# Spam cell phone calls-- I don't get them but almost everyone I know gets lots **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Tags:** phones-tablets\ **Created:** [January 11, 2026, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spam-cell-phone-calls-i-dont-get-them-but-almost-everyone-i-know-gets-lots/1026565 "2026-01-11T16:59:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2026, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spam-cell-phone-calls-i-dont-get-them-but-almost-everyone-i-know-gets-lots/1026565/21 "2026-01-12T13:23:20Z")
For a while I was verbally abusive to anyone who spam called me. It seems to have worked. I get significantly fewer spam calls than everyone else I know. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2026, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spam-cell-phone-calls-i-dont-get-them-but-almost-everyone-i-know-gets-lots/1026565/22 "2026-01-12T15:13:41Z")
You mad, Bro? > [@Help me be antisocial. Uhhh, please](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-be-antisocial-uhhh-please/979785/5): > > Siri used to be a bit of a prude. Not sure if she still is. Both Alexa and Google Nest accept “SHUT THE FUCK UP” as a valid command. It will stop whatever they are currently doing but it doesn’t change any settings. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2026, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spam-cell-phone-calls-i-dont-get-them-but-almost-everyone-i-know-gets-lots/1026565/23 "2026-01-12T18:36:19Z")
I get maybe one spam call per week. I have a Google Voice number that I use for all business transactions. Only my close friends get my real phone number. I think the spam filtering of Voice helps reduce spam calls. ---
**Author:** ![Apodder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/apodder/32/17727_2.png) [@Apodder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apodder)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2026, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spam-cell-phone-calls-i-dont-get-them-but-almost-everyone-i-know-gets-lots/1026565/24 "2026-01-12T19:15:02Z")
Yeah, my mom gets a lot. She’ll say, I don’t recognize the number but what if it’s my doctor or someone important? I tell her, they’ll leave a message. Then she’ll say, should I call this one back and tell them they have the wrong number? 🤦‍♀️ This is how you get on and stay on their lists, Mom!!! ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2026, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spam-cell-phone-calls-i-dont-get-them-but-almost-everyone-i-know-gets-lots/1026565/25 "2026-01-12T19:23:42Z")
> [@Apodder](#): > > should I call this one back and tell them they have the wrong number? 🤦‍♀️ > This is how you get on and stay on their lists, Mom!!! Actually, probably not. For whatever reason, I get a shit-ton of spam calls, which I always ignore or decline. But sometimes it’s a local number, so I occasionally dial that number. It’s always a ‘spoofed’ number, and the call doesn’t go through. Instead, I get a message from Verizon telling me that the number is not in service. ---
**Author:** ![2\_More\_Bits](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/2_more_bits/32/4148_2.png) [@2\_More\_Bits](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2_More_Bits)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2026, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spam-cell-phone-calls-i-dont-get-them-but-almost-everyone-i-know-gets-lots/1026565/26 "2026-01-12T19:27:58Z")
I get a half dozen spam texts every day but only a couple phone calls each week. I never have interacted with them except to block the numbers. This started a couple years ago. God, I hate them! ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2026, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spam-cell-phone-calls-i-dont-get-them-but-almost-everyone-i-know-gets-lots/1026565/27 "2026-01-12T21:13:10Z")
> [@Apodder](#): > > what if it’s my doctor or someone important? I tell her, they’ll leave a message. My greeting message says, _“If this is a business call, and you want a callback, please text me or leave a voicemail.”_ ---
**Author:** ![WolfpackJeep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpackjeep/32/2921_2.png) [@WolfpackJeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WolfpackJeep)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2026, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spam-cell-phone-calls-i-dont-get-them-but-almost-everyone-i-know-gets-lots/1026565/28 "2026-01-13T07:34:38Z")
The really fun ones are the automated confirmation calls - from a doctor’s office, for example - that want you to press a button. So you get a voicemail demanding that you press ‘1’ to confirm your appointment. 😑 ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2026, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spam-cell-phone-calls-i-dont-get-them-but-almost-everyone-i-know-gets-lots/1026565/29 "2026-01-13T13:54:39Z")
I got a “Potential Spam” call while reading this thread! I don’t answer them, though sometimes I google the number. But it’s been a long time since that has shown a legitimate caller. I get nearly as many spam txt messages as legit ones. Usually I block those callers, which is fairly easy to do on the phone, but I haven’t found a way to do it on my Mac desktop. Now I’ve started getting spam txts on the desktop only, so I can’t block then. And emails. I get about 100 spam emails per day, but I also get maybe 3 emails per week that I do need. ---
**Author:** ![xtenkfarpl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c2a13f/32.png) [@xtenkfarpl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xtenkfarpl)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2026, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spam-cell-phone-calls-i-dont-get-them-but-almost-everyone-i-know-gets-lots/1026565/30 "2026-01-13T15:07:16Z")
A few years ago I was getting a lot, maybe even 20 a day. I have no idea why; I am very reluctant to sign up or create accounts for anything not mission critical. But I guess I somehow got on a ‘list’. I gave up and got a new number. Nowadays I almost never get spam calls. ---
**Author:** ![xtenkfarpl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c2a13f/32.png) [@xtenkfarpl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xtenkfarpl)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2026, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spam-cell-phone-calls-i-dont-get-them-but-almost-everyone-i-know-gets-lots/1026565/31 "2026-01-13T15:23:55Z")
> [@Napier](#): > > I get about 100 spam emails per day, but I also get maybe 3 emails per week that I do need. What platform are you using? With Yahoo mail the spam filter seems pretty efficient, though one or two slip through occasionally. I am always careful to mark them as spam, to keep the filter updated. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spam-cell-phone-calls-i-dont-get-them-but-almost-everyone-i-know-gets-lots/1026565.md?page=1)