since we have retired and spending a lot more time at home we have been inundated with phone calls from all sorts of scammers.
In an effort to reduce the number of calls I contacted Telstra. They have a dept called "Unwelcome Phone Calls" and they can block calls from any number that is annoying you.
I had all calls from outside Australia blocked. So will see what happens.
If you want calls from call centres in Australia blocked you will need to make note of the exact time of the call and don't hang up the phone for 5 minutes after the call. Then call Telstra and tell them the time of the call and they can block it.
very helpful people when I rang and the service costs NOTHING.
Simple process, we registered years ago and seldom get unwanted calls.
Unfortunately scammers don't check the DNC register before trying to relieve you of your hard earned cash.
Jenzarl said
11:40 AM Feb 21, 2014
Also the "Do not call" register does not stop legitament charities (Like Red Cross) from calling. We are on it but still get the odd calls occaisionally from charities
Simple process, we registered years ago and seldom get unwanted calls.
Unfortunately scammers don't check the DNC register before trying to relieve you of your hard earned cash.
As I said we seldom get unwanted calls, scammers or other, same as I don't get spam emails, I would suggest people who are inundated with either would do well to review their security and browsing habits.
I suspect a lot of people create problems for themselves by being too free with personal information, as well as using freeware loaded with tracking cookies and malware.
KFT said
09:00 PM Feb 21, 2014
You should be aware though that to get around the do not call register these companies were using overseas call centres
the Australian DNCR does not apply to them
We have been on the DNCR since it was started and renewed our registration twice since.
so now we will see what happens
frank
Santa said
10:47 PM Feb 21, 2014
KFT wrote:
You should be aware though that to get around the do not call register these companies were using overseas call centres
the Australian DNCR does not apply to them
We have been on the DNCR since it was started and renewed our registration twice since.
so now we will see what happens
frank
Evening Frank, there must be a reason why some people like yourself are "inundated" with these unwanted calls and others are seldom bothered, we may get 1 call a month, perhaps less, as soon as they start their spiel I hang up without saying a word.
Kooroorinya Kelpie said
07:46 AM Feb 22, 2014
Hi all. A very simple solution is to get yourself one of the personal alarms which are only about $10. They usually emit about 120 decibels of noise so that when you get one of these nuisance calls give the caller the old "hang on a minute and I'll get the boss" story then hold the alarm close to the phone and activate it. Should'nt take them more than 3 weeks to get normal hearing back.
KFT said
01:38 PM Feb 22, 2014
G'day Santa
I don't have an answer. we are careful with private info and never give donations or details over the phone.
a couple of the calls we had were cold calls and I just say no thanks as soon as they start and then hang up
others had some details like our name and address but that is in the phone book.
lots of calls where there is nobody there and then a hangup which worried me that someone was testing to see if we were home.
see how we go with what has been done and modify the plan from there.
Simple process, we registered years ago and seldom get unwanted calls.
Unfortunately scammers don't check the DNC register before trying to relieve you of your hard earned cash.
As I said we seldom get unwanted calls, scammers or other, same as I don't get spam emails, I would suggest people who are inundated with either would do well to review their security and browsing habits.
I suspect a lot of people create problems for themselves by being too free with personal information, as well as using freeware loaded with tracking cookies and malware.
Hmmm, for spam emails I agree but the OP was talking about "Unwelcome Phone Calls"
The person at the other end can get all the details they need from the phone book but the real scammers are more sophisticated. They will use computer software to sequentially dial numbers using eg: a WA or Victorian etc area code then the computer will try to ring all possible combination of numbers in a flash. If someone answers a phone the computer knows it has hit a real number so transfers the call to a person, hence the delay you experience when answering sometimes.
If you get a delay when you answer that is the time to hang up.
