# Unwanted calls- a good app to block them? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 8, 2020, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unwanted-calls-a-good-app-to-block-them/846138 "2020-01-08T18:56:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2020, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unwanted-calls-a-good-app-to-block-them/846138/21 "2020-01-09T12:28:15Z")
> [@psychonaut](#): > > From what I understand, the what you are describing is a uniquely American problem. Spam calls and texts are practically unheard of in Europe. So if cost is no concern to you (and your correspondents, who might have to pay long-distance fees to call you), maybe you could just buy a foreign SIM card and use that instead. Ridiculously expensive. Verizon charges me $2/minute to call France if I do not have an international calling plan. So, that would effectively stop \*all \*your calls except from your friends in France. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2020, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unwanted-calls-a-good-app-to-block-them/846138/22 "2020-01-09T13:00:17Z")
> [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](#): > > **Looks like there are a few folks interested in this. If anyone tries one of these, post back and we’ll compare notes. Maybe we can help each other out.** FWIW, [this](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.vladlee.easyblacklist) is the one that I have installed and am _not_ satisfied with. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2020, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unwanted-calls-a-good-app-to-block-them/846138/23 "2020-01-09T13:17:10Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > Are they able to leave a message, or does Do Not Disturb block the call from getting through entirely? I believe it redirects calls directly to voicemail. There’s an option to let a call through if someone dials you twice in succession within a certain short time period (3 minutes). You can allow calls from all contacts, certain pre-defined (by you) groups, or no one. There’s also, inexplicably, an option to allow calls from “Everyone” which is really strange (what’s the point?!), but whatever. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2020, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unwanted-calls-a-good-app-to-block-them/846138/24 "2020-01-09T13:27:45Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > Are they able to leave a message, or does Do Not Disturb block the call from getting through entirely? Mine silences the ringer. People can call, and they can leave voicemails, but only people on my contacts list can ring through. Otherwise, I can deal with calls later without missing any important ones. I also have a built-in setting to block numbers and add them to a spam list, no app needed. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2020, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unwanted-calls-a-good-app-to-block-them/846138/25 "2020-01-09T13:42:39Z")
[Moderating] Since this is asking for advice, let’s move it to IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![GESancMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gesancman/32/2923_2.png) [@GESancMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GESancMan)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2020, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unwanted-calls-a-good-app-to-block-them/846138/26 "2020-01-09T14:49:20Z")
> [@filmore](#): > > One problem with blocking numbers is that the spammers are just making up the caller id values. One strategy is called “neighbor spam”, which is where they set the caller id to be from the same area code and exchange as yours. So if your number is 555-555-1212, the spammers will make the caller id say something similar like 555-554-9812 one time, then 555-555-1872 the next time, and so on. Blocking numbers is typically ineffective because the caller id is spoofed. Even though the spammers are faking the caller id, the number is still a valid phone number. Likely a real person or business has that number. Some of you may have even gotten calls from angry people who thought you were the ones spamming them. What happened in that case is that the spammer happened to put your phone number in the caller id when they spammed someone. I always dismiss or ignore these calls, of course, but I don’t block the number, for the reason you give. One time, a few months ago, right after I dismissed such a call, I got a text from the same number saying something like “why are you spamming me asshole?” It made me think the robo-caller must have picked out two phone numbers, and spoofed them to each other. Is that a thing? ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2020, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unwanted-calls-a-good-app-to-block-them/846138/27 "2020-01-09T16:09:37Z")
> [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](#): > > Thanks for the reply. This is the kind of first-hand experience I (and I guess some others here) were hoping for. > > SIA is one of the apps I was looking at. Do you find it intrusive? I had one that asked me to explain every time I blocked someone, so that it would go on their master list. I was also kind of afraid it might block someone it shouldn’t. Not intrusive at all, although as I said, I simply block all calls not in my contacts list. You can be more interactive with it, if you want to join the crowdsourcing process. But you don’t have to, and I haven’t. The only problem with it from my POV is that if I’m expecting a plumber or someone else who’s going to call before coming to the house, I have to remember to turn it off, or those calls will go to VM. Not the end of the world if they do, usually, and I’ve gotten better at remembering. And you would have the same issue with any app that blocks calls from non-contacts, so it’s not a specific problem with SIA. ---
