help! what are my options??????

[Lithium381]

My girlfriend keeps getting calls from a blocked number....of whom never answers, and always hangs up. The calls come in about 4 or 5 times a day, at all hours....3am and 5am, 10pm 4pm etc....... This has persisted for about three months now. She has spoken to a CSR at AT&T and was told that they "don't have the right to block a number". I can understand not giving her the number, but what else can she do? Since the number is blocked, she can't see it....Many of her legitimate calls originate from blocked numbers, so she always has to answer them.

Help?

 

[MixMasterTang]

Why do "Many of her legitimate calls originate from blocked numbers"?

 

[Crono]

Maybe a service or device that only allows a "white list" of phone numbers? My VoIP provider, Packet8, has that feature, and over the web so its easy. Physical devices like this: http://www.privacycorps.com/products/?id=20 might work, too.

EDIT: Didn't see "Many of her legitimate calls originate from blocked numbers, so she always has to answer them"

 

[Crono]

A search turned up this: http://www.harassingcalls.com/ but I have no idea if it works.

 

[MotionMan]

Originally posted by: MixMasterTang
Why do "Many of her legitimate calls originate from blocked numbers"?

That may be unique to California. In California you can have your home number not appear on caller ID (i.e. Caller ID Block = "blocked").

Due to my profession, I have my phone number unlisted and Caller ID blocked. Many of my friends do as well, so many of my legit calls come from blocked numbers, too.

MotionMan

 

[MotionMan]

Originally posted by: Lithium381
My girlfriend keeps getting calls from a blocked number....of whom never answers, and always hangs up. The calls come in about 4 or 5 times a day, at all hours....3am and 5am, 10pm 4pm etc....... This has persisted for about three months now. She has spoken to a CSR at AT&T and was told that they "don't have the right to block a number". I can understand not giving her the number, but what else can she do? Since the number is blocked, she can't see it....Many of her legitimate calls originate from blocked numbers, so she always has to answer them.

Help?

Are these legit calls from friends or for business?

If mostly for friends (especially at 3am!?), she may need to screen her calls for a while. Just have her let all of her friends know what is going on and have them leave voicemail or text her for a call back while she screens all of her "blocked" calls. Unless it is one of her friends being a jerk, I would think the person would give up after a few weeks of getting nothing but voicemail.

Also, one can unblock a number for a specific call (*67?). Her friends who are blocked could unblock their calls when dialing your gf until the calls stop.

I'll try to think of some more ideas, but these are the best two I could come up with right now.

MotionMan

 

[FoBoT]

stop answering the phone


ok , the other option is to get a new phone number

 

[markgm]

Nuclear weapons.

 

[erub]

My parents are the only ones I know with a blocked number (on the home line), so I always assume its my mother calling and answer it as such..anybody else, well, tough They waste $12/month on this (5.99x2 lines) and you get out of the phone directory (are people really still in these nowadays?)

 

[warlord]

I had this problem on one occasion, there is a way to get the number when you hang up, but I can't find it right now. I called the cops, and had the officer call them back (it was 2am). Or dial *69 right after they call, that will call them back.

My phone book also says you can set up a call rejection feature to block unwanted calls. It has instructions for blocking a number you know, and if you don't it says dial *60 immediately after hanging up from their call.