Santa said
05:25 PM Feb 22, 2014
Delta18 wrote:
Hmmm, for spam emails I agree but the OP was talking about "Unwelcome Phone Calls"
The person at the other end can get all the details they need from the phone book but the real scammers are more sophisticated. They will use computer software to sequentially dial numbers using eg: a WA or Victorian etc area code then the computer will try to ring all possible combination of numbers in a flash. If someone answers a phone the computer knows it has hit a real number so transfers the call to a person, hence the delay you experience when answering sometimes.
If you get a delay when you answer that is the time to hang up.
I hear what you say Neil, however given that KFT and myself are both on the DNC registrar, and both listed in the directory, why is it that he receives more than his fair share of unwanted calls while others like myself are seldom bothered?
Not saying I want my situation to change, would simply like to know the reason.
dorian said
05:40 PM Feb 22, 2014
What I would like Telstra to do is to prevent any caller who blocks their caller ID to be blocked from ringing my number.
KFT said
11:39 PM Feb 22, 2014
Dorian you may be able to do that these days
talk to Telstra and see how you go
and let us know how you get on please
frank
Delta18 said
07:43 AM Feb 23, 2014
Santa wrote:
I hear what you say Neil, however given that KFT and myself are both on the DNC registrar, and both listed in the directory, why is it that he receives more than his fair share of unwanted calls while others like myself are seldom bothered?
Not saying I want my situation to change, would simply like to know the reason.
I believe you live in your van, it sounds like Frank lives at home, it could simply be his number is in the phone book and yours not?
Santa said
10:02 AM Feb 23, 2014
Delta18 wrote:
Santa wrote:
I believe you live in your van, it sounds like Frank lives at home, it could simply be his number is in the phone book and yours not?
We live in Moonta SA, sadly only manage to hit the road a couple of times a year, like Frank we have a number listed in the white pages.
KFT said
11:08 AM Feb 24, 2014
G'day everyone
I can report that after one week of having a Telstra block on incoming calls from outside Australia we have not had one call.
I realise this is only a small sample BUT so far so good.
frank
grahos said
12:14 PM Feb 24, 2014
I always check the window on the phone,if it is o/seas normally do not reply to it,sometimes when I do I ask where are you ringing from,
they will usually say Melbourne,Ithen ask why does o/seas come up,most times ph goes click.
i have also told them to hang on and go back 5 minutes later.
I know of one guy who said they were glad they called as they are implicated in a murder.
Aus-Kiwi said
09:35 AM Mar 3, 2014
I play porn sounds back on phone.. Very rarely get calls now ! My son plays games with them .. Says he's lonely etc asks what are they wearing etc.. Click oh no they hang up !! Lol
-- Edited by Aus-Kiwi on Monday 3rd of March 2014 09:36:27 AM
KFT said
02:58 PM Mar 8, 2014
we don't have caller ID so was impossible to be sure where the calls were originating.
been 3 weeks now and not one call from a marketing call centre or scammers.
I like it like that.
frank
Santa said
06:13 PM Mar 8, 2014
KFT wrote:
we don't have caller ID so was impossible to be sure where the calls were originating.
been 3 weeks now and not one call from a marketing call centre or scammers.
I like it like that.
frank
Welcome to the club.
Big Gorilla said
03:53 PM Mar 9, 2014
I have a silent number or maybe it's just called an unlisted number now, so maybe this is the reason I don't get many calls. Last week I had two. One was Red Cross, I forget the other. I just hang up. Today I received a call and when I answered it was a pre-recorded Clive Palmer message I've seen on TV recently.
One way I get rid of callers who say they are from Centrelink, my Bank or Insurer, they usually say they must check my ID and would I give them my date of birth and residential address. I say no, how do I know you are from Centrelink, Bank or Insurer or whoever. You could be anyone trying to steal my identity or rob my home ! After they try to convince me they are genuine callers and I still don't give the information, they nicely say goodbye and hang up.
