Posted by HisHughness on 3/19/13 10:46pm
Msg #462075

I keep getting these strange telephone callas.

The phone rings maybe twice, I answer it, and there's nobody there. I return the call, and receive an intercept that the number is not a working number. This is obviously some sort of shady operation; I just can't figure out what kind of shady operation. Anybody else experiencing this?

Reply by HisHughness on 3/19/13 10:49pm
Msg #462076

S/B "calls," not "callas." Maria's been dead for some time now; I doubt she's placing any phone calls.

Reply by Pam/NM on 3/19/13 10:52pm
Msg #462077

have you googled the #?

Reply by Shoshana/AZ on 3/19/13 10:56pm
Msg #462079

Obviously, she is calling from

that "Great Opera House in the Sky"!

Reply by Calnotary on 3/19/13 10:55pm
Msg #462078

I received 5 calls today from different numbers and they all were trying to resolve my "credit card debt" On the first call I was asked if I had CC debt I told the lady that yes how much? 80K then I just heard a click, the other four I just press 3 to be erased from their database.


I finally installed an appt in my iphone so the phone does not ring for the number that I enter.

Problem solved, I have several SS in that list already.

Reply by LKT/CA on 3/19/13 11:27pm
Msg #462082

Someone suggested an app called "Mr. Number". Works great to either block calls and either send them to voice mail or hang up on them. If you don't want to answer private/restricted numbers, those calls can be blocked and sent to voice mail or hung up on too.

Reply by Lee/AR on 3/20/13 12:02am
Msg #462084

At least twice a day, every day. Somebody selling something

If you type the number into your search engine, you'll pull up a number of sites 'Who called me' and the like. Read the comments and somewhere somebody usually knows what the call was about and it's always somebody selling something. Yes, I'm on the gov. do not call registry, but there is some minor 'business affiliation' that allows them to call (credit cards being the major 'affiliation'). Buy insurance (AARP), lower my interest rate (multiple sources), google trying to sell some website placement service, just all kinds of junk calls. Once in a blue moon it actually is a business call for a signing from some SS you wouldn't work for anyway---and I found it by googling the number.

Reply by HisHughness on 3/20/13 8:45am
Msg #462100

I guess I wasn't explicit enough

What I don't understand is why I call a number right back and get an intercept saying that it is a non-working number. I just got called from that number, from chrissakes; how could it be non-working 20 seconds later?

Reply by Yoli/CA on 3/20/13 9:51am
Msg #462110

Re: I guess I wasn't explicit enough

I've had something similar happen to me. Phone rings once, twice ... I answer. Click. Call right back and get fast busy signal. Call back again and phone is no longer in service. It's happened several times and several times I've googled those numbers. All of them selling something, usually some sort of insurance. And, yeah, I'm on the Do Not Call list. Guess it could be worse ....

Reply by MistarellaFL on 3/20/13 9:55am
Msg #462111

Re: I guess I wasn't explicit enough-Hugh

Whomever called you is using a software to disguise their phone number with another number, so you cannot call back OR get good information on that particular number. Technology is a son of a gun.
When that happens to me, I know it's a BS call.

Reply by JPH13/MO on 3/20/13 12:39pm
Msg #462152

Could also be seeing if anyone there

Companies having software to disguise the real number also have robo-calls that call and hang up if anyone answers. This then gets your phone number added to a list as an active number with someone home at x time. Within the next few days you then get a call from someone wanting to sell you something.

Reply by bagger on 3/20/13 12:47pm
Msg #462153

It could also be a robo-dialing fax machine

If fax tone is not detected, it hangs up.

Reply by MikeC/TX on 3/20/13 6:37pm
Msg #462243

Re: I guess I wasn't explicit enough

The phone number you saw on your caller ID is spoofed - they made it up, and that is very easy to do with VOIP (internet) or cell phones. The FCC seems to have as much of a problem fighting this as they do in enforcing the "Do Not Call" law (which is now generally being ignored by every telemarketer out there).

Th only thing you can do if you get repeat calls like this is to try to block the number. For your cell phone, there's an app called Mr Number which works reasonably well and is free. If you have a land-line or Internet phone, your provider probably has some capability to block calls from specific numbers.

Your other option, of course, is to do nothing and continue banging your head against the wall...

Reply by ikando on 3/20/13 8:48pm
Msg #462265

I've got an app called Call Control on my Android phone. It offers a black list for numbers I don't want to hear from again, a white list for those I definitely want to get, and other options that come in handy. I don't think I paid much, if anything, for it.