How to get rid of Phone spammers
 

If there is one thing I (used to) enjoy is having these guys jump through hoops just to get a "not interested" in the end. Just got a call from 604-352-4389, started with automated message,
"Congratulations you have been chosen to win a 900$ credit with Air canada, press 0 to proceed",
I press 0, music starts playing, couple of seconds later a lady answers,
"are you over 30?"
me:YES,

puts me on hold, 3mins. some guy answers,
I ask him: who are you calling for?
he says: Fly for less.
then he starts talking non stop he says something about flying with them again, i try to stop him, but he keeps on going, i mumble some senseless words then
he asks: "pardon me?",
I tell him: I have never used your services before. Where are you located?
he replies: Cancun, Mexico
I ask: What is Fly for less?
Him: A travel agency
Me: What is your agency's license number?
'click' he hung up

But seriously, since january this is the 3rd time, how do they get my number? I have had this number for less than a year, only a handful of people/institutions know it. This is getting out of hand, how do you stop this?

Thanks

The first thing is to not answer these calls. Once you do, I'm sure you get flagged, and they'll continue to try your number because you picked up. I don't get many calls on my cell, these days. If I do, it's from someone I know or expect. If I don't recognize the number, it can go to voicemail.

I thought so too, but i can't not answer numbers I do not recognize.

BTW I found a Do Not Call List online application from the CRTC, they claim 30 days before it is fully effective, what baffles me is why isn't this default -> https://www.lnnte-dncl.gc.ca/verins-chkreg-eng
check your number, if not registered apply for it, let's see if that works

Does not work as they have automated dialers that force dials every number in sequence. Even if you don't pick up, if your voicemail picks up, it counts as a pick up. Most phones have call blocking now but it just automatically declines a call but can still go to your voicemail.

Do-Not-Call lists don't work very well anymore either as they only stop actual people making calls to think twice about calling you if you're lucky. Ever get added to a group on whatsapp, get spammed and then they kick you out of the group? Do-Not-Call lists does not prevent that on whatsapp. They don't stop text messages either from random area codes.

Call me crazy but I take a little bit of pleasure in fucking with telemarketers. My wife just hands me the phone and depending on my mood I'll either start off berating them or I'll play along before telling them to fuck off. It's the simple things in life that make the day's a little bit brighter.

IIRC, there is a no call list website from the CRTC or something

The DNCL is a complete fucking failure of a system as companies outside the country can somehow acquire the lists. I put my number on there when it first came out, and the frequency of calls from telemarketers increased.

The DNCL is like a list for foreign spammers that ensures there's no local competition.

Likewise, if it ain't my wife or family calling it can't be that important and if it's they can leave a voicemail.

It used to be much easier as most of the garbage was from 1800 numbers but I've been noticing more and more from local area codes which I'm sure have made more people be likely to pick up but I still say fuck it, don't have your number and or caller ID doesn't show what business or person is calling then fuck you.

who else read OP's user name as "Timpo" at first ? :lawl:

dont sign up for free shit,, and u will not get on any call lists

when u sign up for "win this" and other "lucky draw" with ur phone numbers. these companies, in turn sell this list to various marketing companies and thats how u get on telemarketing call lists.

Does your number also contain 352?

Lately, when I get calls just like the one you got, the first three digits after the area code match my first three digits as well. Makes it easy to recognize and ignore.

I don't think i've had automated dialers but I had some weird fucking thing add me to a whatsapp group of like 50 other random people that got added into this group. It's just a spam group but I wondered how it got my number. There isn't exactly a way on WhatsApp to disable randoms from adding you to groups either.

Oldie but a goldie.

Guy creates a bot to fuk with telemarketers!

Today's Hero Made an AI That Annoys Telemarketers For As Long As Possible

the national do not call list is useless as its a canadian only thing, so that means if the caller is calling from outside of canada, they can call u even if ur on that list.

Iuno how to stop it either, I get it too. But I know your number must start with 352 .

if you have a smartphone, you can add it to your block, or do not answer list.

For me, it took me about 6 months to stop getting calls after adding the telemarketers numbers.

It's my policy now to not answer calls from numbers that are very similar to my own number. Spammer spoofs number in reference to your number to trick you into thinking it's a local number so you'll answer.

tell them that you are with their mom right now and she agrees that you should get a real job...hahaha

kidding aside, try truecaller app

Don't press any buttons on those automated calls! What a lot of them do is charge you enormous 3rd party long distance connection fees, anywhere from $2.50 to $25. Telus/Rogers will not remove those when it shows up on your bill because they are just passing the charges back to you.

Your phone doesn't have a blacklist?

I can put any number I want on blacklist and if I ever get calls from them, my phone doesn't even go into the "incoming call" or missed call.
The only way I know they called is if I check the call history log. I also set private numbers to be auto blacklisted.

I also set my phone to only "ring" if it's from someone in my contact list. Otherwise, it will just be a silent "incoming call".

I have a OnePlus One, but it's probably a standard feature on most modern Android phones, and maybe iPhone too? Not sure about the iPhones features...

It does not stop the fact you still have to answer to find out if it is spam, then you can add the number. It is also creepy the 352 thing. And currently I have to answer the phone no matter what number comes up due to calls i am expecting but not those though.
I just find it horrible that I recently moved here and the people/institutions that know my number are very few, and I have never applied for anything free, I am quite paranoid about these things.

How many phone numbers you think these spammers have?