Is there a place to report phone scams?

[stuckmotor]

I imagine everyone has heard of the phone scam where the caller asks "can you hear me OK? then tries to pass a "yes" answer as some kind of contract or other. I've. gotten a "Can you hear me OK? " call for two days in a row. Is there a number I should call to report it?

 

[sea2summit]

Scammer Payback on YT takes them.

 

[ponytug]

Good on you for not saying "Yes".

Yes, there is a site, though many of the scammers fake their caller ID, so it may not be worth much.

Submit a request – FCC Complaints

consumercomplaints.fcc.gov

All the best, Peter

 

[stuckmotor]

Good on you for not saying "Yes".

Yes, there is a site, though many of the scammers fake their caller ID, so it may not be worth much.

Submit a request – FCC Complaints

consumercomplaints.fcc.gov

All the best, Peter

I asked the last one if she realized the question she'd asked was used by scammers the world over. She hung up before I had finished.

 

[ponytug]

I've taken to wasting their time by asking politely whether they are worried about the damage that they are doing to their karma by their job. The responses range from "click" through to abuse in Hindi. One guy did that he wasn't worried, and then lost it. So, perhaps he did have concerns after all.

I can't wait for the Feds to finally implement verified caller ID for all calls.

All the best,

Peter

 

[Oaktree]

I've taken to wasting their time by asking politely whether they are worried about the damage that they are doing to their karma by their job. The responses range from "click" through to abuse in Hindi. One guy did that he wasn't worried, and then lost it. So, perhaps he did have concerns after all.

I can't wait for the Feds to finally implement verified caller ID for all calls.

+1 on that. I'm sure the technology already exists (such as for 911 purposes).

In the days before caller ID was standard, I'd sometimes mess with them, but it got old after a while...easier to not answer if I don't recognize the caller.

 

[Boss 302]

Don't recognize, Don't answer

 

[Cycledude]

On the local news lately they have been recommending report the call to local police .

 

[stuckmotor]

On the local news lately they have been recommending report the call to local police .

I wonder what the local police will do?

 

[stuckmotor]

Don't recognize, Don't answer.

I've been expecting very important calls and am not sure how the hospital system's phones show up on my caller ID.

 

[tom3]

I wonder what the local police will do?

Nothing. Nobody seems to actually care about these scams. It is kind of hard sometimes to not automatically say 'yes'.

 

[Torvy]

Even if 'expecting' a call, I don't answer unless the number or ID matches the expected caller. They can leave a message if it is important. By answering those calls, you increase your chances of getting them. My wife, bless her heart, answered one yesterday that literally said "probable fraud" on the ID. What's worse, she always answers her phone as if it is business, so she gives her name before she even knows who is calling. She gets considerably more scam calls than I get.

 

[JasperFrank]

"I can't wait for the Feds to finally implement verified caller ID for all calls."

Yup. And for some reason, this wasn't done seven years ago. My phone company, just keeps giving me bull, about blocking Voip calls. They say that they can't. I ask, then who is paying the bill on the call? These are not free, someone is using your service. They never give an answer that makes sense.

 

[oosik]

Rather unique situation here. My cell phone ( and only phone ) is ALWAYS OFF. Unless I'm expecting an immediate return call OR making a call myself. Messages or missed calls are easy to screen and return or delete when I turn the phone on.

 

[Torvy]

Rather unique situation here. My cell phone ( and only phone ) is ALWAYS OFF. Unless I'm expecting an immediate return call OR making a call myself. Messages or missed calls are easy to screen and return or delete when I turn the phone on.

I'm not quite to 'off', but I never turn on the 'ringer'. If I don't see the call coming, it goes to vm.

 

[square1]

Don't expect much help from Fed agencies or local PD. Many of these scam calls originate outside the US where they have no jurisdiction.

 

[oosik]

I've had folks( immediate family members ) get upset that I leave my phone off. My son, granddaughter, great grand children - turn their cell phones on the minute they are awake and their feet hit the floor.

My answer - you do what you want. I do what I want. Remember who pays MY phone bill.

So..... spam calls and messages present no problems to me. I don't really get all that many. It doesn't take long for the callers to recognize that my phone number NEVER directly answers. It ALWAYS goes to VM or missed call.

 

[Torvy]

The feds could do something, but they have zero interest in solving problems. A solved problem only garners votes once. A perpetual problem continues to generate votes.

Given reasonably low effort by our SigInt teams, they could track where this comes from and either pressure the host governments or send in covert ops to neutralize the scammers. Jurisdiction only matters inside the US.

 

[Oaktree]

Even if 'expecting' a call, I don't answer unless the number or ID matches the expected caller. They can leave a message if it is important.

My approach exactly. I still use a landline (well, technically VOIP as part of a cable bundle), I have an answering machine and can hear if someone is leaving a message. If it's someone I want to talk to I'll pick up then, or at least call back shortly.