There is a rash of Apple Support calls being sent out. Apple doesn't do this. Is a scam, plain and simple. I block these on my cell. Grandma Appleseed is getting them on her landline. 22 calls in an hour. Its driving her bats.
I've gotten ahold of a few "live" people. All from New Deli. They're spoofing numbers. I've threatened them. Hang up. I've wasted their time by telling them to call my cellphone and giving them the local FBI office number. They keep calling.
How can I get Grandma Appleseed peice and quite?
Turn off her ringer or get an audio caller id. If she recognizes the caller then answer but if not send to VM hell.
problem is they spoof a local number......
but really it will end in a few days as the spammers get a new list of phone numbers to bother ,
It will get down to a few a day ....
At least thats how mine worked out !
I did enjoy telling Sonjay that we were on a land line , and he should call my cell. The number I gave him was the local FBI branch.
Hello? Are you recieving my call? Hello?
Yes, I'm here. It's not ringing.
Hello? Is it ringing?
No, I'm sorry. Its not.
...It-it-it says to dial 9-1-1.
Yes. That's the FBI 's number.
*Click*
I know some bad phrases in their language.
I can only imagine how that would go.
One in particular is supposed to be a guaranteed fight starter.
I stopped answering for awhile unless it was a call I was expecting or a number I recognized (I confess, not hard since the only people who ever would call me are my wife, boss, or mom)
Figured someone would leave a message for anything important.
Spoofed number spam calls pretty much went away relatively quickly then. My theory was a bunch of those calls are just to find active phone numbers that are worth selling to the next call list or something like that.
Latest thing for me has been several threatening calls by an alleged agent of the social security administration. I just hang up. But I'd love to see them covered in honey and buried up to their necks in an anthill.
I keep waiting for Business (as in needs to actually talk to customers) to outstrip Business (as in pays telcos for the ability to spam anybody and everything, and the telcos themselves) for who the market is serving.
I'm trying to be patient. It's not going very well.
Afraid I don't have any great answers for grandma Appleseed, but avoiding answering is a good start, if that can be arranged.
Driven5
UltraDork
10/10/20 11:10 p.m.
I'm guessing the problem is that she answers. Turn off the ringer and let everything go to voice mail for a few weeks. Check voice mail a couple times a day for legit messages to call back.
We have our phone set up to show any incoming call on the tv screen. We don't answer any number we don't recognize. If it's important, they will leave a message. The spoofers have even had us calling ourselves.
Have her imitate whichever of her friends is most prone to rattling on and on about health problems to any scammer who calls, without letting them get a word in edgewise. Make up extra health problems to keep it going. If they want to discuss viruses, see them a virus and raise them arthritis, melanomas, knee replacement...
Or does her phone support custom hold music? Have them listen to a recording of her great-grandchildren singing "This is the song that doesn't end", and see how many hours they'll suffer through that before hanging up.
I've found the fake support people do not repeatedly call people who answer but are clearly bent on wasting their time.
Ask them to wait while you get something to write with. Then go for a walk, shopping, a nap ...
Screening through voice mail. Real people will leave a message because we're all being trained to not answer. When I call a new supplier that doesn't recognize my number, I leave a voice mail and typically get a call back in 3 minutes. While working from home, the home phone will ring 10x a day with maybe one staying to leave a message.
BlueInGreen - Jon (Forum Supporter) said:
I stopped answering for awhile unless it was a call I was expecting or a number I recognized (I confess, not hard since the only people who ever would call me are my wife, boss, or mom)
Figured someone would leave a message for anything important.
Spoofed number spam calls pretty much went away relatively quickly then. My theory was a bunch of those calls are just to find active phone numbers that are worth selling to the next call list or something like that.
I adopted this method a few years back and it works for me. I accidentally answered a call a few months back, and my calls went from almost nonexistent to one a day. but i've continued to let it ride and the volume is slowly dropping.
Air horn.
You are looking at this as a burden, look at it as an opportunity to unleash the frustration of millions on a telemarketer.
I'm not able to screen calls based on known numbers because of the business I am in. I have to answer.
The best solution I have found is to answer every call and when it's an unwanted call I interrupt the caller as quickly as possible and say "This is spam. Put me on your no-call list". It always works. They instantly say "Yes sir", and promise to remove my name.
This seems to greatly reduce calls. I think it had a trickle-down effect- once identified as a "do not call", I think it takes me off additional list sold downstream.
Not sure it's a good plan for elderly. These services are legal, and prey in the elderly. My Dad was generous and was supporting over 100 "non-profits" charities that looked legit, but don't do anything. They just take money from the elderly.
Grandma Appleseed probably gave money to an organization that was sketchy, and now she's on their lists.