# Do not call lists **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 17, 2021, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-call-lists/940218 "2021-04-17T19:58:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![stosh1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@stosh1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stosh1)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2021, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-call-lists/940218/1 "2021-04-17T19:58:38Z")
I am on the “do not call” list and I still get calls from all over the country ( on a recorded line). Does anyone know if there is anything I can do to stop these calls? ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2021, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-call-lists/940218/2 "2021-04-17T20:09:28Z")
Just keep blocking them as best you can. I am on the same list, but they keep proliferating. The “Do Not Call List” is widely ignored by pretty much _everyone_. It’s also entirely possible that those that are calling you are doing so from overseas, and only spoofing US numbers to make them seem legitimate. I have a reasonable suspicion that companies sell their DNC listings to other companies as viable contacts, knowing that a human exists on the line, and can be telemarketed to. Tripler Unfortunately, I don’t think there’s anything you can do. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2021, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-call-lists/940218/3 "2021-04-17T20:51:18Z")
Every time I scroll by this thread I think I’m being instructed to refrain from making calls to lists. And then I realize it’s about “do-not-call lists.” ---
**Author:** ![stosh1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@stosh1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stosh1)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2021, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-call-lists/940218/4 "2021-04-17T21:15:01Z")
Yeah, it comes up on my phone from all over the U.S… The “do not call” list is a joke !!! I don’t answer, I just hang up as soon as I see it. ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2021, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-call-lists/940218/5 "2021-04-17T21:20:09Z")
The basic idea is **don’t answer** it. Just let it go to voicemail, and then delete it. As was told to me from a man from the future: > “Listen, and understand that Robocallers are out there. They **can’t** be bargained with, they **can’t** be reasoned with, they **don’t** feel pity or remorse or fear, and they **absolutely will not stop** … _ **EVER** _, until you are **dead**!” Tripler And even they they may not stop. ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2021, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-call-lists/940218/6 "2021-04-17T21:24:35Z")
I have heard anecdotally that “Do not call” lists are used to identify people who have low sales resistance and are easy marks, making them a valuable resource. The fact is that most of the cold calls you get are not coming from the United States and there’s no way for the “Do not call” penalties to be applied. If I have time, and lately with retirement and a pandemic, I do, I’ll try to string them out as long as I can. I figure if they’re talking to me they’re not talking to someone who might fall for their scam. I’ve had scammers try to make me feel bad when they figure it out after an hour or so. “Did it make you feel good to waste my time” Well, yes, yes it did. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2021, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-call-lists/940218/7 "2021-04-17T21:29:43Z")
> [@Bill\_Door](#): > > I’ve had scammers try to make me feel bad when they figure it out after an hour or so. “Did it make you feel good to waste my time” Well, yes, yes it did. - “You tried to steal my money, I stole your time. Seems fair.” ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2021, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-call-lists/940218/8 "2021-04-17T21:34:25Z")
> [@Tripler](#): > > It’s also entirely possible that those that are calling you are doing so from overseas, and only spoofing US numbers to make them seem legitimate. Not just possible, but exceptionally likely these days. ---
**Author:** ![TheCuse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thecuse/32/2854_2.png) [@TheCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheCuse)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2021, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-call-lists/940218/9 "2021-04-17T21:37:19Z")
If the call is the same area code as mine (and the first 3 digits), I’m usually pretty sure it’s spoofed. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2021, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-call-lists/940218/10 "2021-04-17T21:42:37Z")
It’s _always_ spoofed. They’re calling from out of the country. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2021, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-call-lists/940218/11 "2021-04-17T23:30:21Z")
