phone: Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam…
Quick question: What the heck is up with callers/spammers being allowed to report stuff like this as their caller ID?
It would figure on a day that I’m ranting about craigslist spam, I’d get this call while leaving the office. Depending on my mood, I normally let the unrecognized numbers roll over to voicemail. But with a blatantly fake number such as this one, I wanted to hear the pitch. Sadly, there was no one there, the autodialer failed to connect. As much as I love technology, I can’t help think that if there were someone actually eyeballing this call record they’d say “What the heck kinda crazy phone number is that?”
It’s been one of my biggest beefs with cell phones and caller ID. Even with something as advanced as the iPhone, AT&T isn’t allowing anything more than the number through. Name and number was something that even a dumbed down landline could handle.
It’s especially bad right now that I’m making apartment inquiries. Calls with completely unrecognized numbers that I’d ignore, I’m scrambling to pick up if I see a DMV* area code/number thinking it might be a response to an apartment inquiry.** But the more fun ones come from Utah or Illinois. They told me they could lower my credit card interest rate when I had no credit cards. They told me they could renew my automobile insurance when I had no car. Most recently someone called asking to speak to the registered voters in the household. I said no and the caller was stumped! Apparently their autodialer doesn’t understand the word “no” and connected the call anyway.
What I’d really like is for the phones to detect obviously fake numbers like the one above, but since they make their money in minutes on valid or invalid calls, they’re hardly motivated. Still, over the years I’ve had cellular service from Sprint, Verizon and AT&T and none of them have been able to add the name to the incoming call if it wasn’t already in my address book. Lame!
Don’t even get me started on “Blocked” calls. What are you, my mystery date? 🙄
* DC, Maryland, Virginia for those not hip to the jive.†
** Or possibly a friend trying to make bail. Ya never know!
† Kids still say jive these days, right?
[Featured image by tesatool0/Pixabay.]
Since you are apartment hunting, I find your position extremely unenviable. I screen every call (especially since the last people to have my home phone number skipped out on a lot of debts). If I don’t recognize the name (if given) or the number, I let it roll to VM. But since you are looking for a new place, you have to answer. Dude, bummer.
.-= latest entry: ramp it up, one way or another =-.
It’s not just AT&T that doesn’t display name information with Caller ID, Verizon only shows the number as well, so 9 times out of 10 if I don’t recognize the number I am checking it on whocalled.us once it lands in missed calls.
.-= latest entry: Making it too Easy =-.