<p>I am getting multiple recorded phone calls now on my cell exhorting me that THIS IS MY FINAL WARNING etc etc. I don’t know what it’s about because I always hang up, and now I just don’t answer the phone when it’s a mystery area code. What I want to know is how are they getting my phone number? I don’t enter it much online or elsewhere. And has anyone ever called these people back? Who are they anyway?</p>
<p>It’s an automated random dialing program, run by a computer program. The phone equivalent of spam emails.</p>
<p>You can report them to the FCC, as it is illegal to make marketing calls to a cell phone. There’s an online complaint form here:
[FCC</a> Consumer Complaints](<a href=“http://esupport.fcc.gov/complaints.htm]FCC”>http://esupport.fcc.gov/complaints.htm)</p>
<p>You can also notify your cell phone provider so that you aren’t charged for the call.</p>
<p>The answer to your questions were discussed on CC: </p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/535473-anyone-else-getting-call.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/535473-anyone-else-getting-call.html</a></p>
<p>They’re calling to get you to sign up with a different, possibly fradulent, insurance carrier. It’s a scam. Do not respond.</p>
<p>I KNOW what they are trying to do. I want the calls to stop…especially on my cell phone. My house phone is on the DNC registry and STILL I get these stinking warranty calls.</p>
<p>I got the credit cad one today - “this is your credit card company” I don’t think so! (I’m on the DNC list too).</p>
<p>The only ones I have gotten were several from Michelle Obama during the campaign. Could I have reported that?</p>
<p>I get them, too. (about my extended warranty opportunities)</p>
<p>mkm, political calls and charity fundraisers are exempt from the DNC list, I believe. The DNC list only covers commercial calls.</p>
<p>Ah, that’s right. I’ve been getting so many calls on the land line recently from charities, but I don’t think anyone should be allowed to call your cell phone–I would guess those count on your minutes too?</p>
<p>How are these randomly generated computer programs finding my cell phone # though? It started with one or two a week, then several times a week, and now it’s several times a day. I don’t answer them (but some have started to leave me voice mails!), but it interrupts me while I’m working. I wish the phone companies could block all these numbers, like blocking spam.</p>
<p>mousegray, check with your cell phone provider. Several years ago one of my children was getting unwanted calls from another kid (almost stalking behavior). Anyway, I was able to go online and block calls originating from that “domain” (think that was the word). This kid was sending the texts/calls through his computer, so I could block everything coming from that address. Technology might have improved since then and maybe you can block 800 numbers or something?</p>
<p>OK, thanks for the tip, I’ll look into it. I’ve noticed they aren’t 800 numbers though, but often have a ‘0’ in the middle, like 704, 402.<br>
thank you to everyone for the suggestions!</p>
<p>I was getting these calls too 9the last notice about automobile warranty). Finally instead of hanging up one day I listened through the message and pressed the number to speak with a representative. I told her that i wanted to be removed from the call list. So far, no more calls.</p>
<p>We’re on the do not call list and it has worked great for years. But lately the calls have started. They are a variation of the warranties and the “this is your last chance” calls. They leave a message on the machine. I think somebody should do something about them. </p>
<p>I’ve also wondered why these people do this. Do people actually fall for “it’s your last chance to lower your interest rate” on a card we don’t even have? Or extend our warranty on a 10 yr old car? What a tremendous waste of time that must be.</p>
<p>My son has a business and there is a company that calls at least three times a week wanting to confirm the information for “his free listing” They’ve been asked repeatedly to stop calling.</p>
<p>Mousegray, they don’t “know” or “get” your number. They’re just computer dialing. The computer program is trying phone numbers in sequence. 555-1111, 555-1112, 555-1113, etc. The program is probably smart enough to remove a number when it turns out not to exist, or to retry it when the line is busy. </p>
<p>Granted, once one phone spammer knows the number actually works, they may share it with others. But since it is overtly illegal, with pretty huge penalties, hopefully cell phone spamming won’t turn into an issue of the magnitude of email spam.</p>
<p>Use the FCC reporting form I mentioned above, and also notify your phone company so they can block the spammer’s number.</p>
<p>My daughter has been getting these lately. My guess is that the new lower call rates for IP-based calls is prompting more of these telemarketer calls. I was considering the use of a whitelist on her phone to get rid of these problems. I wish that there was a blacklist instead as that would be more useful.</p>
<p>I finally listened to the car warranty one in its entirety and at the end, one of the options was to be removed from the follow-up list. So far, no additional calls.</p>
<p>I tried that back while I was still answering my landline. The calls kept on coming.</p>
<p>I told the guy I didn’t have a car (it was worth a try) and he promised to remove me from the list. Ha! The calls just keep coming. Home phone, cell phone, office phone. Every other day, anyway. So annoying.</p>
<p>I"ve been getting a lot of calls (on my cell phone) from long distance numbers I don’t recognize. It used to be occasionally, but now it’s up to two and three times a day. They never leave a message. I’ve been afraid to answer them because I thought it might be some kind of scam and answering would connect me to something. (I know this sounds weird, but I’ve heard about these elaborate schemes to steal your connection to your cell phone. An urban legend?)</p>
<p>One day after school I was tutoring a couple of fourth grade students when my cell phone rang. I looked at the number and said, " I can’t believe these people keep calling me. I don’t know who they are." I must have looked distressed because one of the boys took the phone from my hand, pushed the answer button and said, " Stop bothering her!" </p>
<p>It was a sweet moment. :)</p>