Blocking "Restricted" Calls on Smartphone

[mr__ed]

I've had no problem blocking calls on my Samsung Android phone (Verizon), but when I receive a call that reads "Restricted" on the screen, it can't be blocked. The call is undoubtedly a scammer, and it's a sly attempt to prevent blockage since no number is displayed. These people are a pain. :M

[jodeb720]

you guys are missing all the fun.
They call - and I know they are telemarketers after the hello.
I wait until they say hello and then I start
"Hello, Are you calling about the snowblower I have listed on craigslist?"
they reply "uh, no"
"well you're really lucky - i'm willing to knock 25.00 off the listed price, all I need is your bank account number and routing number and of course your Social for verification"

CLICK

[mich800]

1492 wrote:

mich800 wrote:

This is not really an effective method as many legitimate numbers will be blocked. With spoofing they intentionally mimic numbers within a range that seem local to your phone number.

Actually, works well for me. Anyone on my contact list can get though. Others go to voicemail.

Only receive 1-2 scam calls at most in a month now.

That is different. I know chasing down and blocking numbers is a losing game as they just come back with another set.

[1492]

mich800 wrote:

This is not really an effective method as many legitimate numbers will be blocked. With spoofing they intentionally mimic numbers within a range that seem local to your phone number.

Actually, works well for me. Anyone on my contact list can get though. Others go to voicemail.

Only receive 1-2 scam calls at most in a month now.

[mr__ed]

It still boils down to whether or not a caller leaves a message. To me, no message means caller wants me to answer phone immediately and probably isn't important anyway, which I don't do.

[mich800]

1492 wrote:

mr. ed wrote:
I've had no problem blocking calls on my Samsung Android phone...

This was the one aspect I liked about my Samsung Note (Android) that you could block numbers using wildcards - i.e. blacklist a series of phone numbers such as 212-7**-****. You don't need to use an app. Blocking individual numbers is all but useless as scammers rarely use the same number more than once?

The iPhone is much more challenging in that iOS does not have a clear way of blocking numbers using wildcards? I've tried iOS apps, though these appears to add each individual number in a series into a blacklist database. So can take time to do so.

I'm trying a method by one developer of using wildcard blacklist in iPhone without an app, though more cumbersome method than using an Android phone. Don't yet know how effective it is?

This is not really an effective method as many legitimate numbers will be blocked. With spoofing they intentionally mimic numbers within a range that seem local to your phone number.

[1492]

mr. ed wrote:
I've had no problem blocking calls on my Samsung Android phone...

This was the one aspect I liked about my Samsung Note (Android) that you could block numbers using wildcards - i.e. blacklist a series of phone numbers such as 212-7**-****. You don't need to use an app. Blocking individual numbers is all but useless as scammers rarely use the same number more than once?

The iPhone is much more challenging in that iOS does not have a clear way of blocking numbers using wildcards? I've tried iOS apps, though these appears to add each individual number in a series into a blacklist database. So can take time to do so.

I'm trying a method by one developer of using wildcard blacklist in iPhone without an app, though more cumbersome method than using an Android phone. Don't yet know how effective it is?

[AsheGuy]

I am not familiar with the features of other phone brands now since my wife and I have both been Google Pixel users for several years now. But the Google phone app has a solution for avoiding unwanted calls that works just fine.

When you get a call that is not in your contacts, the phone app invokes its call screening function and gives you the choice to answer the call, screen it or hang up. If you choose the screen the call option, the phone app tells the caller that the call is being screened and they can either say their name and purpose of call or hang up. If the caller responds instead of hanging up, you can see what they say and either answer the call or hang up.

It has saved me many times from rejecting calls I needed to take, like a call from a doctors office, or some other source I should take the call from even though it is not in my contacts.

