I've apparently reached a tipping point when it comes to revealing my cell phone number to institutions and businesses.

[LuckyCharms]

I have both a landline, and a cell phone.

I get anywhere from 10 to 30 spam calls per day on my landline.

Until yesterday, spam calls on my cell phone were limited to 1 or 2 per day.

Yesterday, the dam broke.

37 spam calls on my phone in 24 hours.

I guess it's off to the races now.

If you block the number, they just spoof another number.

Good times.

[rampartd]

1. the do not call list is a joke

[LuckyCharms]

2. I know. it has become worthless.

On my landline, it used to be helpful, but not anymore.

[Oopsie Daisy]

3. Our landline is quiet because only "whitelisted" callers can get through *

* everyone else gets sent to voicemail. We still get an occasional spammy VM message, but most do not leave a message. In any regard, it's better than a phone constantly ringing.

[Duncanpup]

4. I apologize for writing your phone number on men bathrooms walls Lucky.

[LuckyCharms]

6. True story...

I had a girlfriend who was jealous of a previous girlfriend (this was when i was in my 20's).

There was this large dance club/bar in a neighboring town.

The disgruntled current (at the time) girlfriend went into the ladies room of this extremely popular club, wielding a magic marker. She slimed my ex girlfriend on the bathroom walls with that magic marker in the most vile manner possible, using my name, and the ex girlfriend's first and last name. I was not with the current girlfriend in the club at the time that this happened. Crazy shit like "I love LuckyCharms, and xxxxx is a fucking whore (she wasn't - she was a great person).

My ex girlfriend phoned me one weekend in tears, asking me what was going on. She was told by her friends what was written on the bathroom walls.

I knew that my current girlfriend was a handful, but in my naivety, I did not know that she was a jealous psycho.

I broke up immediately with the current girlfriend after that phone call.

I was so angry. The ex girlfriend was/is a lovely person and did not deserve that shit.

[Duncanpup]

7. Relationships are tough bro.

We should hang out. Although at 58 I’m kind of tame now no booze no anarchy as my youth yet I enjoy a good BBQ 😉

[LuckyCharms]

8. We should someday!

We would get along well.

I'm 8 years older than you, and no booze for me either. I'd have to drink milk (lactose free milk), but we would have a good time!

[Marthe48]

32. You've been sober???

[LuckyCharms]

37. Haha! For about 12 years!

[Duncanpup]

5. I used get calls from window company

They called one day I told em let’s do it I need 36 windows replaced. They were like sir you must have a big home I said it’s a modest home , it’s a refurbished school bus.

They never called back.

[Marthe48]

34. lol

You should have the show, Duncanpup!

lol

[eShirl]

9. it's why I don't have a cell phone

and don't answer the land line

[eppur_se_muova]

10. We use our cell phone for outgoing calls only. It's turned off otherwise.

If there is any service provider who provides effective spam blocking, they should advertise that as their chief distinguishing feature. I bet it would get them more business.

A one-button "block this number" or even "report this caller" would probably be the best-selling feature of all time.

[True Dough]

11. Did anyone call you

with medical advice?

[LuckyCharms]

12. Yes.

I gave one spammer a hard time, and he told me to "stick it up my ass".

That's medical advice.

I think.

[Harker]

15. Maybe you should remove it now. n/c, n/t

[LuckyCharms]

16. I have my head up there now, looking for it.

[Harker]

26. With a Maglite in your teeth?

[LuckyCharms]

28. No, I just light a match so I can see.

[True Dough]

23. I believe the rule is:

If it's uncomfortable, it's deemed medical.

If you derive pleasure from it, it's something else.

[LuckyCharms]

24. It must have been medical then!

it was a rather large and oddly shaped landline telephone with a 10 foot cord.

[True Dough]

25. Well at least,

now your doctor will hear when you have a gas attack!

[JoseBalow]

13. $500 per call

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=do+not+call+list+violations+lawsuit

TCPA:

TCPA 47 U.S.C. sec. 227(b)(A) states that it shall be unlawful for any person within the United States, or any person outside the United States if the recipient is within the United States, to initiate any telephone call (including a text message) to any telephone line to deliver a message without the prior express consent of the called party.

TCPA 47 U.S.C. sec. 227(b)(B) also prohibits telemarketers from using pre-recorded or artificially created voices to call consumers without their consent.

TCPA 47 U.S.C. sec. 227(c)(5) makes two or more communications within a 12-month period made to telephone lines listed on the National Do Not Call Registry a violation.

TCPA 47 U.S.C. sec. 227(c)(5)(b) gives consumers an action to recover up to $500 in damages for each such violation.

https://www.fcc.gov/sites/default/files/tcpa-rules.pdf

[LuckyCharms]

14. I wish there was a simple way to enforce this...

since they spoof phone numbers.

[JoseBalow]

17. True, you usually have to play along to get their real identity

They know they're in violation, so they're pretty cagey about revealing who they really are. You have to pretend to be interested and want their service or product, usually right up to the point of payment. If you ask them who they are or how to contact them too soon, they assume you're trying to trap them.

There are attorneys who specialize in suing telemarketers, and they can give you info on how to identify and build a case against violators. There are also a ton of videos on YouTube of people baiting the scammers.

[Attilatheblond]

29. Sadly, enforcement seems to be nonexistent.

Sort of like trying to get real justice administered to a certain convicted felon in politics.

