Phone SPAM messages question

[GreensvilleJay]

I used to make 'autocallforwarder' black boxes... based on the incoming caller ID(yes, between 1st and 2nd rings), it'd dial and forward the incoming call to a 3rd number..
sigh that was 3 1/2 decades ago.....

 

[Old_Paint]

We put a man on the moon in the sixties.
Folks say that after 53yrs of technical advances since then, we don't have the ability to stop phone calls, where ever they come from?
I call BS.

The scary part is that a TI-59 calculator in the 70's had more processing power (and memory) than the flight computers of the Saturn V rocket. The more intelligent technology gets, the more opportunity for misuse. VOIP should be eliminated. PERIOD.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

I still find it 'funny' the number of FTP.websites I can get into.....
1st calculator Radio Shack sold was a TI unit, $169.95 on the back cover, 1973 ?

 

[NCL4701]

The scary part is that a TI-59 calculator in the 70's had more processing power (and memory) than the flight computers of the Saturn V rocket. The more intelligent technology gets, the more opportunity for misuse. VOIP should be eliminated. PERIOD.

The issue with eliminating VOIP, like many other technologies, is it has significant benefits even for tech dummies like me but it also has the opportunity for misuse by nefarious minds. For instance, the business phone in my office looks like a phone but in truth is more of a small computer with a handset phone receiver. Utilizing its capabilities, it can be used by multiple workers on different schedules in an office who share desk space. Each signs in when the arrive and their direct number is the phone number until they sign out. The worker who isn’t present at the office can forward calls to their home phone, a remote office phone, or their cell while receiving voice mails left at their direct line number and the computer/phone will automatically email them the voicemail. If they answer the phone when it rings the caller doesn’t know they’re not in the office, it just seamlessly forwards the call to wherever they are. For workers who are part time in the office, part time working from home, and part time doing field work the abilities of a VOIP phone v a traditional phone is a great boon for legitimate business use.

 

[ACDII]

You can't get rid of VOIP. Analog calling is virtually wiped out. Analog is now last mile over POTS if you still have a landline. All calls are digital after that.

VOIP is voice over IP for everything from landlines to cell phones. been that way since the 90's. If you have access to an SBC, you can make VOIP calls, and the more sophisticated the call manager is, the more spoofing can be done. All it takes today to set up a call center is an Ethernet Internet connection of 10 MB or more, and an end point to touch your call system to. I can set one up in my barn and make someone think I was calling from a major corporation like Microsoft or Apple.

Since Federally, cell phone providers must block calls not originating in the same areacode they are ID from, IOW, calling ID of 312-235-xxxx but not originating FROM 312-235, they are blocked, so NOW they text instead. They send a link to follow. DON'T!!!! Trash the text immediately.

 

[Henro]

Still confused, but I did try to understand all the replies.

I think my root problem is that I am getting a joint text message that shows it is from ten to twenty senders/recipients. AND they are all sequential numbers that include my number.

I do not have the energy to block all the other numbers in the text message. Actually, who knows, some of them might even be real numbers of friends in the future.

 

[Daren Todd]

The problem is that Scammers use VOIP (voice over internet protocol) and they can program any number in it, I've had my old number used as a spam number quite a few times.

The worst is when the spoof a family member. Wife can't call while she is at work. So text only and reply when you can.

If I see a call from her when she's at work,
I know it's serious.

Anyway, I had a spammer call come through with her number showing on caller ID.

Answered it and it was a voice recording from card services. Would have set off a chain reaction if I had just seen a missed call from her.

 

[Daren Todd]

Still confused, but I did try to understand all the replies.

I think my root problem is that I am getting a joint text message that shows it is from ten to twenty senders/recipients. AND they are all sequential numbers that include my number.

I do not have the energy to block all the other numbers in the text message. Actually, who knows, some of them might even be real numbers of friends in the future.

Just delete the text without opening and move on. My wife gets those frequently. They are frustrating, but not much we can do about it.

She had one with a picture of a girl in it cussing her for standing her up the night before.

 

[Fordtech86]

I heard skeets got a new BMW through a random message…might not hurt to see what happens

 

[GreensvilleJay]

re: Wife can't call while she is at work. So text only and reply when you can.

do you mean she can text you while working , and you reply later ?

if so, really there's no difference whether she talks to you, or texts you.

 

[mikester]

We put a man on the moon in the sixties.
Folks say that after 53yrs of technical advances since then, we don't have the ability to stop phone calls, where ever they come from?
I call BS.

Why would a telco want to stop spam when each call generates a fractional revenue for them?

What's the #1 source of viruses, trojans and spam on the internet? Google.

The only way to solve the spam/scam problem is to start making tech companies responsible for the content they get paid to deliver. They are receiving profits from crime.

Tech company response is "oh, I'm so sorry you are a victim of a crime. Too bad for you, we will use AI to look into the problem. NFT." Meanwhile they collect money from these scammers/spammers to deliver their wares.

 

[Old_Paint]

The worst is when the spoof a family member. Wife can't call while she is at work. So text only and reply when you can.

If I see a call from her when she's at work,
I know it's serious.

Anyway, I had a spammer call come through with her number showing on caller ID.

Answered it and it was a voice recording from card services. Would have set off a chain reaction if I had just seen a missed call from her.

