Oct 21, 2012
I have had ten calls in the last two days, many of them with Invalid Area codes. Many of the times the exchange codes are also invalid. I do not understand how this cannot be controlled. But that is a different rant! Anyway, what I am doing now is this:
-- Phone rings, I look at the number on TV screen, if it looks phony, I mute my TV, immediately pick up the receiver after the phone rings only once or twice (you'll learn to be quicker with practice), then it will give the impression that it is a non-working number. They'll probably try a few more times, from different numbers usually. But after twelve calls in two days with this treatment, the calls did stop.
Then I got this one today. Since it was perfectly silent in my house, I picked up the phone and didn't speak (did not breath into the receiver either). I could hear all sorts of background noise from the caller's end, like in the phone call centers used by phony loan companies or phony pharmacy callers. It was someone with a heaby accent and he mispronounced my first name. I outwaited him and he hung up. Did not call back.
The silence is important. The minute you say a single word or yell into the phone or use a whistle or other noise device, they know it is a legitimate, working phone number, and they will keep trying. One thing I have a lot of is PATIENCE. They can keep calling; I will keep using this method. We'll see who lasts the longest. I'm betting it is ME. Try it.
If you do find yourself talking to someone, tell them your calls are being recorded and reported to the BBB, FTC, your State Attorney General's office, and your local police department. Then hang up. Finally, I come in here to see if others are bothered by this number, and I leave this message for everyone one else to see. Good luck!