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iPhone 8/Plus phone calls scam

Dsampedro said:
is there an app or what that blocks scams from calling? there is times when they call about 10 times a day or more.
[doublepost=1539726241][/doublepost]I try to block them and they keep coming back with a different number
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In these days of Robo-Callers and other spoofing mechanisms ... best of luck.
I currently use Hiya! just to keep the volume to a minimum. Whether it is my work phone (8+) or personal (Razer) I average 2-5 a day that get by the app. Comes in waves.

I tried the AT&T app and found it to be not really anymore effective than some others out there. Warning, it is not free.
"AT&T Call Protect uses the power of the AT&T network to automatically block potential fraud calls, show warnings of suspected spam calls and gives you the power to add unwanted callers to your personal block list. "
It's in the App store.

What we really need is legislation that makes spoofing and robocalling illegal. :cool:
 
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I use hiya. It has an algorithm that detects spam calls and certain settings you can tweak. It’s been fairly accurate. It detects the typical spoofers that use your first 6 digits of your number and it identifies it as a potential spoofer.
 
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BigMcGuire said:
Do you use this? I'm really leery about using something like this because I think they're a no-name company doing whatever with a massive list of calls that they get as well as my phone number. lol. I'm only considering it because my spam calls have REALLY gotten out of hand in the last few weeks. I keep my phone off but my watch is buzzing all the time now. I guess I can just turn on DND permanently and only allow calls from contacts? :/ except when I'm expecting calls outside of contacts (doesn't happen too often).
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I use them and it does an excellent job. The only thing they have of mine is my phone number. Calls to my number are forwarded to their system number, if I remember correctly. I was using Nomorobo but, it has really gone down hill as it wasn't really blocking much of anything anymore.

Using DND all the time is not really a practical option for me, at this point in time.
 
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Newtons Apple said:
This is what I have sued now for about 6 months and it has worked very well. It does not stop all the calls but I would say 80% and I am using the no cost version of Call Protect.

Not sure how much better the paid version cost or what it offers for the extra money!

The DO NOT CALL list is another joke on us. I am betting government employees have sold our numbers or the list has been hacked! They are unable to protect their OWN private data, you know how little they must care for ours.
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Before I got the app I was getting a lot less robo calls then I had been getting before. Decided to just get the app to try to reduce it even more.
 
Packers1958 said:
Do not call list is for domestic callers. 99% of all spammers are outside of the US, using computer generated phone numbers and calling via the internet, not actual phone lines or cell phones. Government employees are not selling any list, and they have not been hacked.

All one has to do is have software that spoofs a US number and then robo call every possible phone number in the US. They ignore the no call list because they cant be prosecuted outside of the US.

The only way to stop it would be to ban computer generated phone numbers, but that would put skype and other similar companies out of business. Just pass a law that requires users to get a US phone number from a US phone company or wireless carrier.

Also remember, when you purchase something online, and click on an agreement, many can legally sell your phone information to other vendors, who the can bombard your phone with robo calls. And since you agreed to those terms, those who bought the info cant be prosecuted.
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Sorry but most of mine are from INSIDE the USA. I have done a good bit of research and all but maybe a few are from scammers right here in the USA.

Still would not be surprised if government employees are selling the DNC list. I have much less faith in them than you!
 
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Newtons Apple said:
Sorry but most of mine are from INSIDE the USA. I have done a good bit of research and all but maybe a few are from scammers right here in the USA.

Still would not be surprised if government employees are selling the DNC list. I have much less faith in them than you!
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I would bet the vast majority of those people bought your phone from a list, that you approved to call you when you made a purchase and agreed to terms of service. Unless you read through those 20 pages in in those terms, you are probably totally unaware that you approved those robo calls. And just because the number is a US number, means absolutely nothing. They could be calling from India, Canada, Australia, etc.

Secondly, I work for the Federal Government, and we don't sit around selling that information. First of all, it's encrypted, second, you are constantly tracked while using a government computer. They know exactly who is on, when you are on, what files they are looking at, etc, at all times. People need to loosen their tin foil hats.

And third, why would anyone need to sell that info. Robo callers call EVERY possible US number. Computers call non stop, once it connects to a valid number, it leaves a spam message. Why spend money buying a DNC list, when you call every possible number for free? There is no need to buy or sell a DNC list.
 
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Packers1958 said:
I would bet the vast majority of those people bought your phone from a list, that you approved to call you when you made a purchase and agreed to terms of service. Unless you read through those 20 pages in in those terms, you are probably totally unaware that you approved those robo calls. And just because the number is a US number, means absolutely nothing. They could be calling from India, Canada, Australia, etc.

Secondly, I work for the Federal Government, and we don't sit around selling that information. First of all, it's encrypted, second, you are constantly tracked while using a government computer. They know exactly who is on, when you are on, what files they are looking at, etc, at all times. People need to loosen their tin foil hats.
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Possibly ... However until I started blocking them, the majority of these calls were either spoofed, silent if answered, or for some product/service/group I had never heard of and could not figure how they got my number.

For fun I dump a number of these into VM. Sometimes the transcription service makes hilarious reading ;)
 
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Packers1958 said:
I would bet the vast majority of those people bought your phone from a list, that you approved to call you when you made a purchase and agreed to terms of service. Unless you read through those 20 pages in in those terms, you are probably totally unaware that you approved those robo calls. And just because the number is a US number, means absolutely nothing. They could be calling from India, Canada, Australia, etc.

