Need help understanding your bill?
Devra's profile

Tutor

 • 

7 Messages

Thursday, January 12th, 2012 9:24 PM

Telemarketers Calling Mobile Phones

For the past 1-1/2 months a telemarketer has called my mobile phone 6 times. I don't answer as I do not pick up unknown numbers.  I have my number on the National DNC list (a lot of good that does). I will be reporting them to the FCC next time. Until then, I have been told that other carriers offer a call blocking service for their customers. Why doesn't AT&T?  This should be a free service offered now that telemarketers have obtained mobile numbers.

Expert

 • 

12.2K Messages

11 years ago


@NC_Cell wrote:

DNC does not block any calls nor does it automatically report violators. And it is extremely rare that any violator ever gets fined. Been on DNC since its inception. Have filed countless complaints with feds and state authorities. Biggest current problem is offshore spoofers hacking a valid US number. Authorities are powerless, DNC is totally useless. Mr. Number does work, doesn't stop them but reduces by at least 90%, and it's free.

 

I wish this was La La land where Government was effective and Corporations cared about their customers. We could all just put on our plaid pants and checkered button-up shirt and get on our Goldwings and blissfully ride into the sunset listening to Lee Greenwood's greatest hit totally out of touch. But it's the real world.


I think 300K last year from state DNC violations is fairly decent, no one ever said that it that violators are automagicly reported, you do have to make some effort to follow through.

It is not much effort to "hack" numbers on current voip phone systems, takes about 15 seconds to change the displayed number on a outbound call, besides all you are doing with that link is filing a complaint

 

http://www.callercenter.com/

 

CallerCenter.com is a free consumer complaints board for reporting telephone calls.

After filing a complaint we suggest you also report the telephone numbers to the FCC.

 

the same exact that that going to the state or federal DNC sites does, also do not see anywher e where it states that your number is put on a dnc list, you still have to do that with the state and ferderal. have not had enough spam calls on any of my cell phones to vlidate the need of adding another app to a phone, seems like the dnc list is working for me.

 

You do what you feel you need to do, I will blissfully tour the country on my Goldwing and just not worry about it, you can keep wearing your plaid pants and checkered button-up shirts if you ride a wing, personally I prefer racing body armor a full face helmet and specialty riding boots. As far as listening to Lee Greenwood - I hope you enjoy it, I prefer Dead Kennedy's, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts way more then what you listen to.

Guru

 • 

552 Messages

11 years ago

I was getting these calls so I picked up and said "Police station, is this an emergency?" They stopped calling.

Expert

 • 

12.2K Messages

11 years ago

Interesting, got a link that shows verizon is sueing them? Can;t find anything is recent filings and the site you linked was updated on 06-Mar-2013. Would like to see a lot more detail on this then a blind link

Teacher

 • 

27 Messages

11 years ago

The FTC declared war on Rachael from Credit Card Services over a year ago declaring this telemarketer as "Public Enemy #1". States Attornies General joined the fight and promised this scam was going to be shut down. Internet anti-telemarketer sites were still logging complaints about Rachael as recently as last week (3/16/13).  Some people don't seem to have a real problem with telemarketers (1-5 month, etc.). I was getting more than 20-25 per month before acquiring blocking software (and other tricks).

 

The moral of this story is if you (for whatever reason) are a frequent victim of telemarketing, government intervention is NOT going to provide you relief. If you aren't a frequent victim then you have NO IDEA how annoying it is to us that are.

Contributor

 • 

1 Message

11 years ago

You can mark as many spammers as you want on Google Voice.  But just like Google fiber, the traditional telcos won't follow suit until competition begins to threaten their position.

Expert

 • 

12.2K Messages

11 years ago


@willmacdonald wrote:

You can mark as many spammers as you want on Google Voice.  But just like Google fiber, the traditional telcos won't follow suit until competition begins to threaten their position.


they mark them and 4 hours later they are back in business, a block of 200 DID numbers from any telco runs about 10.00 a month. To form a LLC is so easy now you can do it online for about 80 bucks. New LLC, new set of numbers abd right back in business. Major drawback to marking them, is once they get enough complaints and they switch numbers - those numbers are reassigned to other businesses, which you may or may not want to block.

Telco's have no enforcement abilities - the goverment does, state and federal DNC's list and complaints to them concerning the spammers is the only enforceable method, they recently started allowing cell numbers on the dnc lists, you have to remember to check them every year because if it is not they purge your number

Teacher

 • 

18 Messages

11 years ago

I have a free call blocker for my smart phone, search on available apps.   

 

Contributor

 • 

1 Message

8 years ago

This "fee-based service" from AT&T has three problems: 

 

1) It is ineffective. Manually blocking numbers from illegitimate telemarketers is a reactive

 deterrent that doesn't solve the issue. They just spoof another called ID number and try again. 

 

2) My phone offers this service for free, allowing me to block calls/texts from an inbound number I designate.

 

3) AT&T should block scammers and illegitimate telemarketers automatically for everyone as stewards and providers of the phone network. My email providor automatically blocks spam and junk before it ever hits my inbox. I don't have to pay extra for this service; in fact, I don't pay them a thing from the start. AT&T should keep their network clear of scammers and illegitimate telemarketers for their already-paying customers. I expect it. We all should.

Not finding what you're looking for?
New to AT&T Community?
New to the AT&T Community? Start by visiting the Community How-To.
New to the AT&T Community?
Visit the Community How-To.