The phone companies can stop this in a heartbeat if the want to but they don’t want to. Why would they when they can [charge you to stop spam calls](https://www.verizon.com/solutions-and-services/call-filter/)? (which tells you they already have this ability) I use a Google Pixel 5 phone and Google has a built-in screening service where you press a button and the caller gets a recording asking them what the call is about. You see a transcript of what they say. 99/100 it is spam and they hangup or you see it is a spam call and end it. You can also mark numbers as spam. Nowadays I only get 2-3 calls a week that are spammers and they are easily dealt with. Occasionally I notice a call my phone is receiving but the phone never rings…just displayed on the screen and recorded in the phone log. My phone already knows it is a bogus call. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2021, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-call-lists/940218/12 "2021-04-17T23:55:10Z")
The NY Times Magazine a month or so back had an article about this. There is a guy whose hobby is inserting tracking software on the computers of the people who try to insert tracing software on his. The reporter, who is Indian, went to the place in India where these calls are made. The OP should try NoMoRobo. I have it on my landline and it hangs up on about 90% of the calls on the first ring. Then never answer any number you don’t recognize. If it is legitimate the caller will leave a message. NoMoRobo is free for land lines, there is a charge for mobiles. My mobile company is catching a few of these (for free) and marks them as potential spam, but not nearly as well as NoMoRobo does. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2021, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-call-lists/940218/13 "2021-04-17T23:56:55Z")
> [@Bill\_Door](#): > > I have heard anecdotally that “Do not call” lists are used to identify people who have low sales resistance and are easy marks, making them a valuable resource. That seems odd, since someone with enough smarts to register for these lists would seem less likely to fall for scams. Not that they are very useful, since any company paying attention to them is likely to be kind of legitimate, if annoying. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2021, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-call-lists/940218/14 "2021-04-18T00:04:51Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > “You tried to steal my money, I stole your time. Seems fair.” I use, “Does your Mama know what you do for a living?” ---
**Author:** ![blabbermeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e9a140/32.png) [@blabbermeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blabbermeister)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2021, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-call-lists/940218/15 "2021-04-18T00:36:44Z")
If there are robo-callers, why are there no robo-answerers? Services that play back very human sounding responses to questions the spammers ask. I should be able to press “Robo Answer” on my phone and my phone will engage with the caller for up to 2 hours in the style of an artificial intelligence speech parser while I go back to my work. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2021, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-call-lists/940218/16 "2021-04-18T00:44:08Z")
> [@blabbermeister](#): > > If there are robo-callers, why are there no robo-answerers? You’d need a great speech-to-text program. AFAIK the only company that has a good one is Google. Otherwise it could be a great app. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2021, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-call-lists/940218/17 "2021-04-18T00:44:30Z")
> [@blabbermeister](#): > > If there are robo-callers, why are there no robo-answerers? [Meet Lenny](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWrkDOt_IfM&t=1s) ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2021, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-call-lists/940218/18 "2021-04-18T01:34:44Z")
The do-not-call lists are used by reputable companies with a presence in the US. So if a regular company like has a phone campaign to get sales, they will not call numbers on the DNC list. But most of the telemarketing calls you receive are for scams and shady companies. They are done by telemarketing centers in 3rd world countries and the calls go through untraceable paths to ring your phone. These scammers are just trying to get your credit card number or get you to send them gift cards so they can take the money and run. Trying to prosecute them for violating the DNC list would be pointless as you couldn’t find out who they are, and even if you did, they are in some warehouse in Nigeria or somewhere and can’t be prosecuted by the US. If they could be prosecuted, violation of the DNC list would be just one of many things they could be charged with. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2021, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-call-lists/940218/19 "2021-04-18T01:44:06Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > It’s _always_ spoofed. They’re calling from out of the country. I’ve always assumed they’re coming from inside the house. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2021, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-call-lists/940218/20 "2021-04-18T01:46:07Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > > [@running\_coach](#): > > > > It’s _always_ spoofed. They’re calling from out of the country. > > I’ve always assumed they’re coming from inside the house. - Since scammers sometimes spoof the exchange _and_ prefix, people can get a call from their own number. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-call-lists/940218.md?page=2)