Caution, CA's are getting trickier by the minute

[ready2puke]

Now I dont answer any calls period, just have no reason to get the grief. I'm filing in a few months hopefully. All the number are either unavailable or wierd area codes and 866's.. Well today I got one from my area code so I answered it. A recording came on and said hold for Kelli? and then the recording went on to say this is not a cold call or marketing call...
I hung up and did a search. I am assuming its a CA but others are complaining from what I've seen on google saying they are calling at all hours and hanging up...
Have any of you had any calls from your area code like this??
R2P
Boy my screenname is really me right now I've been in bed for 4 days...sickie girl

[dingdong]

They might be "spoofing" the caller ID. There are easy ways for a phone number's caller ID to be changed or perhaps they bought a virtual number in your area code, which is probably more likely.

[BKorbust]

They are likely spoofing their number. I recieved a couple of calls from a local number and answered. Guess what it was the sobs from NCO and they were several states away in NY.

[BigJohn]

I have had a few 'local' calls that appeared to habe been spoofed.

[ready2puke]

Geez now I wont beable to answer my cell at all...spoof? I havent heard that term before. Thanks for the replys.

[rockyroad]

If you aren't listed in my cell directory I DON'T answer! If it's really a personal call, from the school or whatever, then they'll leave a message.
I'm even getting local calls now with people leaving messages just saying "Can you please call Elaine?"
Uh, sorry, I'm not calling you back until you identify yourself, where you're from and what you need!

[rockyroad]

I'm thinking "Elaine" and another annonoymous local caller is a process server. They have yet been successful in serving me my summons and have been leaving notices on the door since Feb. 2.

[catleg]

You would hope with all this crazy stuff going on with kids spoofing the phone system and getting innocent peoples' homes raided by Swat teams that there will be some serious legislation soon to criminalize any kind of caller ID spoofing. I worked in a hospital for a while and just about everybody had display phones for the specific reason that you had to know who you were talking to before you could discuss HIPAA protected information.

[Flamingo]

It is so easy for anyone to obtain a local name to show up on phone lines and call and spoof. In this day and age and all the rip offs that occur, unless you recognize the voice or can prove who is on the other end of the phone is to ask to call back to verify the caller. That stops it right in its tracks. Example...we subscribe to our daily newspaper to be delivered to our house. It's an automatic deduction for payment each month from our checking account (cheaper than purchasing it every day). A few weeks ago, phone rang and the caller ID listed the name of the newspaper. I answered the phone and a male voice asked if we would like to extend the subscription on our newspaper delivery. Well, with home delivery automatically charged each month, why would we want to renew a subscription? OK...I played along to find out what was going on and he then asked for our "debit card number" to continue the subscription. I said I would have to check with my husband to see if he wanted to renew and asked for his name and number. He provided the main number for the newspaper and a name. Well, I called the newspaper back and you well know by now the outcome. It was all made up and a scam, but this guy had the name of the newspaper show up on my caller ID when he called.

Don't trust anyone calling...they want your information and money.

[2Bshinyandnew]

It is so easy for anyone to obtain a local name to show up on phone lines and call and spoof. In this day and age and all the rip offs that occur, unless you recognize the voice or can prove who is on the other end of the phone is to ask to call back to verify the caller. That stops it right in its tracks. Example...we subscribe to our daily newspaper to be delivered to our house. It's an automatic deduction for payment each month from our checking account (cheaper than purchasing it every day). A few weeks ago, phone rang and the caller ID listed the name of the newspaper. I answered the phone and a male voice asked if we would like to extend the subscription on our newspaper delivery. Well, with home delivery automatically charged each month, why would we want to renew a subscription? OK...I played along to find out what was going on and he then asked for our "debit card number" to continue the subscription. I said I would have to check with my husband to see if he wanted to renew and asked for his name and number. He provided the main number for the newspaper and a name. Well, I called the newspaper back and you well know by now the outcome. It was all made up and a scam, but this guy had the name of the newspaper show up on my caller ID when he called.

Don't trust anyone calling...they want your information and money.

Wow. amazing they can do that, hijack the newspaper's # and name like that.

[Flamingo]

Wow. amazing they can do that, hijack the newspaper's # and name like that.

