• If a call comes in on the cellphone

    From August Abolins@2:221/1.58 to Daryl Stout on Tue Feb 23 18:17:00 2021
    Hello Daryl!

    ** On Tuesday 23.02.21 - 10:29, Daryl wrote to JOE:

    Yep. I keep the radio on low volume, so I can hear sirens
    or other things that demand my attention. If a call comes
    in on the cellphone, if I can't pull off the road and
    park to answer it, I ignore it. Or, if it's a number I
    don't recognize, I ignore it regardless.

    Oh.. so you take you eyes off the road to look at the incoming
    number displayed on the phone?


    ... I have a bulletin on the BBS with a whole slew of
    phone numbers that folks should BLOCK in their
    smartphones.

    They are outdated as quickly as you post them. Scammers can
    acquire new numbers in minutes.

    --
    ../|ug

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  • From Daryl Stout@1:19/33 to August Abolins on Tue Feb 23 22:56:00 2021
    August,

    Oh.. so you take you eyes off the road to look at the incoming
    number displayed on the phone?

    I just glanced at it...if all I saw was a number but no name (not
    in my contact list), I ignore it. Now, if it's a number I recognize,
    if I can't get off the road to safely answer the call, I just call
    them back later. It's safely propped up in a holder, so I can see
    an incoming call. My new car (at least to me) has an onboard phone
    (Holy Communications, Batman! <G>), but I don't plan to use it while
    driving. I also do NOT have bluetooth enabled on the phone.

    My previous car was totaled out in a multi-vehicle wreck nearly 2
    months ago. I wasn't at fault, but suffered minor chiropractic
    related injuries. Once I finish treatment (everything was pushed
    back a week, due to 2 back to back winter storms here last week),
    Geico (the insurance company of the guy who was charged in the
    wreck) is supposed to contact me on a settlement. If they don't
    offer a nice amount, I'm going to take them to court. I've spent
    well over $400 on taking Uber back and forth.

    ... I have a bulletin on the BBS with a whole slew of
    phone numbers that folks should BLOCK in their
    smartphones.

    They are outdated as quickly as you post them. Scammers can
    acquire new numbers in minutes.

    Well, I've blocked them regardless. I've even blocked entire
    area codes.

    Daryl

    ... I'm not a moderator. I just have the face of one.
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  • From Mike Powell@1:2320/105 to DARYL STOUT on Wed Feb 24 17:29:00 2021
    Well, I've blocked them regardless. I've even blocked entire
    area codes.

    I wish I had the ability to block area code + exchange. There are several 502+xxx combinations that I know are going to be junk calls. The last four digits are usually +1 from the last time they called.


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  • From Daryl Stout@1:19/33 to Mike Powell on Thu Feb 25 08:58:00 2021
    Mike,

    Well, I've blocked them regardless. I've even blocked entire
    area codes.

    I wish I had the ability to block area code + exchange. There are
    several 502+xxx combinations that I know are going to be junk calls.
    The last four digits are usually +1 from the last time they called.

    I've gotten several of those spoofed numbers as well. August Abolins mentioned a deal called "Jolly Roger Telephone" (jollyrogertelephone.com).
    I looked at it, but because of finances and other things, I just couldn't
    see the benefit of it right now...even though it works for both landlines
    and mobile phones.

    Apparently, what it does, once you have signed up with them (the
    first 30 days are free), and you have your phone set up (it's $12
    a year for one line, $22 for two -- full prices are on their
    website)...it forwards any calls to their system database, to
    compare the numbers from whitelists (you have to provide such) and
    blacklists of known spammers, telemarketers, etc. It then either
    directs legitimate calls back to you to leave a voice mail, where
    you then add them to their whitelist, and return the call. Or, it
    sends the spammers and telemarketers to "robots" (giving them a
    taste of their own medicine...but the robots never "buy" anything
    from these idiots. If it's not sure of the caller, it offers "a
    challenge", where human callers have to press a number to continue
    (robocalls don't know how to do that).

    The real funny thing is that the "pirate robot" (hence the name
    Jolly Roger) engages the telemarketer, spammer, etc. in stuff for
    several minutes...which takes away their time from going to make
    other calls. It even will make recordings of the calls for you to
    play back later. Yet, there are no long distance charges for you
    to worry about.

    Daryl

    ... Have a Tex-Mex Emergency?? Dial Nine Juan Juan.
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