Such calls might also come from a boiler-room operation: An automated dialer dials until it gets an answer, then connects the next available script monkey. It may be set up to anticipate an available worker, or may be unsophisticated enough not to monitor operator availability so there is nobody available when your phone is answered. These calls are usually obvious due to the delay between answering the phone, and then finally a response, along with the background din of the boiler-room, so there is no need to listen to any of the pitch before ringing off.
SOOO glad I finally found my next job: For several months I have needed to take every call from any number, as it might well be a hit on the jobs I have applied for. Of course this gets me flagged up to the other call lists, so the spam calls have been increasing.
The only legit people who call on the landline are family and friends whom I’ve told about the full minute wait time. Anybody else is a salesperson or scammer. And I can always check the caller ID to make sure I didn’t miss someone good.
It’s just a call-centre that uses an auto-dialler. The dialler is set to x number of rings and then it hangs up without a person at the call-centre being able to access the call. Nothing supernatural or sinister there, your paranoia is unfounded.
Tell them to let it ring twice, then hang up and hit redial. I usually do that on all callls, because the ring interrruption distinguishes it from a robocall.
I have a landline for my internet. The phone is not plugged in to the splitter. If I ever want to use it I will plug it in. I don’t get marketing calls anymore. In fact I don’t get any calls.
I have Ooma for my voice over internet (VOIP) provider. Any number that calls and is not in my contact list goes directly to voice mail. If anyone I didn’t know about but want to reach calls, they leave a message. It works pretty well. My smartphone is kind of dumb, being a Galaxy S7, and my provider doesn’t support Nomorobo for that. I get a lot more spam calls on that.
Sometimes I enjoy stringing them out for as long as I can before dropping them, my record is close to an hour. I figure that while they’re talking to me they’re not talking to someone who might fall for the scam, and a good deed goes around the world.
I’m not sure what I wrote to suggest paranoia on my part. Instead, I simply don’t understand the business model - and couldn’t come up with any other legitimate explanation. As I said, even if I pick it up before my answering machine, there is NEVER a person or recording at the other end.
My recollection is that it used to be that (more often than not), if I picked it up I would generally get a recording. If I did not pick up, a recording was often left on my answering machine. The current situation - with no recordings - impresses me as a change, and I don’t understand why it would be worth anyone’s while - even at minuscule expense - to act in that manner. The explanation of calls being made more frequent than staff can respond makes some sense, but I’m not sure why I NEVER get a live person or why they don’t have a recording telling me to stay on the line.
(Gee - why are they suggesting paranoia? I wonder what they are up to, and if they are out to get me!)
All I have to go on is MY cell/landline. My landline gets more calls on an average day than my cell gets in 2 weeks - maybe longer.
Funny how things seem to switch. A month or 2 ago, I would’ve said I was getting more junk calls on my cell. These repeated calls to my landline seem a recent development.
My mom discontinued the land line she’d had since I was a teenager, and it kind of bummed me out. I never called that number any more (my mom has had a smart phone for years), but it was one of exactly three phone numbers I still had memorized: my current cell phone number, the phone number I grew up with, and the phone number of a pizza place that went out of business twenty five years ago.
There’s also the caller ID query fee scheme. I don’t fully understand how it works from memory, but basically the callers receive a tiny fraction of a penny for calling and getting the caller ID info. It doesn’t matter whether the call recipient picks up or not, the fee is generated simply by placing the call. Make a few hundred million calls, and… profit!
Again, I don’t fully understand how it works, but I’m certain you can look it up.
I feel you. I “know” a few numbers, but the only ones that are still functioning are my cell, business, and business fax, three numbers I never call. Someone asked me for my gf’s cell number the other day. My phone was in my car and I had to go get it, I had no clue what her number was, yet I text her many times a day.
AIUI, what they do is detect auto-dialers and block them; nothing other than signing up is required from those who use the service. Sometimes a robocall will sneak through or a legitimate call will get blocked, in which case their website has a page for reporting any 10-digit number as being spam or legitimate.
In our case, Grubhub and DoorDash drivers were getting blocked so I gave 'em my cheapo cell number.
Oh, our landline phone is also capable of blocking numbers just by hitting a couple of buttons when viewing the caller ID. We even blocked entire area codes in case my SO’s toxic sister tries making contact.
You don’t have a whitelist. A caller who gets blocked has the option of recalling using some kind of code and gets through - something robocall dialers can’t do. When MIT is looking for money it starts with a robocall which gets blocked, immediately after the undergrad who has volunteered to solicit calls back.
It depends on how your phone is hooked up. We use AT&T also, but use digital calling tied to our internet, and NoMoRobo works fine. When we were on the more traditional landline we couldn’t get it.