When you have a moment, google "Caller ID Spoof Website." You'll be amazed at what anyone can do...

[GoingDown]

It is so easy for anyone to obtain a local name to show up on phone lines and call and spoof. In this day and age and all the rip offs that occur, unless you recognize the voice or can prove who is on the other end of the phone is to ask to call back to verify the caller. That stops it right in its tracks. Example...we subscribe to our daily newspaper to be delivered to our house. It's an automatic deduction for payment each month from our checking account (cheaper than purchasing it every day). A few weeks ago, phone rang and the caller ID listed the name of the newspaper. I answered the phone and a male voice asked if we would like to extend the subscription on our newspaper delivery. Well, with home delivery automatically charged each month, why would we want to renew a subscription? OK...I played along to find out what was going on and he then asked for our "debit card number" to continue the subscription. I said I would have to check with my husband to see if he wanted to renew and asked for his name and number. He provided the main number for the newspaper and a name. Well, I called the newspaper back and you well know by now the outcome. It was all made up and a scam, but this guy had the name of the newspaper show up on my caller ID when he called.

Don't trust anyone calling...they want your information and money.

I've had similar things happen to me, only they wanted to "extend my car warranty". My vehicle is so old it hasn't had a warranty to extend in many years. They too wanted my credit card or debit card information.

Anymore, it is best to not answer the phone unless you are certain you know who it is. If it is a call from a friend or relative or a school, etc., they will leave a message and you can call them back.

The worst thing to happen to a collection agency is for you to not answer the phone. Then they have no possibility of getting paid easily. They rely on people answering the phone and then voluntarily paying them. If no one did that, they would go out of business rapidly.

[Bell30656]

Actually, I've found that by answering the phone and confirming that I'm the person that they are looking for but that I'm not willing to discuss the debt it has kept them from calling other people "to locate" me. I'd rather not have calls to my work, friends and/or others.

They about choke when I tell them I'm not willing to discuss that matter. "What do you mean, you won't discuss this debt. You have to..." It really just hurts his/her feeling when I won't. Be sure to tell them that you record all your calls. That will usually get you a dial tone faster than anything else.

On the "spoofing" of the Caller ID... It is actually not only allowed in some areas but some phone companies give telemarketers series of numbers to use in the Caller ID dialers. Well, I'm sure they don't give but rather rent... they have to make a buck.

[GoingDown]

Actually, I've found that by answering the phone and confirming that I'm the person that they are looking for but that I'm not willing to discuss the debt it has kept them from calling other people "to locate" me. I'd rather not have calls to my work, friends and/or others.

They about choke when I tell them I'm not willing to discuss that matter. "What do you mean, you won't discuss this debt. You have to..." It really just hurts his/her feeling when I won't. Be sure to tell them that you record all your calls. That will usually get you a dial tone faster than anything else.

On the "spoofing" of the Caller ID... It is actually not only allowed in some areas but some phone companies give telemarketers series of numbers to use in the Caller ID dialers. Well, I'm sure they don't give but rather rent... they have to make a buck.

But most people unwittingly give the debt collector far too much information over the phone which is later turned against them.

Remember the main sources of information for the debt collector are your credit report and whatever you say over the phone.

As far as relatives are concerned, tell them the same thing. Tell them to not answer their calls or simply hang up on them. All of my relatives know about my debt troubles and so they are prepared when debt collectors call. This way the debt collector doesn't get any useful information from my relatives, either.

The only way to stop them from calling at work-- if they have your work phone number-- is to send them a letter by certified mail telling them you are not allowed to take personal phone calls at work.

If there was one message I could scream to the whole world to end the abusive practice of debt collection, it would be this-- NEVER SPEAK TO A DEBT COLLECTOR.

If everyone followed that advice they would go out of business.

[BigJohn]

To me, it is a waste of time to speak to these people. I had one tell me he was going to call all of my neighbors and relatives unless I paid the debt (he said this after I told him I had already filed bankruptcy, told him to call my lawyer, gave him our bankruptcy case number and told him not to call again). So because you talk to them does not mean they will stop calling others. And if they get your work number, they just might call 50 million times in one day.