If you are receiving calls from "unknown numbers" via caller id and..

Just an FYI - not all "unknown number" calls are debt collectors - many business places come up as unknown on caller i.d. - my own workplace is one of them, and we are not a debt collector - we are a manufacturer of large equipment.

You can block calls that are designated by the caller to be anonymous - but you cannot block ones that are simply coming up as unknown - some will still get through. Your "anonymous call block" feature will only work on those callers who INTENTIONALLY block their number from your caller i.d.

We can only block numbers that are known to you and the only
way we can do that is threw our at&t smart limits for $4.99 a month.
With smart limits you can block up to 15 numbers.

Unfortunately, if the owner of the phone number that is calling you has
a private or blocked number, AT&T is not able to determine the number
calling your phone. Our system logs this call as an unknown number.

We have no means of blocking unknown numbers from calling your wireless
number. If it is necessary for this number to not contact you, we are
able to change your mobile number.

i have found that they know ways to get around this, i blocked all unknown numbers and they just find an "out of state" number

is this something new? Caller ID displays UNKNOWN NUMBER and it's blank where a phone number should be. It's really starting to Piss me off, been going on for a week now.

AVG, that has been happening to me for awhile now.. i do not know why it happens this way. i also get some of them that read "OUT OF STATE", whereas usually out of state calls show up with a phone number.

We get bombarded with unknown name, unknown number or not available... or private.... We are ready to get rid of the home phone, as that seems the only solution. Sorry. But Cox, QWEST, etc. etc. surely have a way of giving us a key stroke to put on our phones to do a call back (and that was before caller id).

That is the whole purpose of the caller id option and having ones phone number on the DO NOT CALL REGISTRY. You can't report them if you don't have their phone number. We need a law that every phone number except perhaps residential should be required to display their phone number.

Until we finally decide where to just cancel the home phone, which with cell phones (even my 89 year old Mother has one) who needs a home phone, as these annoyers never leave a message as to who they are- if no one answers they just hang up, I am now answering and put them on speaker phone and don't say a word. So all they hear is silence and they say hello, hello, hello. And they hang up. I am really annoying them by doing this. Now they don't just waste my time, they are wasting their time too. yeah!

Then here's a new one for the group. My caller ID shows "unknown caller" on my home phone, not my cell. It happens several times a week - sometimes several times a day - and I am unable to trap or trace the number. Star 57 can not find the number, star 69 can not recall it and when in the past I have answered, there's nobody there. Just silence. My phone company says there is no way to block it or find out who it is and they have no way to find out from checking any call logs of incoming numbers to my phone. If nobody is calling me, am I just hearing the phone ring because I'm going nuts? The quick answer is no I'm not crazy, but I get the calls all the time and can't find out where they are coming from, why they would be calling when there is nobody there, and I don't owe anybody anything so it isn't debt collectors. What the hell is going on? Why would somebody call me, block their number and not want to say anything if I answer? And, no, my wife isn't getting calls from an anonymous lover who won't say anything when a man answers, so no comedians, please.

It's really strange John. Some illegal scam debt collectors do call and harass consumers by not talking over the phone. But, your case is really strange. Let me talk to my attorney friend. I will get back to you.

It's likely an auto dialer checking to see if the number is actually in use. They may sell the numbers to telemarketers or scam companies, etc.

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I have Google Voice that *sends all calls* to voice mail until I white list them and allow them to go to my phone. No matter what trick is pulled, they will not get through yet those I want to get through right away, do.

I had a few calls go to voice mail that I would have accepted if I knew they were calling, but that was a quick fix. My unwanted calls are at 0%, my ooops I should add that to the accept list is like 2% if that.

Google Voice is free and has turned out to be the best weapon you can have with regards to CA/JDB's. It will even let you dial their number and make it look as if you are calling from your Google Voice number so you never have to worry about a CA/JDB getting your real number!

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Some phones have a call block feature. My current phone can block 50 numbers plus it has a call block for anything that doesn't have a number.

For some time I've been getting "Private Caller" calls 2 or 3 times a day between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. (sound familiar) the system goes to my voice mail and they hang up. I know it is these slimy creeps Midland Funding and/or Kramer and Frank their equally slimy scum-sucking Hucksters-at-Law.

For a while I was unaware of the anonymous/private call block feature. My phone company said they could block them but turns out all that would happen is they'd go to my voice mail which is already that way and they would not know they were "blocked". I wanted them to know they aren't reaching me.

