FTC Warns of Recent Surge in Robocall Scammers Pretending to Be Apple

[hajime]

Based on several websites that seems to be the number of a collection agency called NCO Financial Services. According to NCO Group to Pay Largest FCRA Civil Penalty to Date they were in trouble with the FTC back in 2004 and based on Expert Global Solutions, Inc., as NCO Group, Inc. they got into trouble again and got hit with an even larger fine in 2013.

Somebody mentioned that connecting a fax machine to the phone and have it turned to the max volume helped to get rid of them. Isn't a machine rather than human calling?

 

[Maximara]

Somebody mentioned that connecting a fax machine to the phone and have it turned to the max volume helped to get rid of them. Isn't a machine rather than human calling?

"If you were to call a fax number with a regular phone, a fax machine would answer and you would hear a series of beeps.

The beeps are the noise of the fax machine sending a signal to say “there is a fax machine here.” If no fax machine on your end of the phone line beeps back at the fax machine, the receiving fax machine will simply hang up the line." - What happens when you call a fax number?

Given a fax machine just beeps turning up the volume doesn't really do much unless your line has volume problems. The auto-dialer "hears" the beeps and throws the number into the 'not a voice number' bucket.

If you are into legalese 47 U.S. Code § 227 - Restrictions on use of telephone equipment is worth a read.

 

[Weaselboy]

How do we block all numbers that start with specific first few digits (in my case the first few digits of my own number) and only allow those that have the same first few digits as mine but in my contact list to go through?

I use the iOS app Number Shield for that. You can block a pattern like the beginning of your own number then there is a toggle to allow anybody in your contacts.

 

[icanhazmac]

5 calls again last night, all from the 520 area code 836 exchange but all calls had different last 4 numbers, claiming to be Apple support, pointing you towards a "toll free" response line from the 315 area code. Approximately 20 minutes apart.