The same number keeps calling. It’s from an out-of-town area code. They call four to five times a day. Sometimes they leave a message, maybe something like “We’re calling from the litigation services, and you have an outstanding warrant. It is imperative that you call and pay this off or you will be going to jail!”
Sound familiar?
Or, how about the one where you answer and they ask for you or your spouse and it’s obvious they don’t know you. You ask who is calling, and they won’t tell you. It’s likely a magazine broker trying to get you to sign up for another year of Discover Magazine or Time. Those magazine third party brokers are the worst!
Or, the poor soul who just can’t catch a clue that you really aren’t Sally Smith … even though you’ve told her this half a dozen times.
Sooooo, what to do? First, when any annoying or persistent caller gets hold of your number, Google the number. You will find out right away if this is a problematic number. Plus, reading all the rants associated with this number will make you feel better and validate to you that this number needs to be blocked … and that you aren’t going to jail, as the call is a SCAM!
Here are comments associated with this phone number (see it in the top left corner?). By simply Googling the number and filling out comments, you can help warn others, and others’ comments usually tell you right away whether a caller is a scammer or not.
If you block these numbers, the caller will simply hear “all circuits are busy” when they try to call again. Yep. You won’t even hear the phone ring. This is a great tip for anyone with a crazy ex, as well …
But how do you block these numbers? It’s easy for both your landline AND your cellphone. Here’s how:
Blocking calls from your iPhone
For an iPhone, you simply need to click “block this caller,” which is a great feature on iOS 7 and iOS 8. This video shows you where to find this feature AND shows you what the blocked caller will hear when they try to call you.
Do know that once you block someone, they will not be able to send you texts or iMessages or FaceTime you either. And, they’ll think their texts are going through, but you’ll never see them.
If you are the type to gleefully block numbers and then you can’t remember which of your best friends you’ve blocked (really, this is not a good idea!), you can quickly access who you’ve blocked on your iPhone:
More tips can be found at support.apple.com
Are you an Android user? Here is a video that may be helpful.
Blocking calls from your landline
Yes, many of us, including me, still have a landline, and this is where most of my spammy calls come from. To block a number, dial *60 and your phone service will guide you on how to block a number.
Here is a video that shows you how to do this:
Don’t call back suspicious numbers, and don’t give out ANY personal information — your address, banking information, Social Security number, even your name! If someone calls and asks for your name, answer, “Who were you trying to call?” Be safe and block calls when needed!
Share this article so that your friends and family can know this information, too. Facebook, Twitter, etc … all the links are below where it says “share this.”
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