I get spammer calls all the time with MY own phone number on it. How stupid do they think I am? Or my number with maybe one digit changed. The most annoying ones are the ones that want to buy of my houses. Then I go all Tom Mabe on 'em. "Shelby County Sheriff's office, Fraud Division." CLICK! Last time, I played with the guy for a while simply because I had nothing better to do and figured I'd keep him from calling someone else for a while. I kept him on the call for nearly 20 minutes discussing all the options and trying to explain to him that he really didn't have enough money to get either house. Have to give him points for persistence, though, he hung tough trying to buy my primary home for about 1/4 of what it's worth. From that day on, as soon as I know it's one of those robocalls from the land grubbers, I just say "Four Million Dollars, and next time you call, it'll be Five Million". That usually ends the call pretty quickly.

If I don't recognize the number and/or there's no valid caller ID, I roll it to voice mail by declining the call then listen to that most of the time. 10 times outta 9 if it's a spammer or telemarketer, they don't leave a message. Sad that we have to answer our phones that way, but it's a sign of the times and the lack of the willingness for carriers to get involved in eliminating phone fraud. Not their problem if crooks use their service and juke their customers seems to be their viewpoint. If, however, the penalties and liabilities for the phone providers were similar to those for doctors ... Then, only rich people could have phones, which was pretty much the way it was when cell phones were the newest fad.

I was hasty when I said get rid of VOIP. No, that's a wonderful way for us to stay in touch with relatives in Australia without breaking the bank. As for a "landline" I still have one, but it is actually VOIP as well. I have AT&T UVerse internet, phone, and TV service through one little phone line. However, other than figuring out how to do anything more than block the caller ID from going out, I have no clue how to spoof the phone numbers that it sends. Not sure AT&T would appreciate me doing it either. All that's handled by the firmware in the router/gateway on my end and software on AT&T's end. I have no reason or purpose to hide my phone number and prefer folks knowing exactly who's calling. I've liked that feature since Caller ID first became a thing you could do with a Star call, and then when phones got LCD displays added to them. Seeing the itemized calls was pretty sweet too. Got me to the bottom of a lotta crap my ex was trying to hide. But there has to be more more regulation of the spamming and telemarketing. If I want to buy something, I'll call looking for it and give my number if I want to be called back. Otherwise I would prefer restrictions on who can call me. Call blocking doesn't work very well, and caller ID seems to be about as useful as a screen door on a submarine these days.

Does my grouchiness about all this mean I'm getting old?

 

[johnjk]

If it is a voicemail message, then on an iPhone you can go in to the phone under your settings and block/silence unknown callers. I do this and will have around 15 calls a day from unknown numbers with the vast majority never leaving a message. If they do, I select block number. If you are on a group spam text message, you should be able to select leave the conversation and also block the originating number.

 

[Old_Paint]

If it is a voicemail message, then on an iPhone you can go in to the phone under your settings and block/silence unknown callers. I do this and will have around 15 calls a day from unknown numbers with the vast majority never leaving a message. If they do, I select block number. If you are on a group spam text message, you should be able to select leave the conversation and also block the originating number.

I think the point is that providers are not regulated enough and held liable and responsible for how their systems are used. (@Henro can correct me if I read it wrong). Simple answer is that they make money from the users, regardless of how their service is used, and privacy laws mean they can turn a blind eye and just keep raking in the cash from the illegal activities and scams. THAT is what's wrong.

 

[xrocketengineer]

I am getting all of these unwanted and annoying texts and phone calls!

I wished my wife would stop!

 

[GreensvilleJay]

re: Simple answer is that they make money from the users, regardless of how their service is used

sadly they are NOT held responsible for stopping all the kiddieporn, at least not here in Ontario.

 

[ACDII]

 

[Henro]

Just delete the text without opening and move on. My wife gets those frequently. They are frustrating, but not much we can do about it.

She had one with a picture of a girl in it cussing her for standing her up the night before.

I do this, but if any ONE of the twenty recipients replies I still get texts. For example by sending STOP.

AND whoever is sending these keeps sending them periodically. IF I try to block the number, what I get is a list of twenty numbers which have to blocked one at a time. And I know they are probably legitimate numbers just like mine.

 

[Henro]

If it is a voicemail message, then on an iPhone you can go in to the phone under your settings and block/silence unknown callers. I do this and will have around 15 calls a day from unknown numbers with the vast majority never leaving a message. If they do, I select block number. If you are on a group spam text message, you should be able to select leave the conversation and also block the originating number.

Most of the calls I get list a number. Occasionally I get the Unknown designation, but that is rare.

I do not want to limit calls to only those in my contact list. Because sometimes I do get a call from a number that is not on my contact list, but is a call I want to receive. Perhaps this happens simply because the person calling uses a different phone from the same office, which has a different number.

 

[Henro]

I think the point is that providers are not regulated enough and held liable and responsible for how their systems are used. (@Henro can correct me if I read it wrong). Simple answer is that they make money from the users, regardless of how their service is used, and privacy laws mean they can turn a blind eye and just keep raking in the cash from the illegal activities and scams. THAT is what's wrong.

Not disputing this, but wondering how the providers make money if they offer unlimited texting or calling for a given price. Seems like their would be no gain for the provider, and perhaps a loss since it takes some energy to move information through their equipment. Probably not a significant amount though.

I have unlimited texting and calling within the US. I pay the same if I send no texts and make no calls as I would if I used these services excessively.

I kind of wish there was a limit on free texting and calling. Something high like maybe 1000 calls or texts per month included for free, and after that a charge of maybe a penny or two per call/text. Thinking that this would add expense to the spammers and maybe discourage them a bit...wishful thinking probably.

But I never read the fine print of my contract. It might actually specify a charge if there is excessive use...so spam could put money in the provider's pockets.