**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:** [January 9, 2020, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unwanted-calls-a-good-app-to-block-them/846138/28 "2020-01-09T17:06:00Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > Oddly enough, I got a text from Verizon yesterday about an ap called Call Filter. It’s free for Verizon subscribers. I got a spam call this morning and then installed the ap. I only get two or three spam calls a week so it’ll take a bit to see how effective it is. Calls that they think are spam go straight to voice mail. I’m a Verizon user, and this seems to have installed itself with an upgrade. Suspicious calls are marked as potential spam, and hung up on. I don’t get many calls on my cell, but we used to get a lot on our landline. Then we signed up for NoMoRobo, and it cut them down by 95%. It rings once and then dies. Anything that gets through - if we are early on a spammers list, say, we let go to voice mail where it usually hangs up when it hears the beep. I only block numbers if they call repeatedly, which is not often. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2020, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unwanted-calls-a-good-app-to-block-them/846138/29 "2020-01-09T19:22:26Z")
> [@psychonaut](#): > > From what I understand, the what you are describing is a uniquely American problem. Spam calls and texts are practically unheard of in Europe. So if cost is no concern to you (and your correspondents, who might have to pay long-distance fees to call you), maybe you could just buy a foreign SIM card and use that instead. Alright, that’s it. I officially live in a 3rd world hellhole. You guys have decent healthcare AND no spam calls? Seriously, what’s the catch? ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2020, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unwanted-calls-a-good-app-to-block-them/846138/30 "2020-01-09T19:24:59Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > Then we signed up for NoMoRobo, and it cut them down by 95%. It rings once and then dies. Anything that gets through - if we are early on a spammers list, say, we let go to voice mail where it usually hangs up when it hears the beep. I signed up for NoMoRoBo through my cable/ISP/phone provider, Comcast/Xfinity, and it works pretty well, although it does seem to let through a lot of the “neighbor spam” **filmore** mentioned. And it doesn’t fully block everything: often the phone will ring once, then stop. No Caller ID, just one ring. Not time enough to pick up, so why even bother ringing? I’ve seen a big uptick in calls to my landline in the last few months, as many as a dozen or two every day! I just don’t pick up any calls on the landline that I don’t recognize. Here’s the newest thing: the Caller ID reads NOMOROBO! The first time I thought it might be the NoMoRoBo service calling me for some reason, so I picked up. But no, just a spam call. So I ignore NOMOROBO now, along with everything else. ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2020, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unwanted-calls-a-good-app-to-block-them/846138/31 "2020-01-09T19:31:22Z")
> [@GESancMan](#): > > I always dismiss or ignore these calls, of course, but I don’t block the number, for the reason you give. One time, a few months ago, right after I dismissed such a call, I got a text from the same number saying something like “why are you spamming me asshole?” It made me think the robo-caller must have picked out two phone numbers, and spoofed them to each other. Is that a thing? I wouldn’t doubt that the spammers are operating off of a list of numbers and use those same numbers as the caller id value for calls. That’d be pretty simple. When calling the Xth person in the list, set the caller id to the previous number in the list. I’ve heard of people having their own number pop up in the caller id when they get a spam call. Maybe that’s related. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2020, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unwanted-calls-a-good-app-to-block-them/846138/32 "2020-01-09T23:38:12Z")
I had another spam call ring tonight, and looked at my call log and found 7 others from the past few days that had been blocked (possibly reusing numbers that had spammed earlier?) Since I got the phone on November 7th, I have blocked 72 spam numbers, which is slightly more than one per day. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2020, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unwanted-calls-a-good-app-to-block-them/846138/33 "2020-01-24T04:18:18Z")
This is new to me–got a spam group chat today, along with 12 other numbers. Five morons “replied all” for the spammer to stop (thus confirming that they had a live number.) ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2020, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unwanted-calls-a-good-app-to-block-them/846138/34 "2020-01-24T21:33:41Z")
I’ve had a couple of new ones. Someone calls asking for So and So. It’s always a different So and So. I tell them they have the wrong number, hang up, and block. That’s been happening a couple of times a week. I’ve also had a couple go straight to voicemail without ringing AND somehow not indicating a missed call number, should I want to call them back. They’re calling about a bad debt and that it is URGENT I return their call. I’d love to block but there’s no record that they called except for the straight-to-voicemail, so I have no number to block. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unwanted-calls-a-good-app-to-block-them/846138.md?page=1)