DEBnWEG said
09:43 PM Mar 11, 2014
Hi all, been reading the replies and I must say ... I love getting these calls and I don't get them anymore because ...
it's simple, all telemarketing business factor in events such as "hang ups", wrong / invalid numbers etc, BUT the longer the call goes for, their training methodologies and the callers strike rate (of calls versus sales) tells them that they should be able to close the sale. If you keep them on the phone (I never listen to them) and reply every so often with "yes, sounds good, tell me more" they should able to close the sale, the longer you keep them talking, the higher their blood pressure gets and trust me ... THEY take your number off their list because you will never buy anything from them.
Make no mistake, the DNC is a political rort ... created to satisfy the consumer From a political perspective but what it does do is creates a black market for VALID phone numbers. Valid phone numbers, like email addresses (never unsubscribe, this confirms your email as a real email address) are gold to a telemarketer. The reason why the DNC will never work is that telemarketing businesses do not actually use a traditional telephone, they use computer software to randomly call (via the internet) a series of numbers ... Which just happen to be your phone number and as they are based overseas there is very little we can do about it. If you listen to them, they usually say something like ... I'm calling ON BEHALF of ABC blah blah blah.
so next time someone calls, keep them on the line or do what my elderly mother does and sticks the phone in a kitchen drawer for a while!
cheers - Weg.
Santa said
09:00 AM Mar 12, 2014
DEBnWEG wrote:
Make no mistake, the DNC is a political rort ... created to satisfy the consumer From a political perspective but what it does do is creates a black market for VALID phone numbers. cheers - Weg.
Wonder if you would like to tell us a little more about this theory?
KFT said
07:17 PM Apr 1, 2014
Well I have to say I am amazed at how quiet the phone has been over the last 5 weeks.
Thank you Telstra unwelcome calls dept.
Highly recommend the free service to anyone getting lots of unwanted calls that originate overseas.
frank
DEBnWEG said
01:22 PM Apr 4, 2014
Hello Santa, apologies for the delayed response.
the DNC Register was created from consumer back lash to customers getting unsolicited phone calls as we know, but as Telstra was no longer run by the government and was a publicly listed company with shareholders etc, they were reluctant to create and manage as they get paid per phone call.
The reality is this ... phone numbers, like credit cards are numeric so a simple algorithm is applied and these days with computers the code is run along the lines of 000001, 00002, 00003 etc until the code creates a numerical sequence which just happens to be your phone number and all of a sudden your phone rings. Have you ever noticed a pause between you answering the call and then someone responding? This is the predictive dialler they use to filter hang ups etc from their operators.
now the DNC is an Australian Standard of behaviour which in theory regulates telemarketing industry here in Australia, that is why your caller is usually from the Philippines ... "I'm calling ON BEHALF of ....."
with profitability margins factored in to their business, and time is money, if the calling business can eliminate the chance of an incorrect number from their code / list of potential phone numbers with a list of REAL numbers, they will pay for it ... Hence the black market ... Same principles apply to credit cards and email addresses.
the government know all too well that this is the case so the DNC was created ... Hence the political rort ... A smokescreen to appease our desire to be anonymous ... When no one can actually provide the service we require.
imagine someone in the DNC office getting a hold of the list ... How much would a competitive telemarketing business pay to get this ...
Umpie1 said
06:00 PM Apr 4, 2014
I recently received a call from "One Big Switch", the one heavily promoted bu Channel 7. I am on the DNC register and made the point very forcibly to the person calling. I then reported the details to thew DNC register and also sent a complaint to the OBS people. From them I got a very lame reply that did not address my complaint. The DNC register is a different kettle of fish. If you get these type of calls and you are on the DNC register, lodge a complaint.
dorian said
11:27 AM Apr 8, 2014
Sorry for my belated reply, but Telstra have told me that they cannot block calls from private numbers, nor can they block calls from specific countries. If you wish to block international calls, then you will have to block calls from all countries. ISTM that a ratbag's privacy is more important than my own.
KFT said
12:38 PM Apr 8, 2014
Hi Dorian
As we have no friends or relatives outside Australia it was no problem for us having ALL calls from outside Australia blocked.
