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DeeL4_bsa's profile

New Member

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3 Messages

Tuesday, January 31st, 2023 8:36 PM

Telephone Harassment

I began receiving phone calls from a "telemarketer" in 2021. The first time that I answered, the caller said nothing. Subsequently after this first call, I began receiving automated telemarketing calls. I marked the call and began blocking the number. But each time, this "telemarketer" would find a way to call back under different numbers although the call is still marked as "telemarketer".  Currently, I have also contacted the Federal Trade Commission as I am also on the "Do not call list". The caller also seems to know when I am at home as I have also begun to notice that these calls are coming at odd times--before business hours, during business hours, late at night and on Saturday afternoons, all under different numbers that still say "telemarketer".  Today, I am at home because of inclement weather and have just received another call from this "telemarketer".  Is there a way to identify the caller to put a stop to the harassment?

New Member

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14 Messages

10 months ago

Probably not, and even if there is, there are no resources available since things like this are happening to everybody. And even if they could identify them, they are probably in a far away country.

You can install a blocking app like Hiya. That’s about it.

New Member

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3 Messages

10 months ago

Thanks! I've tried the HIYA app to no avail. I'll look for another way even if it means getting law officials involved. Thank you for such a prompt response!

ACE - Expert

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64.7K Messages

10 months ago

Law enforcement likely can’t help. Those calls mostly originate from outside of the US where US law enforcement has no jurisdiction plus the numbers calling you are spoofed. Your best defense is to quit answering. When you answer such calls, that only lets the caller know they have a love number and that only results in more calls.

Community Support

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225.6K Messages

10 months ago

We understand your frustration with just wanting spam calls to stop, DeeL4_bsa

 

Our first recommendation would be to use this resource to report unwanted calls

 

We suggest downloading our Active Armor app, in conjunction with above tool. 

 

AT&T Active Armor works 24/7 to help stop threats before they get to you. Unwanted calls and texts are annoying, and some could be fraudulent or illegal. Report offenders that slip through and help block them! Please try the following:

  • Forward suspicious messages to 7726 (SPAM). Don't answer a spam message. If you answer, the spammer knows that your number is good. Just text the message on your wireless phone, so that we can investigate.
  • Messages forwarded to 7726 are free. They don't count toward your text plan.
  • Complete the form to help block spam, robocalls, and unwanted text messages.
  • Get the AT&T ActiveArmor mobile security app to manage future unwanted callers.

You can also check out the details of Active Armor with this resource. 

 

  • Auto Fraud Call Blocking: Detects and blocks calls from likely fraudsters before they reach you.
  • Spam Risk Call Blocking: Blocks or sends calls to voicemail if identified as Spam Risk.
  • Nuisance Call Alerts: Labels potential nuisance calls from telemarketers, surveys, and more.
  • Nuisance Call Controls: Choose call categories to accept, block, or send to voicemail.
  • Unknown Calls to Voicemail: Automatically sends callers to voicemail if they are not in your address book and blocks other numbers in your personal block list.
  • Personal Block List: Add individual unwanted callers to your own block list.
  • Device Security: Helps protect your data from mobile threats.

Please let us know if this helps. If not, we can continue offering you more solutions. Thanks for reaching out to AT&T Community Forums!

 

Nelson, AT&T Community Specialist

 

 

 

 

 

 

ACE - Sage

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113.5K Messages

10 months ago

You do realize it's not the same telemarketer? Right? Call Protect identifies spam calls and telemarketers by their phone numbers and everyone that has call Protect or similar software marks these phone numbers as spam or telemarketers so that the next time it calls in on another phone with protection software it pops up as spam or telemarketer. It does not mean it's the same person or even the same business it just means it this phone number has already been marked by someone else as a telemarketer.

New Member

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3 Messages

10 months ago

Nah... strongly believe that it is the same person POSING AS A "telemarketer" because they only call twice a week (usually on the same days) at odd hours other than normal business hours from a number that always begins with a "9" whereas spam calls happen daily and call from all kinds of numbers.

ACE - Expert

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26.8K Messages

10 months ago

Do you have Caller ID?  If you don't recognize the number DO NOT ANSWER THE PHONE.  They'll eventually give up and move to their next victim.

(edited)

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