^No, it’s not always a scam. I sometimes get calls from church friends, doctors’ offices, pharmacy, etc. that are legitimate. I also get calls from people related to my work with mental health.
Got several calls recently that my social security number had been suspended due to fraudulent activity. My Social Security and Medicare benefits have been suspended until the issue is resolved. All I had to do was press 1 and I would be connected to a representative who could fix this. I’m sure they would have asked for my SS number in order to fix the problem. Do people actually fall for these scams?
^^^^apparently so or they wouldn’t be so prolific.
Here’s a scary scammer story.
Our phone number is one digit off from the public library, so I’m used to not picking up local numbers I don’t recognize – we’ve gotten wrong number hangups for years.
One thing I don’t get is why make so many 800 numbered calls randomly with Chinese messages, as it now appears is the case. I thought, being an Asian, I was targeted for these calls. Don’t get the purpose when the receiving end doesn’t understand the messages.
The ones that make me the craziest are ones that come up as being called from MY number. Come on. I’m not calling myself. And I can’t exactly block my own number.
And the ones from Hilton Hotels…they use my local area code and just seem to be going through numbers so…my caller ID has it come up as a neighboring town where I know a lot of people.
Anyone who doesn’t leave a voice mail…or who does and I don’t know…I block. Well…except my own phone number.
I don’t even answer my landline.
Awful slime of the earth these scammers! Why don’t they do honest work at legit jobs? That article was very chilling!
I got one on my cell phone the other day from 0000000000! I showed my phone to my coworkers and we all had a laugh. No voicemail was left.
I’ve gotten the SS# calls, not the Chinese, unless they don’t lave a message.
I set up my (Android) phone so that any # in my contacts rings aloud, anyone not comes through, but on silent. MY voicemail explains that i don’t pick up numbers I don’t know so to please leave a message if a real person or business.
I have a business number that i have to answer but it’s a google voice # and close to zero spam calls get through.
Wow that was a scary story. You would like to think you would never do that, but?
When H’s father was about 90 we warned him about people calling numbers and claiming to be grandchildren and claiming they needed money and were in trouble. He completely understood. However, he then got one of these calls. Did nothing with his money but called H and said it sounded so real and wanted to be sure our D was OK.
@thumper1 —Sure, you can block your own number! I blocked mine years ago after getting spam calls spoofing it. It’s not like you can call your own number.
I get most spam calls on my landline, and use Ooma. They have a robust blocking system. The caller ID for toll-free numbers says “800 number,” so I just blocked that. (I send it to voicemail just in case.) And yes, I was getting Chinese language scam calls at home and at work for months.
We just assumed we were in luck when H and I both got calls telling us our SSN was being “blocked” (or whatever it was).
No more tax filing needs for us! 
I tend to answer almost all calls due to our pony business and now dealing with my mom’s estate. H answers almost all due to his business. When they’re spam we just set the phone aside until they hang up figuring we’re giving someone else a break.
When it’s a human talking we mention we’re on the Do Not Call list and will report them to our Attorney General if they call again. I received a $100 check from our AG once from having reported one business (settlement). They can’t track the RoboCalls though. We tried reporting those a couple of times.
Got one of those calls yesterday that said it was from my number. The ID showed my husband’s name so I almost picked it up, but he never calls the landline. And then I saw it showed our landline #, not his cell. Ignored it.
Before my in-laws moved, we set up there phone so it would only ring when family called - all other calls went to VM which they never checked. They were just getting call after call from 800#s, sales, political and scammers. My FIL is in the beginning stages of dementia and gave out his Ss# after someone threatened him on the phone - what I would do if I got my hands on that person. We found out right away and the number wasn’t used for anything, but he was very upset and cried about it.
Now they are in senior living and no land line. My H manages their cell phones and is doing a great job of blocking unwanted calls.
Finally, something is getting done. What took so long?
Wondered why I haven’t received a single international robocall in the past couple months. Domestic robocalls with my area code still come through frequently.
I’m so done with all these spam calls! Really irritating! Most look like they’re in my ares code but robocalls about car warranties.