What's the average number of robo/spam calls you receive per day?

[Rey C.]

I get more robo/spam calls per day than I do regular phone calls some days (10+). Most all of them use spoofed phone numbers, so it's not like I can block them. I've contacted my cellphone provider and their only suggestion was to change my phone number - not exactly practical, since I've had this number for going on 20 years and it would be a massive task to get a new number out to important contacts.

A side note: I tried to be funny about a year ago by taking the calls, punching #1 (so I could get one of these mopes to pick up) and then I'd play smart ass games with them til they cursed me and hung up. But then I found out that when you activate their phones by punching a number, your number goes on a special list as a "live number". So now you're special and you'll get even more calls, from even more places in the future. Being a smart ass doesn't always pay off. Who knew? :dunno:

So what about you? And if you're from Europe or some place other than the U.S., I'd like to know about that too. Is this a problem outside the U.S.???

 

[FOUser#4510856320198a]

1-2, sometimes peaks at 3-4 if I've just given my number over to something legitimate that, nonetheless, must've have shared my phone # (I'm thinking of the last couple of refis).

I started opting out, or ticking the box, or whatever, to preclude marketing contact, "we'll share your info with our 3rd party friends, that we know you'll love", all that shit, as early as I could remember. Doesn't do the job completely, but it's helped. It sounds like you may be a 'decision maker', or you own your own business. I'm not a business owner, but past jobs had me in more of a DM role, so more calls to my personal number. I've had my number for about 20 years too, but I don't get the grief that you do.

 

[xfire]

Depends on the day, or week. I got a sum total of none for the week of 3 Mar thru 9 Mar, but some days I get three or four. Probably average about five a week. I just hang up.

 

[FOUser#4510856320198a]

Met this guy once - he gets them to call him on purpose, has some fun with them, records it, sells it, lives off the proceeds. Lemonade.

 

[assari]

Sometimes a few sometimes even a hundred.

 

[freeones_regina]

I never get these calls and I do have a phone.

Here in the Netherlands we have an official 'Don't call me' list, you can register for it and when your number is on it then companies (at least Dutch companies) are not allowed to call you with marketing/sales nonsense. I'm not even registered but still do not receive calls like this.

Here at the FreeOnes office we maybe get on average a sales call once a week.

I cannot even imagine what it is like to receive 10+ of these calls a day, aren't there laws in the US to prevent them from calling you?

 

[Rane1071]

One or two a day at least and always with an Indian accent. It's rampant in Australia, but ten a day? damn! That's crazy.

 

[Rey C.]

I never get these calls and I do have a phone.

Here in the Netherlands we have an official 'Don't call me' list, you can register for it and when your number is on it then companies (at least Dutch companies) are not allowed to call you with marketing/sales nonsense. I'm not even registered but still do not receive calls like this.

Here at the FreeOnes office we maybe get on average a sales call once a week.

I cannot even imagine what it is like to receive 10+ of these calls a day, aren't there laws in the US to prevent them from calling you?

It was slow today - I only got six.

We have a Do Not Call registry here in the U.S. too. Legitimate companies abide by the rules for the most part. The calls most of us get are from overseas call centers (usually India or Jamaica). They're criminals and they spoof the numbers so that it appears you're getting a local call. They'll offer you anything from car and home appliance warranties to health insurance - they just want your social security number and maybe a bank card. They target elderly people and try to con them out of their social security checks or tell them that they've won a contest of some sort - all they have to do is pay the taxes and the check will be on the way. Sometimes they'll tell you that the IRS is looking for you and if you don't pay the fine over the phone with your credit card, the police will be at your door in a few minutes. I got one like that the other day - we (I) had fun. I told him that the FBI was already looking for me after I killed an Indian guy's cow and ate it. He didn't seem amused. He called me a mean name and told me to perform an unnatural act on myself.

Verizon and AT&T are supposed to be working on technology that will unmask the fake numbers that show up on caller I.D. I thought that it was supposed to be rolled out this year, but I haven't heard anything else about it lately. This has become a real issue here in the U.S. I was curious about other places. Sounds like Rane has the issue in Australia. Anybody else from overseas?

 

[Little Red Wagon Repairman]

Sometimes none and sometimes 2-3 per day. I've received them at 7:30AM on a Sunday Morning too.

 

[Torre82]

About 5. Noon time.
Not on my personal cell, but when I'm doing my shift at the desk. (I'm a superintendent/desk dude/little bit of everything for a residential building)

The OSHA
google webpage listing
spammer-scammers
the 'BEEP' and then 5 seconds of silence until Jason Nahatumatishinka-Ad-Duprong comes on the line, surprised that someone picks up a landline
the insurance guys
the fake insurance claims
the board of health lawyers
the.. people that sound like they have an interview with the building owner and yet dont have their personal number, etc etc.

The do-not-call list pertains to sales calls only, and you cant block a spoofed number anywho.
Even if you blocked it, it might (abysmally tiny chance) be from a local number that might ACTUALLY call you, one day.

So these guys that call up with scams.. are actually within their rights, and outside the jurisdiction of phone system felonies.

Oh. And a'course, the reality is that the number is sold to those guys. You know the companies.. the cable company, credit report sites, etc etc.

 

[John_8581]

Scammer medical device companies call at least once a week. Back and knee braces were sent to my house. One package was refused. The other package was discarded in the trash. A relative contacted Medicare and reported them. They charged Medicare about $6,000.00. Eighty percent was charged to Medicare, twenty percent was charged to her supplemental medicare coverage. The relative had those charges cleared after a Medicare investigator contacted her. They talked for over an hour.

Scam calls from the Service (IRS) -- We get them. We don't pick up the phone. We erase the messages. They started spoofing P S E & G and Verizon numbers too. We cannot rely on Caller ID anymore.

Overall about eight to twelve a day. It's gotten so bad that we don't pickup the landline anymore. The latest is that they spoof the exchange you live in hoping that you'd pick up the telephone.

We have cell phones, but the household wants to keep the landline. A relative who calls the house gets better reception when calling the landline rather than calling the cell phones.