Scamming the scammers :)

I replaced my ATT line with OOMA, an internet based phone system. It costs about $100 for the equipment and then there is no charge except for about $5 a month for taxes. I have had it for about five years.

Nine months ago I set it to only allow calls from my contact list. Non contact list calls go directly to voice mail. I transferred my extensive contact list from my PC to my phone and from there to OOMA. I have not received a spam call since. I was getting five or six a day.

Occasionally someone calls that I want to talk to that is not on my contact list and leaves a message. I add them to the list and from then on they get through.

I pay an additional $100 a year for the higher level of service from OOMA because then I get an email with the voicemails as an attachment. This allows me to monitor the messages from anywhere in the world. I recently heard voice messages in Ireland. Occasionally spammers leave a voice mail message and it is almost always about 5 seconds long and I delete them without listening.

It is a joy to have a spam free phone and well worth the cost of OOMA hardware especially since I am saving about $35 a month by not having ATT.

Of course, this will work with any phone service that blocks calls not on a contact list.

I sometimes get around landline phone scammers ever trying again by doing this: I tell them that "I am interested but do not provide information or do transactions over the phone ... please mail me hardcoyy information in the mail to consider". This stops them dead in their tracks - if I want to take the time to talk to them - but I would never give them my mailing address, in any case. Our landline phone's built-in call blocking takes care of the rest of the phone scammers, so we now have minimum scammer calls on it.

By the way, I sure wish my good old Verizon flip-phone had a buttom on it for call blocking! Does anyone know how to do this with Verizon flip-phones?

Interestingly, the DW gets zero scam calls on her Android smartphone ... for some reason.

Now .................. if only I could stop the junk mail that has no relation to scam phone calls. Is there a national Do Not Mail List? :h

jfkmk wrote:
....Do not call is absolutely worthless! Before you say it, I’d love to drop the land line, but my wife insists on having it...

So many things to comment on here...

1) I had a virtual machine stood up and ready to go for when they called. I took them for 2 hours, stringing them along. They are VERY GOOD at their social engineering attack. They will try to get you to change a setting or install some software on the computer. Even doing something like revealing a piece of information can be used against you in a follow-up targeted attack. The name of a family member, the operating system on the computer, etc, can all be used later on. A social engineering attack can be much more convincing when they open with "Hi Mary. Bob told me to give you a call to help you figure out the problems with your Windows 10 computer".

2) Two is one, and one is none. Keep the land line. Cell phones could go out in a disaster, and you will be very happy you have a POTS line (Plain Ol' Telephone Service). Or vice versa.

3) Any information you provide to the scammers is useful. Someone picked up the phone?? It's a live number, make a note and call again. The trick is to make yourself to not be the target. It helps that I work from home as I always answer unknown Caller ID numbers with "Good afternoon, this is Eric" like I am talking on a work phone line. If it is still not someone I recognize, I treat it like they have called a work phone at an office. "Yes, this is Eric, how can I help you?" If they say something about the computer, I will counter with "Thanks for calling me back. Yes, I have been having problems with it. Can you confirm you are with the IT department as they normally call on an inside phone line." About that point they will hang up.

The key here is I made them think this is a business phone line. That is not who they are targeting. Sometimes they will right out ask "Is this a business? to which I will respond with "Yes, it is. How can I direct your call?" Over time I have seen a reduction in scammer calls because it is eventually moving me from a home phone number to a business phone number on the scammer's call lists.

4) Profanity, threats, hang ups, all confirm that they have reached a live phone number. They know someone answers the phone and the next time it may be a different person who is more susceptible to social engineering. It is all a numbers game. If 0.1% of people fall for it and give up a credit card number, then simply make 1000 calls to find a winner. A robo-calling system can knock that, with a connection and hang-up being a quick turn-around. I'll bet one scammer can burn through 1000 hang-ups a day to get to that one winner that gives them a payday. Even if my WAG numbers are completely off, the math still adds up to be profitable which is why they keep doing it.

5) Never, ever, give out any information over the phone on an unsolicited call. If it sounds legit, look up the business on the Internet or phone book. Call back that phone number. Do not trust the Caller ID as that system can be manipulated.

Stay safe, vigilant, and smart!
-Eric

BB_TX wrote:

wnjj wrote:

BB_TX wrote:
........ And if we do get a call from some spam number leaving a message (such as "this is the IRS"), I add it to the block list in my answering machine so we never get it again.

Blacklisting numbers is a waste of time since they are spoofed. .............

Not at all. After I block a number, the next time a call is received from that number, the phone gives a half ring, shuts off, and “caller blocked” appears on the screen.

I think their point was not that blocking does not work. But the same scammers simple use the next number with your local prefix.

wnjj wrote:

BB_TX wrote:
........ And if we do get a call from some spam number leaving a message (such as "this is the IRS"), I add it to the block list in my answering machine so we never get it again.

Blacklisting numbers is a waste of time since they are spoofed. .............

Not at all. After I block a number, the next time a call is received from that number, the phone gives a half ring, shuts off, and “caller blocked” appears on the screen.

STBRetired wrote:
The do-not-call list only applies to calls originating inside the United States. Most of the scammers now operate from outside the US.

No, the do-not-call list applies to legitimate call centers and telemarketers. Laws and regulations do not apply to thieves, scammers or anyone else that has no regard to the law.

The do-not-call list only applies to calls originating inside the United States. Most of the scammers now operate from outside the US.

BB_TX wrote:
I have read before that simply answering a spam call lets them flag your number as a valid number. That gets added to a phone list that is sold to others causing the increase in calls.

Using caller ID we almost never answer a call we do not recognize. Most of the time they hang up before the answering machine answers, or do not leave a message. And if we do get a call from some spam number leaving a message (such as "this is the IRS"), I add it to the block list in my answering machine so we never get it again.

Blacklisting numbers is a waste of time since they are spoofed. Most of the spam calls I get on my cellphone are the same area code and prefix as mine, in an attempt to make me think it’s someone local.

The one time when the same number called right back I answered it and it was a gal who said she missed a call from me. I explained to her that my number just happened to be the one they spoofed for that call.

A buddy of mine once kept a scammer going about his PC for a half hour, only to tell him we was sitting on the couch and not rebooting etc, like he was asked. His best quote to the guy, “if you’re going to scam people you at least need to pronounce it right. Let’s say it together, ‘information’”.

We use NoMoRobo on our "landline" VOIP service, and the Call Control app on our Android phones, and rarely get any spam/scam calls any more. Call Control even blocks charity and political calls that are exempt from the Do Not Call rules.

I have read before that simply answering a spam call lets them flag your number as a valid number. That gets added to a phone list that is sold to others causing the increase in calls.

Using caller ID we almost never answer a call we do not recognize. Most of the time they hang up before the answering machine answers, or do not leave a message. And if we do get a call from some spam number leaving a message (such as "this is the IRS"), I add it to the block list in my answering machine so we never get it again.