned by an actual individual or will be soon.
It’s all based on laws from decades ago and not accounting for modern tech
The phone companies could stop number spoofing if they wanted to, they just don’t see the benefit in doing so.
Someone should set up a robocalling system with number spoofing to call phone company execs and law makers to annoy them into stopping it.
This is a tactic that worked for me, but your mileage may vary. I used to get dozens of spam calls a day on both my work and personal numbers. I did all the things that you’re supposed to do and they just kept coming. I also needed to answer unknown numbers on my work phone so I couldn’t just block them.
So after a while, I started answering the calls and calling them back when I got silence. I made sure I could talk to a person/scammer as often as possible. In the beginning I would just ask them if they felt good about themselves trying to scam people out of their money. They would generally just hang up but one guy gave this long speech about how if you were that dumb you didn’t deserve that much money and how he was living the American dream (although I did ask him if he was in American at which point he hung up on me). After that, I would just start trying to keep them on the phone as long as possible. My job is such that I can work and talk on the phone at the same time, so I made a word document that had a fake name, birth day, social security number, address, a fake person basically. Then I would put on my “old man” voice and just act stupid to keep them on the phone. I kept one guy on the phone for four hours as I pretended to be too inept to turn on my laptop to give him my IP address. He was quite upset when I told him I knew he was scamming me.
Anyway, I haven’t gotten a scam call in like 6 months. I think scammers put me on their do not call list. Maybe worth a shot?
I do love the idea of wasting their time! I’ve done it a couple of times, but nothing quite so extensive as what you do. Usually when I call robo call numbers back, I get “this number is disconnected,” so I can’t even annoy the hell out of them like they do to me. :/
Four hour guy I had a lot of clerical work to do at work that day and didn’t need to talk on the phone at all so I just kept him going. Would go off on long made up stories related to what he was saying. Told him about my kids and their kids and my deceased wife. They guy told me that my card was used to purchase (among other expensive things) “$3,000 worth of Bitcoin” and I kept being like “what’s a bite coin?” and he COULD. NOT. GET. PAST. me calling it bite coin instead of Bitcoin. He would correct me every time. Then I asked what that was and he told me it was a digital currency and I told him about my coin collection for like 8 minutes before he steered me back on topic. I only told him I was wasting his time because I was done with work.
I will say, one guy asked if I lived alone and I told him I do now because my wife of 47 years died two months ago and he said “Ahhh…that’s sad…” and hung up on me. So at least that guy wasn’t completely evil.
Use Carrion from F-Droid and make it your screening app. Numbers that call you have to go through a verification that is mandated in the US & Canada. Numbers that fail this handshake verification will be rejected.
Will this effect callers who’s numbers I don’t have that I need to take? I have business calls all the time where I don’t know the number.
As long as its a legit number that uses a popular carrier that supports modern protocols they should come through. I’d test it out yourself if you have any concerns.
That’s awesome. Thank you. I’ll try it.
This crap is the only reason I need AI. Unknown call? Take it, AI call screener with infinite patience. Why doesn’t this exist?
It does, my Pixel has call screening built-in and it works great. I think you can install Google Dialer on some other Android phones and use it
I don’t just want it to screen the calls away. I want it to take the call, listen to them, then use an elderly senile voice to waste their time for hours. And even on Pixel I still have text spam coming through.
But then you won’t be able to receive phone calls from other numbers while the phone engages in the fake conversation
There’s an app called tasker that let’s you set up some pretty deep automation on your phone. I’ve used this a set up a grey list on my phone.
If a call comes in from a saved contact, all is normal. If it’s an unsaved number though, it doesn’t ring and goes to voicemail as if I just didn’t answer at all. If, however, they call back within two minutes, it will ring as per normal and I then know it’s, likely, someone who actually needs me.
I set this up because my phone number gets passed around at work quite a bit. If someone really needs me, I always figure they’ll call more than once or text after a missed call.
A few years ago I felt the same way. I installed the Should I Answer? app and even limited calls to people in my contacts to get it under control.
I’m on a Pixel too. I’m in the USA and, at some point, Google got their act together on screening calls here. Most spam is rejected outright and the remaining ones get screened by the phone itself. I haven’t had spam call in a couple of years now! And I don’t have to use Should I Answer? anymore.
The pixel automatic call screener is the best feature of the phone IMO. If its important/relevant whoever is calling will talk to the screener and I can choose to answer. Spam is either already filtered or just hangs up once screened.
I have a policy - only those who should know my phone number is family and they are very strict about asking me before giving to anyone who asks. So, it’s usually not given. Then for businesses and other places which require a phone number, I use a Google Voice number. From doctors, to banks, or other places. I rarely get the scam calls.
HOWEVER
I get around 6-15 SPAM text messages daily. All 100% Political for Trump, Biden, Harris, or whatever scammer tries to get me to support on my non-shared number. A lot try to guilt you into “donating” to them too! I feel bad because while I won’t fall for it, I know many people already do. I have to use Google Messages to effectively block those automatically.
I have AT & T and complained to them about it to be told that I could change my number, but it would be $40.00 to do so. That’s a big scam in itself and I refused.
I don’t even get political texts anymore
All my spam texts are from “people” asking if I want to go golfing, or sending me a picture of a wine bottle. It’s absurd.
Thanks, I never knew that’s what it was called.
I was also the “victim”(?) of a brushing incident before. It was a strange experience.
I usually get around 1 spam call per day, but sometimes I can get as much as 12 per day. I legitimately wonder why I even have a phone plan at this point and I know I’m not the only one who has considered that.
For numbers that make it through Yet Another Call Blocker, they get sent to my Google voice mail (phone doesn’t even ring).
So then at most I have a notification of a call, and I can see it’s 2 or 3 seconds, so I know it’s BS.
I legitimately wonder why I even have a phone plan at this point
I don’t think you can get an exclusive data plan. Or disable phone calls. But I would if I could.
You can effectively block all calls using Yet Another Call Blocker.
Optionally send all calls to voicemail.
I don’t see an option to block all calls.
This is a nice app but it has the same pitfalls as most other apps: it filters by phone number, which is absolutely pointless in the age of number spoofing.
Turn off notifications, turn on the service and advanced mode.
My phone never even rings. Ever. All calls are sent to google voice mail.
Could try my tactic
Change your phone number and give it to people only. Never businesses unless it’s a trades service. Best buy and the lot get a dummy number. Good luck selling my information
Also online services get the dummy number.
Zero spam calls in two years
What do you 8f a website requires phone number for 2FA?
Haven’t had anything outside my bank that needed that
I hace so many websites that require 2FA and don’t support authenticator apps.
If my phone rings, and I see an unknown number, I just decline. I’m at this level of trust.
Anyone important will leave a VM,email, or text to reach back out.
Answering my phone is like answering my door.
If I’m not expecting you, I’m not answering.
