Telemarketers. The very word is enough to send people into a rage. The constant harassment, the endless calls at the most random of times, the fake numbers, it’s enough to drive one insane. Placing ones number on the National Do Not Call list doesn’t seem to have any positive effect, and nor does informing the telemarketer that your number is on the list. They will simply hang up and call yet again at a later time.
The most pervasive telemarketing calls in the Lakewood area seem to be mostly scams, either from the “IRS” or “American Solar”. I’ve received at least five calls this past week alone from “Jason at American Solar”. I contacted American Solar who told me they never do telemarketing and that it is most likely a scam being perpetrated by an overseas entity. Whoever the callers are, they call from local 732 numbers, causing you to think it’s a legitimate call, and they keep switching their numbers as well, making blocking numbers nothing more than a waste of time.
I have attempted filing complaints, using scam and telemarketer detecting apps, and even pleading with the callers to stop, all to no avail. My friends, family, and colleagues, all dealing with the same annoyance, are as befuddled as I am as to how one can go about stopping it.
Due to the near-daily calls from telemarketers and scammers, I have begun to ignore any call from a number I don’t recognize. There is simply no other way for me to go about my business without being harassed.
I am writing this with the hope that someone will read this and comment with a solution that actually works. My understanding is that pretty much everyone has been dealing with this scourge, and I have to believe that someone out there has ‘hacked’ the telemarketers system.
All the best,
E.S.
(TLS welcomes your letters by submitting them to [email protected])
It will be such nice opportunity for lawyers and clients make some money .
The best thing to do is call all of your elected officials and complain to them. They can force telephone companies to put an end to it, if enough people keep calling and complaining to our elected official.
Contact Chris Smith, Robert Singer, Cory Booker, Bob Menendez.
I have stopped answering calls from numbers I don’t recognize. Somehow society has taught us that we must answer every call we receive. Not so. If someone needs to reach me they can leave a voicemail, or text if they are calling my cell. If it’s not important enough for a caller to leave a message then it’s not important enough for me to follow up. Never did understand those individuals that will call repeatedly within a short time but not bother to leave a message. Just stop answering calls you don’t recognize and you’ll have no more aggravation.
I do the same. Leave a message if it’s important, and I will call you back immediately. I agree, it is annoying. The “no call list” does not work. Do NOT answer unless you know who it is. There are so many scams going around.
If I don’t recognize the number I don’t answer. If it’s real and important they’ll leave a voicemail.
I also Google the number and if it’s a Scam I label it as such in my caller ID.
Most smartphones have the capability to block any number not on your contact list. If you use a VOIP line (and possibly Fios or Optimum) they have pretty strong call blocking capabilities as well but you’d need internet access.
It will also block Jewish organizations which is fine with me. I don’t appreciate their calls at all hours either. When those calls do get through I politely ask them to send me something in the mail. I send a check to 95% of the organizations that reach out to me via email.
Not the ideal solution, but that’s what I do.
I have the same problem. I just stopped answering numbers that my phone doesn’t recognize as one of my contacts. If it really someone legit they usually leave a message. (Doesn’t stop them from calling but avoids “driving one insane”)
I share in your dilemma. Bottom line: there’s no easy solution, however you can minimize callers. To do that, you would need to have your phone provider terminate service for a day or so. By doing so, telemarketers will remove your number, because it does cost them each number they call.
Amazing amazing advice. Thank you so much. I’m going to try it even though it will cost me a couple dollars and the headache of not having my regular phone for the day. For me it’s definitely worth it.
Thanks again!
Recently I have found that I am being harassed by loud and boisterous chassidishe telemarketers (robo callers). Every day at least 2. If I don’t answer, the answering machine will suddenly explode “Tayere heilige chooshive Yidden…” or “Heint is de yoortzeit fin de heilige falshe Rebbe zy”a…” Is there a way to opt out of those?
Get the robo killer app. It does the trick for me
i am getting these scams by email. when i emailed back that i was going to tell the police if they contacted me again, they answere in a ‘most professional way’ that i could call the police or my attorney for all they cared; they would put it on my credit report. no real company would write anything like that which clinched their phoniness. as far as tzedokos go, i tell all callers that i never make pledges on the phone; send me written info and i will make a decision and they usually do
IDK if this is a problem everywhere, but it sure is a prob here in Lakewood! I think if many people file complaints that the Gov. will take action. They must use the internet to make these calls.
E/o should go to the FBI website – to file – http://www.ic3.gov. I’d appreciate if the scoop would follow up on this.
I get a lot of healthcare ones.
If u are running a business and need to answer calls not a lot u can do. They run the numbers through cayman islands or Russia and each time use a different number.
The best thing you can do is actually talk to them and scam them. It can be a ton of fun. There’s so much potential. Record it and post for all of us to hear. Keep em on the line as long as u can. If so many people do this, they will grow frustrated and stop calling.
NOMOROBO.com works quite well. Phone will ring once and call is cut off. I still get a lot of frum robo calls, not sure why and more importantly I still get automated calls from my children’s schools. Definitely worth a try!
I get them daily. Its always for someone by the name of john jingel with an address in bogata nj. Its always for home improvements. I tried numerous times telling them that that isn’t my name and the address is not mine. I googled the address and indeed there I’d such a name @ that address.
Lately I’ve been scheduling appts for solar and different home improvements. I’ve gotten calls back that they are @ the address and the home owner is furious!!! At that point I tell them that they are paying for false leads.
Its not really helping much as I’m still getting called but its fun getting the calls from the ones going out to that address
Recently I had people call me that I called them and they are calling me back! After I insist I never called them, I am told that my number is on their caller ID and they just called back using that number! I think some scammers are using random local phone numbers so people should pickup! So annoying!
This happened to a family member of mine last week. His number was used as a caller ID for a scam robocall that went out to thousands of people. His phone was unusable for a few days because it was ringing continuously with people calling back.
RoboKiller works very well on smartphones. It’s subscription based but did the trick for me 95% of the time. Well worth the 35$ a yr
Start setting up the solar people at random people’s houses we’ll see how long they continue these telemarketing
More importantly. Is there any way to block the chasidish robo callers who call all day shouting unitelligably in yidish?
I get between 7-10 calls a day from “hi, this is ann” I now no longer answer numbers that I do not have in contacts
“Hello, NJ State Police Office of Fraud prevention”…they always hang up and eventually the calls stop.
Funny. I’ve done the same thing, and they do hang up immediately. I’ll have to go back to that. Thanks for rattling my memory.
“Should I Answer” for Android.
Anyone willing to commit not to donate to any Robo call organizations?? If we make our voice heard through our money, they will stop! Anyone in??
Get true caller for smart phones.
There are some telemarketers you can sue and make $$ recently I had a company trying to reach out to me , I made $500 for each phone call and for all the phone numbers I was able to track down from my call history- was great!! Call sue the collectors (wasn’t a collection call) trust me they never tried calling me again !!!!
To Chaim. If you do not wish to answer then don’t. But for many institutions in town this is how they fund themselves. I’m not sure this is a smart idea