Unknown Number? Don’t Answer That.

We rarely answer our home phone. In fact, the message center isn’t monitored closely and we pay little attention to it anymore. We seldom have a call from anyone other than the drug store to remind us that a prescription is ready for pick up. I have a message, asking anyone who is calling regarding Senate business to call my office and I give the number. We keep up with those messages regularly at my office and I want to make sure that constituents’ calls are answered. If it weren’t for the security system, we would abandon this antiquated mode of communication altogether. I’m also one of those people who doesn’t like change. We have had the same home number for more than forty years. I can’t bear to part with it. There is occasionally a call from someone from the past, an old friend from other places we lived or friends of the children who have grown up and moved away. I couldn’t bear it if we missed one of those calls. 

One night the phone rang and my husband did answer for once. He started chatting with the caller. I heard him discussing a project in Wilson, N.C. that we had done a few years back and about how the area had changed. I assumed it was an old friend and went about other things, not listening to much of the conversation. He chatted for quite some time. When he hung up, I asked, “Honey, who was that?” He answered, “A telemarketer.” What!! I’ve been leaving that man alone way too much. 

He was vigilant though and didn’t purchase anything. Thank Goodness.

I get a fair number of contacts complaining about these calls, many of which are scams. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), they received 1.4 million complaints in the first three quarters of 2021. In nearly 2 in 5 cases, the swindler got his way.

Americans lost $29.8 billion to phone scammers in the past 12 months. Almost 59 million Americans lost money in those scams. 

I have often wondered how this could possibly be an effective way to market in this modern day. I assumed most people reacted as we do, without answering the phone or certainly hanging up shortly thereafter at the worst.

According to industry estimates, 58.5 billion robocalls were made last year, a 22 percent increase over the previous year. I guess it must still be profitable or it wouldn’t be growing at such a pace.

The states that receive the most calls per capita are Louisiana, Alabama, Nevada, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Arkansas, North Carolina and Delaware. The least calls were made to Alaska, with only 45 calls made per capita. 

Many of these calls are from people who claim to work for a government agency. The IRS is at the top of the list. I’ve received these myself, threatening to take immediate action. The IRS will not call you on the phone and they will not ask you for direct payment. There are many also posing as big tech firms, Amazon or a beloved charity. 

List your phone number on the Do Not Call Registry. While it doesn’t keep the fraudsters away, it does cut down on marketing calls from legitimate companies. Hang up on illegal calls and do lots of research if it appears to be something you are interested in. Do not ever give personal or financial information to anyone over the phone that you do not know.

 Also beware of free stuff. “You’ve just won a trip to Hawaii” is not something you should get excited over. It’s a scam.

My husband advertised a classic car for sale. A caller contacted him and made an offer that my husband accepted. He claimed to work at the FBI. He then began to  arrange to have the car picked up and transported. The deal he proposed required my husband to put up money for the shipping fee and he would include that amount in with the purchase price. Obviously, it was a scam. He was very good at his craft. When my husband said No, he became hostile and threatening. Not a good way to win customers.

I receive many complaints from constituents regarding this issue. It’s a federal issue and very little that we can do at the state level. The Federal Trade Commission and the Federal Communications Commission have jurisdiction over these regulations. They have help lines available for consumers to make reports and they do offer advice. 

My office is always willing to help if needed. We can lead you through the complaint process and offer assistance to reach out to the Attorney General.

My advice is to not answer the phone unless it is someone you know. These fraudsters are very savvy and they have a way of displaying the number as if it is from a local caller. I have had calls come in from my own number. If you do answer a call unknowingly, hang up quickly if the caller starts asking for information.

No legitimate business will insist that you make a decision NOW. They will give you time if you are interested in their product or service.

Measure twice and cut once as the old saying goes. Being careful is always the best policy.