Secondly, I work for the Federal Government, and we don't sit around selling that information. First of all, it's encrypted, second, you are constantly tracked while using a government computer. They know exactly who is on, when you are on, what files they are looking at, etc, at all times. People need to loosen their tin foil hats.
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Sorry but I have friends who work in the government and there is plenty of opportunity to get on a computer and not be tracked. We caught our own state government selling our drivers license info to multiple companies when is is forbidden to do so. I am very careful about who has my cell phone number but I am sure part was as you claim.

You can not tell me that some junior government employee has not sold or hacked our data for their profit. You people can not protect your OWN private data so I pretty well know how important it is to keeping ours safe.

You are still using Win 95 on many of our Federal Government sites. That says much.
 
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Rhonindk said:
Possibly ... However until I started blocking them, the majority of these calls were either spoofed, silent if answered, or for some product/service/group I had never heard of and could not figure how they got my number.
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Robo callers call EVERY possible US number. Computers call non stop, once it connects to a valid number, it leaves a spam message. Why spend money buying a DNC list, when you call every possible number for free? There is no need to buy or sell a DNC list.

They don't need to know your number. Computers dial every number. They will eventually get to your number. Once your phone answers, whether it's voice mail, etc, the computer knows it's a real number.
[doublepost=1539804011][/doublepost]
Newtons Apple said:
Sorry but I have friends who work in the government and there is plenty of opportunity to get on a computer and not be tracked. We caught our own state government selling our drivers license info to multiple companies when is is forbidden to do so. I am very careful about who has my cell phone number but I am sure part was as you claim.

You can not tell me that some junior government employee has not sold or hacked our data for their profit. You people can not protect your OWN private data so I pretty well know how important it is to keeping ours safe.

You are still using Win 95 on many of our Federal Government sites. That says much.
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Wow you are so wrong. So very very wrong. Again...Robo callers call EVERY possible US number. Computers call non stop, once it connects to a valid number, it leaves a spam message. Why spend money buying a DNC list, when you call every possible number for free? There is no need to buy or sell a DNC list.

For instance, you live in area code 414. The computer dials every possible combination in that area code. Every possible combination. If you live in that area code, you will get called.
 
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Packers1958 said:
Robo callers call EVERY possible US number. Computers call non stop, once it connects to a valid number, it leaves a spam message. Why spend money buying a DNC list, when you call every possible number for free? There is no need to buy or sell a DNC list.

They don't need to know your number. Computers dial every number. They will eventually get to your number. Once your phone answers, whether it's voice mail, etc, the computer knows it's a real number.
[doublepost=1539804011][/doublepost]
Wow you are so wrong. So very very wrong. Again...Robo callers call EVERY possible US number. Computers call non stop, once it connects to a valid number, it leaves a spam message. Why spend money buying a DNC list, when you call every possible number for free? There is no need to buy or sell a DNC list.
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Not from what my friends who work for the government say. But you can believe what you want, I will believe what I want. I have been in their offices before and it is Win 95 for sure, not much security possible there. What do they keep doing with the money to update?
 
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Newtons Apple said:
Not from what my friends who work for the government say. But you can believe what you want, I will believe what I want. I have been in their offices before and it is Win 95 for sure, not much security possible there. What do they keep doing with the money to update?
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I work in the federal government. NOBODY is still on Win 95. I don't believe in fairy tales. You can't even access a government computer without a biometrics card that uses a fingerprint scanner.
 
I use the free Hiya app. It seems to do a good job at identifying scam/spam calls. From what I have read, I don't think there is anything available that can block spam calls 100% of the time.
 
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Newtons Apple said:
I work in the Private Sector and I have seen these computers just a few years ago.
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Not in the federal government. They went to security cards access points 7 or 8 years ago. You can't access any federal government computer without a card and fingerprint scanner. They are upgrading all to retina scanners.
 
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Packers1958 said:
Do not call list is for domestic callers. 99% of all spammers are outside of the US, using computer generated phone numbers and calling via the internet, not actual phone lines or cell phones. Government employees are not selling any list, and they have not been hacked.

All one has to do is have software that spoofs a US number and then robo call every possible phone number in the US. They ignore the no call list because they cant be prosecuted outside of the US.

The only way to stop it would be to ban computer generated phone numbers, but that would put skype and other similar companies out of business. Just pass a law that requires users to get a US phone number from a US phone company or wireless carrier.

Also remember, when you purchase something online, and click on an agreement, many can legally sell your phone information to other vendors, who the can bombard your phone with robo calls. And since you agreed to those terms, those who bought the info cant be prosecuted.
Click to expand...

This is why I use Google Voice as another number to give out when buying online.
 
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Hiya has worked well for me. Occasionally one might sneak through, but, has helped tremendously. Also added WideProtect to specify area codes other than my own.

ADD: ATT Call Protect is ATT's front-end to the Hiya database.

Jordan921 said:
They left a message saying they were from a company calling on behalf of Comcast. Had to block the number because they kept calling.
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Comcast is terrible about this. Constantly getting calls to upgrade existing service. But luckily, seem to always call from same number, so, can set a block. But, it goes to my Google Voice anyway, which is in permanent Do Not Disturb mode, so, never hear it.

BigMcGuire said:
Do you use [call blocker]? I'm really leery about using something like this because I think they're a no-name company doing whatever with a massive list of calls that they get as well as my phone number.
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https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT207099

Incoming calls are never sent to third-party developers.
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And from high-level API documentation:

https://developer.apple.com/documentation/callkit

you cannot, for example, make a request to a web service to find information about an incoming call.
Click to expand...
 
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Rhonindk said:
Haven't seen police. I have seen my personal number show up on my work phone (they both have the same first 6 digits). That was a bit "HUH?!?!" as that phone was on my desk :eek:
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Got a call once on my cell phone... from my cell phone.
 
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