[JoseBalow]

30. True, the FTC itself has only gone after about 150 big violators

But there have been many, many successful lawsuits filed against other violators directly by consumers, which is what I was referring to. You can complain to the FTC, but direct civil "enforcement" is where the fun and money is.

https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/topics/do-not-call-registry/enforcement

[LogDog75]

18. I have a landline phone that screens calls

The phone has a phone base and four additional handsets that I have around the home. When you call my number, you get greeted with a message that requires you to press a certain number in order for the phone to ring. If nothing is pushed, it rejects the call. It's especially handy preventing robocalls. Occasionally, there will be a telemarketer who is cold-calling that gets through but I usually wait until they start talking then I let the call go to voice mail. With this system, I rarely get any unwanted calls.

I do have a cellphone but I limit who I give that number to. If I don't want them to have it I give them my landline number.

[Niagara]

19. For a good time call LuckyCharms at 867-5309

Hey!

Lucky, Lucky who can I turn to?
You give me something I can hold on to
I know you think I'm like the others before
Who saw your name and number on the wall....


Seriously, I never answer these at all.

In the event that you answer, never say "Yes" to anything.

Usually they start with questions like, "Can you hear me?" or "Would you take a survey?"


I really wish that something can be done about these spam phone calls.

[LuckyCharms]

20. Oh no!

That's my landline number!

You posted my landline number!

At least you didn't post the area code!!!

Seriously...

I got one today and they asked "Can you hear me"?

I responded "I can hear you" instead of "Yes".

Sometimes if I'm not busy, I'll play with these guys.

When they find out I'm messing with them, they tell me to do unspeakable things to the female members of my family!

The problem is...they spoof local numbers, and the local number they spoof the most is the number of the local hospital system, so sometimes I have to answer the call, thinking it is one of my doctors! It's so infuriating. They even spoofed my own phone number once on a spam call to my landline. I looked at the number, and it was like I was phoning myself. Another time, they spoofed my neighbor's number, and I thought "Why the hell is she calling me on the landline? She doesn't even know my landline number."

What really pisses me off is when I haven't slept at all the night before and i'm trying to catch a nap for 30 minutes or so, and the phone rings. No sleeping after that!

[Niagara]

21. Oops, my bad, Lucky! Now you're going to get phone calls from everyone on DU!

You must be talking to Indonesians if they're telling you to do unspeakable things to female family members. I use to watch Kitboga, IRLrosie and another YouTube channel where the name of it escapes me at the moment.


For whatever reason, this is the must insulting phrases to say for Indonesians:


Madarchod means motherfucker

Behenchod means sisterfucker


Yes, spoofing numbers is a colossal problem, especially when someone is attempting to catch up on much needed sleep.

[LuckyCharms]

22. Yes, that's exactly what they tell me to do to my mother and my sister.

Seriously, that is the go to insult, every time.

Only they say it in English. I respond the same way all of the time.

GO FUCK YOUR MOTHER!

No, you.

GO FUCK YOUR SISTER!

No, you.

On and on. I just keep saying "No, you". And they keep responding with the same insult. They're not very creative, but I guess I'm not either!

One time I said "I'LL BE THERE TOMORROW WITH MY TOOLS, FUCKFACE. YOU AIN'T GOT NOBODY DOWN THERE THAT CAN WORK LIKE ME".

The guy paused and said "What did you say, bro"? I'm not kidding!

Also, I will NOT entertain any phone calls from DUers unless they refer to me by my real name:

Samsquanch A. Fonzarelli Jr.

If they ask for "LuckyCharms", I'll know it's a spam call.

[yaesu]

27. Same, and the spam will only get worse. nt

[Mark.b2]

31. We need a law making it illegal for an organization to give out a third party's phone number...

sort of a HIPPA for phone numbers. The only legal source for a person’s number would be that person.

[OldBaldy1701E]

33. Do what I did.

Check and see if your phone will allow you to utilize specific ringtones for your contact list. Set each contact with one. Then pick something you can easily recognize to use for anything else. (I am using a recording of the Giant Head from 'Rick And Morty'... It goes, "DISQUALIFIED!&quot . Hearing that general ringtone means the call is dropped to a very low priority. I will look at it, but if I don't recognize the number, they can leave a message. If they don't... 99% of the time it was SPAM.

[Marthe48]

35. My daughters have their cell phones set up

so each person has a unique ring tone when they call. I keep meaning to dial them when they're at my house and hear what they picked for me, but I forget to do it

I started to set mine up like that, but didn't get back to it.

[OldBaldy1701E]

36. It can take a little time, but the result is worth it.

I also make sure to tell anyone not on that list who may be calling me about anything to leave a message if I do not pick up. I will return the call asap, but I don't multi-task phone calls. (I could but I don't want to. )

[keithbvadu2]

38. House phone gets many spam calls.

Most live ones are from India. Several replies to them.
Can you speak English? More than once.
Do you have someone there who can speak English?
You sound like a poorly educated Pakistani.

Want to sell your house?
Bring $500,000
What company are you? What is your address? Keep asking.

Same for Medicare advantage and money saving schemes.

Does it all sound rude?
Who cares? They just hang up if you are not positive to their pitch.

Answering it is for entertainment purposes only.

Get a few sexual suggestions in response.
----------------
Usually let the cellphone ring unanswered
Get very few voicemails.