This has worked well for us so far. We do not have caller ID so we had no way of knowing who was calling and from where.
frank
Maggie and Alex said
01:01 PM Apr 13, 2014
I have number display, it shows overseas so I don't answer them. When it shows private, I have a few friends with "private" numbers, I let it go to the answer machine. If it is a telemarketer, they hang up, my friends speak so I pick up the phone. I did recently have an overseas call at 11pm. That makes my blood boil.
Hi everyone,
since we have retired and spending a lot more time at home we have been inundated with phone calls from all sorts of scammers.
In an effort to reduce the number of calls I contacted Telstra. They have a dept called "Unwelcome Phone Calls" and they can block calls from any number that is annoying you.
I had all calls from outside Australia blocked. So will see what happens.
If you want calls from call centres in Australia blocked you will need to make note of the exact time of the call and don't hang up the phone for 5 minutes after the call. Then call Telstra and tell them the time of the call and they can block it.
very helpful people when I rang and the service costs NOTHING.
give it a try
frank
Or you can simply list with the Do Not Call Register https://www.donotcall.gov.au/
Simple process, we registered years ago and seldom get unwanted calls.
Unfortunately scammers don't check the DNC register before trying to relieve you of your hard earned cash.
Also the "Do not call" register does not stop legitament charities (Like Red Cross) from calling. We are on it but still get the odd calls occaisionally from charities
As I said we seldom get unwanted calls, scammers or other, same as I don't get spam emails, I would suggest people who are inundated with either would do well to review their security and browsing habits.
I suspect a lot of people create problems for themselves by being too free with personal information, as well as using freeware loaded with tracking cookies and malware.
the Australian DNCR does not apply to them
We have been on the DNCR since it was started and renewed our registration twice since.
so now we will see what happens
frank
Evening Frank, there must be a reason why some people like yourself are "inundated" with these unwanted calls and others are seldom bothered, we may get 1 call a month, perhaps less, as soon as they start their spiel I hang up without saying a word.
I don't have an answer. we are careful with private info and never give donations or details over the phone.
a couple of the calls we had were cold calls and I just say no thanks as soon as they start and then hang up
others had some details like our name and address but that is in the phone book.
lots of calls where there is nobody there and then a hangup which worried me that someone was testing to see if we were home.
see how we go with what has been done and modify the plan from there.
appreciate your comments
thanks
frank
Hmmm, for spam emails I agree but the OP was talking about "Unwelcome Phone Calls"
The person at the other end can get all the details they need from the phone book but the real scammers are more sophisticated. They will use computer software to sequentially dial numbers using eg: a WA or Victorian etc area code then the computer will try to ring all possible combination of numbers in a flash. If someone answers a phone the computer knows it has hit a real number so transfers the call to a person, hence the delay you experience when answering sometimes.
If you get a delay when you answer that is the time to hang up.
I hear what you say Neil, however given that KFT and myself are both on the DNC registrar, and both listed in the directory, why is it that he receives more than his fair share of unwanted calls while others like myself are seldom bothered?
Not saying I want my situation to change, would simply like to know the reason.
talk to Telstra and see how you go
and let us know how you get on please
frank
I believe you live in your van, it sounds like Frank lives at home, it could simply be his number is in the phone book and yours not?
We live in Moonta SA, sadly only manage to hit the road a couple of times a year, like Frank we have a number listed in the white pages.
I can report that after one week of having a Telstra block on incoming calls from outside Australia we have not had one call.
I realise this is only a small sample BUT so far so good.
frank
they will usually say Melbourne,Ithen ask why does o/seas come up,most times ph goes click.
i have also told them to hang on and go back 5 minutes later.
I know of one guy who said they were glad they called as they are implicated in a murder.
I play porn sounds back on phone.. Very rarely get calls now ! My son plays games with them .. Says he's lonely etc asks what are they wearing etc.. Click oh no they hang up !! Lol
-- Edited by Aus-Kiwi on Monday 3rd of March 2014 09:36:27 AM
been 3 weeks now and not one call from a marketing call centre or scammers.
I like it like that.
frank
Welcome to the club.
