How do you deal with Junk phone calls on your cell phone?

[Vash01]

For at least a year (possibly two or three) I have been getting unwanted phone calls that are clearly junk. Some are local and many are from other states. I don't answer them and I block each call, then I delete them. I continue to get those, even more frequently it seems. Couple of times I tried calling back but there was no answer. Today I called a number and a man picked up. I told him to stop calling me. Then I got a txt message "you called the wrong number"- presumably by the man who answered.

There is no real damage but it is an annoyance that I am having to deal with. I get roughly 10-15 calls per day (some are repeats, before I block that number). Does anyone know what is going on? Someone said they just get another number if you block them. Not sure if they are trying to sell or just irritate people. Do they use other people's' numbers to call any number (s) they find?

I don't know if I should call my service provider (Verizon) or is there an agency that deals with this?

ETA- these are not the fake calls from the IRS that threaten to jail you, though I do get some of those too but not very often. I never answer them, but they do leave voice mails (threatening of course). I delete those.

 

[Aceon6]

DON’T ANSWER. Seriously, if you don’t recognize the number or if the number is suspiciously similar to your cell number (same area code and first three digits) ignore it.

Unfortunately, you’re now identified as a live one, so the only alternative is to contact your provider and see what your options are.

 

[Vash01]

DON’T ANSWER. Seriously, if you don’t recognize the number or if the number is suspiciously similar to your cell number (same area code and first three digits) ignore .

That's what I do (if you read my post)- actually for all unrecognized numbers.

Do you think there is a danger in responding /identifying myself by calling that number?

 

[Aceon6]

IME, any interaction only encourages them.

 

[Debbie S]

Do you think there is a danger in responding /identifying myself by calling that number?

Yes, b/c they will know that your number is live. Same with spam/scam emails - you open an email or click through to anything, you're on the list for more garbage.

I saw something on the news about an app that can block robo calls (or maybe it's still in development) but other than that, the only thing you can do is hit the button to stop the ringing and send it to VM.

 

[MacMadame]

Do they use other people's' numbers to call any number (s) they find?

They do. The number you see on your phone is almost always spoofed.

So don't call it back and bug whoever answers because most likely they aren't the one calling you.

 

[Vash01]

Yes, b/c they will know that your number is live. Same with spam/scam emails - you open an email or click through to anything, you're on the list for more garbage.

I saw something on the news about an app that can block robo calls (or maybe it's still in development) but other than that, the only thing you can do is hit the button to stop the ringing and send it to VM.

My phone is usually on vibrate so I don't hear it ringing, and it goes to VM. Usually these annoying callers don't leave a message. Only the IRS related calls do, and I never call them back.

 

[screech]

I always google a number if I don't recognize it (sometimes AS it's ringing, if I'm next to my computer). A lot of times it only comes up as those pages where it lists phone numbers, or where people can report numbers. I once had a phone call (left a message claiming to be from the Canadian Revenue Agency) whose number was from Burkina Faso!
If I google and no name/business/unlisted residential number or anything comes up, I just leave it.

 

[AxelAnnie]

Funnily enough I don't get those on my cell phone...Verizon. but at my office...mercy, mercy. More than half the calls are fake! Should be illegal!

 

[Tesla]

I always google a number if I don't recognize it (sometimes AS it's ringing, if I'm next to my computer). A lot of times it only comes up as those pages where it lists phone numbers, or where people can report numbers. I once had a phone call (left a message claiming to be from the Canadian Revenue Agency) whose number was from Burkina Faso!
If I google and no name/business/unlisted residential number or anything comes up, I just leave it.

This is what I do. If my phone rings and I don’t know the number, I mute the volume and ignore it.

 

[Japanfan]

I hardly ever use my cell phone - still use a landline as I'm usually at home and work at home. The cell is pay-as-you-go and for emergencies.

I still get junk calls on my cell, and get them all the time on the landline. I find the computerized ones particularly annoying. Marriott has one of those.

I don't block the number, too much trouble.

 

[Vash01]

I hardly ever use my cell phone - still use a landline as I'm usually at home and work at home. The cell is pay-as-you-go and for emergencies.

I still get junk calls on my cell, and get them all the time on the landline. I find the computerized ones particularly annoying. Marriott has one of those.

I don't block the number, too much trouble.

If I don't block the number, it calls me multiple times.

I used to google to find out who the number belonged to. That worked for the fake IRS calls, because I saw they were being reported for fraud. For the frequent calls I am getting it is not worth the trouble. However,
I am going to ask Verizon if they have any ideas to stop these calls. I know that I am not the only one. A friend of mine gets them too. If we block the number these people just get another number.

 

[Japanfan]

If I don't block the number, it calls me multiple times.

Yes, I'm just to lazy to block the numbers and I don't get so many scam or sales calls as to find them intolerable.

What really was annoying was the number of automatic calls I got when we had a municipal election about a month ago - several calls a day.

I used to google to find out who the number belonged to. That worked for the fake IRS calls, because I saw they were being reported for fraud. For the frequent calls I am getting it is not worth the trouble. However,
I am going to ask Verizon if they have any ideas to stop these calls. I know that I am not the only one. A friend of mine gets them too. If we block the number these people just get another number.

Yes, they just get another number. I wish phone solicitation would be made illegal, actually, but it's not going to happen.

Fake Revenue Canada calls are common here as well - Revenue Canada does not generally communicate with the public by phone (perhaps it does in 'exceptional' cases such as when a person is under audit or legal issues are involved), but I don't know about that).

Unfortunately not everyone knows that Revenue Canada does not communicate by phone, so some people are vulnerable to claims that they own the entity money and pay up. That's how the fraudulent actors make their money.

 

[aliceanne]

I just keep my cell on vibrate. If I don’t recognize the number or they don’t leave a message I don’t answer or return the call. I average 2 or more nuisance calls a day and don’t bother looking them up or block (it doesn’t do any good).

I read somewhere that the Equifax breach accelerated the number of calls, although robocallers could be just using computer generated numbers without knowing who or what is on the other end. The few that leave voicemails are often in foreign languages I don’t recognize.