Device to block calls by CallerID 'Name'

Factual Questions
1

For reasons best skipped I have calls coming in that I do not wish to answer. Unfortunately they are from an agency which has a multitude of phone trunks available to it, so blocking just the number is ineffective (it keeps changing). But, the CallerID always shows the same string in the name field, so is there any third party device or model phone or even some type of PC software which will let you block all calls that have the same CallerID name?

2

Thisdevice does not block by name, but has some wild card capabilities that might be enough. For instance,

I started getting calls from polling companies that are exempt from the Do Not Call list (oddly, both times when this started, I had just gone to Jiffy Lube - I wonder if Jiffy is selling their customer info?) and even though I asked them nicely to take me off their lists, they kept calling. This device put an end to that.

3

I use the free version of PhoneTray. Once the call has made it through the first time, you can right click on it and block it.

“Blocking” means it’ll pick up the phone and hang it back up, possibly playing something obnoxious if you so choose and your modem has the ability.

The free version will let one ring go through, I believe the pay version will catch it before you even know anything happened, but I’m sure you’d hear your modem clicking if you were near the computer.

4

Just a follow up to say thanks. I went with the modem/PhoneTray method and it works perfectly! I first went to Best Buy for a modem, I haven’t looked at modems in over a decade, and was surprised that they only had one model and it was $49! It was a nice, simple external USB, but I figured I could find one on eBay for less (I did, $13 S&H included!)

I’m only using the free version of PhoneTray but it seems to be full featured. It not only lets you specify CallerID names and numbers (with wildcards) to block, but it also comes with several wav files that you can set to play for specific calls. It includes the three-tone “DO-DO-DEE We’re sorry, the number you have dialed is no longer in service…” message, which will hopefully trigger auto-dialing systems to mark my number as disconnected.