34 spam calls on the landline so far today.

[LuckyCharms]

So far.

Over a period of 10.5 hours.

And that's full 4-ringers, so they are getting by Nomorobo by using spoofed numbers.

I do not answer them, and I keep the ringer turned low, but I'm really curious about this sudden burst today.

Never had this many before, and I'm wondering why today.

[El Supremo]

1. I have AT&T Home Phone and those calls have dropped.

Only one so far today.

[calguy]

2. That's why we took our landline out years ago

Everyone was calling us on our cell anyways. Have never missed it. Not even once.

[Jeebo]

3. If you don't answer them ...

If you don't answer them, how do you know they're spam calls?

Also, I didn't know anybody other than businesses and government offices had landline phones any more. I took mine out 18 years ago when I realized I was paying TWO phone bills (landline, cell).

-- Ron

[LuckyCharms]

4. I have an answering machine.

1) Spouse does not want to get rid of the landline.

2) I still get calls on the landline from the same 10-15 people/offices.

3) The spammers never leave a message.

4) There is usually about 0.25 seconds of voice(s) on the answering machine before they hang up that I can hear while screening the call, but it does not last long enough to be recorded as a message. It sounds like several people sitting in proximity to each other.

[MANative]

5. We had kept our landline because our alarm system

Used it to connect to monitoring. We just upgraded the system so it uses a satellite link, so dumped the landline on Friday. I have been relishing the quiet. Massive difference in just a few days! Everyone I know calls my cell anyway. Saving $60/ month, too.

[sinkingfeeling]

6. Isn't there still a "Do not call list"?

[csziggy]

11. Yes, but it only works for the more reputable companies

The scammers don't care. Besides, most of the scammers are from outside the US.

I wish I could get rid of my landline. But it is part of my DSL deal and we don't get a cell signal inside the house unless we use WiFi to receive calls.

Last time the landline and internet went down, I spent two hours on the cell phone while parked at the top of our hill - where I get one whole bar - then had an argument they the customer disservice since they wanted an email to send me an update for when the tech would get here. She could not conceive of living where you get no cell signal except in specific situations or understand that with the phone line cut I got no internet.

[Raven123]

7. AT&T makes a telephone/answering machine that can be set up so you can silence the robocalls

You set it up to allow numbers you always want to get through and force others to press a button in order for the phone to ring. Robocallls will be silenced. It’s a bit of a pain to set up, but works very well. Model number CL83107 is one with those features.

[patphil]

8. I get about 3-4 spam calls daily.

They are always the same things:
Somebody ordered an Apple computer using my Amazon account.
Someone from Visa/Discover/MasterCard telling me about my account.
Someone doing some kind of home repair work in my neighborhood and would like to know if I want something done.
Someone asking me a question that they want me to answer "yes" to.
Someone from the IRS telling me to contact them immediately about my taxes.

And finally, "you have items waiting for pickup at the New City Library". That one's for real, my wife works there and this is how they let her know it's ready...the automated system doesn't know she works there.

[Harker]

9. That's obscene.

I used to get one occasionally until I signed up here...

https://www.donotcall.gov/

[FakeNoose]

10. I have a very good Verizon landline service that allows me to block up to 300 nuisance numbers

Sounds ideal, right? The only problem is, periodically - I'd say about once every 3 months or so - they wipe the file clean of all my blocked numbers. Suddenly the spam calls that I stopped getting when I blocked them, are all coming through again. It's really annoying!

So when this happens I know that I have to go back to my online Verizon account and start blocking those spam numbers again. It takes a few days to get them all blocked. So I have to go through this 3 or 4 times per year.

If you have a blocked numbers list, check to see if they are still blocked. If they aren't then you need to start all over again, just like I do. I don't know if this service is available on cellphones, but the digital landlines have it now.

Also I use Nomorobo which is a free app (free for Verizon anyway) that identifies likely spam callers. If the app is activated on your phone, it will show the number for one ring and then hang up on it. You don't even have to answer. Such a great app!