Ever since I got my phone set up that way "presto" no more Private Callers. The one time I answered when it first started it was an automated announcement saying "please hold, we have an important call for you" and that is a debt collector. I refuse to answer, if they want to talk to me they can do it without the disguise. I don't open my door to people with hoods/masks on and I'm not answering my phone to numbers with hoods/masks, its all the same.

It is offensive to get, on the phone that I PAY FOR these callers who don't have the courtesy to come undisguised so they can go take a hike imo.

And the legal definition of harrassing phone calls, including in that description are calls from people who refuse to say anything as well as unknown calls. It doesn't matter if they call and don't say anything, just the act of calling is harrassment. I figure if they really wanted to talk to me they would say something, but that isn't what they want, they want to hassle me. So they are getting nowhere which is what they deserve.

If their number showed up you could contact them and tell them not to call you but you can't so they think they got you over a barrel but it just ain't so.

That google call sounds cool too I'll have to look into that.

The one thing that bugs me about my phone block now is that sometimes people like a doctor will call with a private number and so I might miss a call like that. It's a damn shame that on a phone line paid for by the consumer they dont have much control over calls. My 50 number block was quickly eaten up because they have all kinds of numbers and they just keep dialing till they find a number that gets through. I didn't think I could despise a class of people as much as I do and that class is low-life scummy bill collectors. Wouldn't surprise me if they didn't charge me with discriminating against collection agencies.

BTW, the phone I have is a Panasonic and if anyone is interested I will look up what model it is.:)

This is from the FDCPA re: Phone calls / issues
Basically, unlike some people here would have you believe (especially ex-Debt Collectors, you don't owe these swine the time of day. 8)
It's YOUR PHONE, debt buyers are not paying for your phone, its yours to do with as you see fit.
Read On--

I get 'Private' numbers, calling me, all day long!! I've answered a few of them. However...when I DO answer, whoever is on the other line, doesn't say anything. Very annoying. There is one, that I've answered, that asked for someone who doesn't live at my residence. As many times as I've told this person this (on the phone), they "insist" they have the correct number.

Repeated phone calls from someone that insists the number he dialed belongs to someone else or any kind of ongoing nuisance calls are definitely annoying since our home is supposed to be the place we go to get away for all the stuff in the "real world".

If you were getting calls from someone who could realistically be posing a threat to you or your family there is equipment that can be installed on your phone to trace such calls but it is not cheap and not done on a whim because it also involves the police department. Your other option would be to tell your phone provider you need a new number due to ongoing harassing or annoying phone calls they should give you a new number at no charge to you. If you call them and tell them you just want a new number because, for example, you've given your number out to too many old girlfriends and so you'd like a fresh start they would charge you no doubt.

I worked for Southwestern Bell for many years and so I'm certain this information is correct.

I am thrilled to learn that I am only victim of this invasion of privacy.
I got calls from 200,502,901,578 area codes, you name it , plus unknown, unavail........, Verizon can not block them b'cause they are international calls. and I don't want to change my number, WHY? next number will soon have the same fate . and why I have to alter my life and all my contact for these scumbags?. It became so annoying that they called repeatably at any time of the day from 1:00 AM to 5:00 AM, no limit , the time that I was not in the mood to answer.:mad:
My solution is : I save them in my contact and SILENT THEM .:p
I hope this help.

These trolls use a computer-dialer, or some other autodialer, to get someone to answer a "live number." Two choices:1) NEVER answer calls from unrecognized area codes/numbers; or, 2) Answer, and when you hear the silence (the time it takes for the dialer to transfer the call to a live body,) HANG UP. Let them deal with silence on the line.

My solution is simple and although it will not stop future calls it gives me peace of mind. The phone rings, I do not recognize the number or caller, I pick up and hang up immediately and go about my life.;)

The exact same thing is happening to me. They call several times per day, everyday, at all times of the day and night. I say hello and they just hang up.
It's from "Unknown Number".

I have been having the same problem. Unknown callers call everyday night and day and hang up when I answer the phone. I can't figure out why they do that. What's the point? I cannot block them because the numbers are unknown.

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If the reputable creditors would stop selling their accts to the scummy collection companies, then these companies would go out of business. It should be against the law to sell a debt to a 3rd party.