I have a silent number or maybe it's just called an unlisted number now, so maybe this is the reason I don't get many calls. Last week I had two. One was Red Cross, I forget the other. I just hang up. Today I received a call and when I answered it was a pre-recorded Clive Palmer message I've seen on TV recently.
One way I get rid of callers who say they are from Centrelink, my Bank or Insurer, they usually say they must check my ID and would I give them my date of birth and residential address. I say no, how do I know you are from Centrelink, Bank or Insurer or whoever. You could be anyone trying to steal my identity or rob my home ! After they try to convince me they are genuine callers and I still don't give the information, they nicely say goodbye and hang up.
Hi all, been reading the replies and I must say ... I love getting these calls and I don't get them anymore because ...
it's simple, all telemarketing business factor in events such as "hang ups", wrong / invalid numbers etc, BUT the longer the call goes for, their training methodologies and the callers strike rate (of calls versus sales) tells them that they should be able to close the sale. If you keep them on the phone (I never listen to them) and reply every so often with "yes, sounds good, tell me more" they should able to close the sale, the longer you keep them talking, the higher their blood pressure gets and trust me ... THEY take your number off their list because you will never buy anything from them.
Make no mistake, the DNC is a political rort ... created to satisfy the consumer From a political perspective but what it does do is creates a black market for VALID phone numbers. Valid phone numbers, like email addresses (never unsubscribe, this confirms your email as a real email address) are gold to a telemarketer. The reason why the DNC will never work is that telemarketing businesses do not actually use a traditional telephone, they use computer software to randomly call (via the internet) a series of numbers ... Which just happen to be your phone number and as they are based overseas there is very little we can do about it. If you listen to them, they usually say something like ... I'm calling ON BEHALF of ABC blah blah blah.
so next time someone calls, keep them on the line or do what my elderly mother does and sticks the phone in a kitchen drawer for a while!
cheers - Weg.
Wonder if you would like to tell us a little more about this theory?
Thank you Telstra unwelcome calls dept.
Highly recommend the free service to anyone getting lots of unwanted calls that originate overseas.
frank
Hello Santa, apologies for the delayed response.
the DNC Register was created from consumer back lash to customers getting unsolicited phone calls as we know, but as Telstra was no longer run by the government and was a publicly listed company with shareholders etc, they were reluctant to create and manage as they get paid per phone call.
The reality is this ... phone numbers, like credit cards are numeric so a simple algorithm is applied and these days with computers the code is run along the lines of 000001, 00002, 00003 etc until the code creates a numerical sequence which just happens to be your phone number and all of a sudden your phone rings. Have you ever noticed a pause between you answering the call and then someone responding? This is the predictive dialler they use to filter hang ups etc from their operators.
now the DNC is an Australian Standard of behaviour which in theory regulates telemarketing industry here in Australia, that is why your caller is usually from the Philippines ... "I'm calling ON BEHALF of ....."
with profitability margins factored in to their business, and time is money, if the calling business can eliminate the chance of an incorrect number from their code / list of potential phone numbers with a list of REAL numbers, they will pay for it ... Hence the black market ... Same principles apply to credit cards and email addresses.
the government know all too well that this is the case so the DNC was created ... Hence the political rort ... A smokescreen to appease our desire to be anonymous ... When no one can actually provide the service we require.
imagine someone in the DNC office getting a hold of the list ... How much would a competitive telemarketing business pay to get this ...
I recently received a call from "One Big Switch", the one heavily promoted bu Channel 7. I am on the DNC register and made the point very forcibly to the person calling. I then reported the details to thew DNC register and also sent a complaint to the OBS people. From them I got a very lame reply that did not address my complaint. The DNC register is a different kettle of fish. If you get these type of calls and you are on the DNC register, lodge a complaint.
As we have no friends or relatives outside Australia it was no problem for us having ALL calls from outside Australia blocked.
This has worked well for us so far. We do not have caller ID so we had no way of knowing who was calling and from where.
frank