[Community Alumni]

mr. ed wrote:
I've had no problem blocking calls on my Samsung Android phone (Verizon), but when I receive a call that reads "Restricted" on the screen, it can't be blocked. The call is undoubtedly a scammer, and it's a sly attempt to prevent blockage since no number is displayed. These people are a pain. :M

This statement is not correct. I have received Restricted Calls and all as I remember were from Law Enforcement. That said I assume a scammer might be able to use that but in my experience the scam calls use a phone number close to mine.

JimR

[mr__ed]

MrWizard wrote:
Last year I kept getting calls from American Solar
Who wanted to put Solar panels on my home and reduce my electric bill, finally one day I told him if he could 5000 watts on the roof of my motorhome I'd be interested otherwise forget it,
No more calls from that telemarketer
This year it's the female robocall trying to reach me about my car warranty
And the one calling from BankX about my account
And of course, I don't happen to have an account at that Bank,, that one is a Pishing scam , I pity the people that actually use that Bank, answer the questions, then get ripped
A friend has gotten emails saying her eBay account has been closed do to suspected fraud activity and to call such & such number, that person has never had ebay sellers account, has never too my knowledge bought anything off ebay , she thought somebody used her name and email and messed her up, I had to explain it to her, it wasn't ebay but a scam to get her info, her name wasn't in the email, and she never had account there to get messed up

I like the way you handled that, Mr. Wizard. Wow, if you could get 5000 watts solar panels on your RV, plus a good controller and battery bank, you'd be totally off grid forever!:C

[MikeDupont]

If anyone knows ANYthing about ebay, its that it is impossible to talk to a human there if you have a problem. Or even to find an email address to contact anyone there. :R

[MrWizard]

Last year I kept getting calls from American Solar
Who wanted to put Solar panels on my home and reduce my electric bill, finally one day I told him if he could 5000 watts on the roof of my motorhome I'd be interested otherwise forget it,
No more calls from that telemarketer
This year it's the female robocall trying to reach me about my car warranty
And the one calling from BankX about my account
And of course, I don't happen to have an account at that Bank,, that one is a Pishing scam , I pity the people that actually use that Bank, answer the questions, then get ripped
A friend has gotten emails saying her eBay account has been closed do to suspected fraud activity and to call such & such number, that person has never had ebay sellers account, has never too my knowledge bought anything off ebay , she thought somebody used her name and email and messed her up, I had to explain it to her, it wasn't ebay but a scam to get her info, her name wasn't in the email, and she never had account there to get messed up

[Matt_Colie]

We have Nomorobo on the house line, so we never even look at the phone until the second ring.

The "Credit Card Interest" AHs keep calling from different numbers. Sometimes, they even spoof good numbers. If I have time, I just string them along until the jerk figures out he has been had...
Then, if I have the time, I report that number to Nomorobo.

They just keep calling.

My cell used to be my business phone. I used to get 20~30 junk texts a week. For the last couple of years it has had an auto reply that says "Stop - this number no longer accepts text" followed by a remark. I am now down to about 1 or 2 texts a week, but I also turned off notification and it is not on a leading screen, so it can be a week before I notice them.

Matt

[mr__ed]

ktmrfs wrote:
One problem trying to block all "restricted" numbers is you may end up blocking calls from your Dr., Pharmacy, Hospital, emergency services etc. To comply with HIPA or privacy concerns in many cases the phone number and caller can't be shown.

It has caused occasional problems with both our landlines and cell phones on prep calls prior to surgery. I make a point to tell the office to use a non restricted number, which they usually have available.

I understand your point, but the same restricted caller may call several times a day and the annoyance becomes almost unbearable. I'm willing to take the chance that a "restricted" caller is actually legitimate. If he is, a voicemail will ensue.

[ktmrfs]

One problem trying to block all "restricted" numbers is you may end up blocking calls from your Dr., Pharmacy, Hospital, emergency services etc. To comply with HIPA or privacy concerns in many cases the phone number and caller can't be shown.

It has caused occasional problems with both our landlines and cell phones on prep calls prior to surgery. I make a point to tell the office to use a non restricted number, which they usually have available.