Crank call voice messgaes

[martik777]

Getting one everyday from a 1-647- number. I only have 100 min plan so I waste 1 minute listening to their chinese voicemail. Any way around this? Can I block all 647 area codes?  Thanks

[Korth]

@pkaraa 

All of Public Mobile's "international" long distance add-ons - the ones they used to sell, the ones they sell now, the ones they've given as free gifts over recent years - can be used to call Canada (and USA). They can also be used to call other destinations (the different add-ons have different "international" lists, I think) so it might be worth buying a Canada-wide add-on if you intend to use the other add-ons to call out-of-Canada destinations - but otherwise there's nothing stopping you from using them up to call within Canada if you like.

[pkaraa]

Are these 1000 minutes int'l long distance, If yes, I would suggest to save those to call international in case you need. If they are just Canadian long distance minutes then you are good. 

Ignore the calls from those number altogether, people will start getting more calls now from imposters as CRA. 

If every call leaves a voicemail, call your own number from other device once in couple of days and delete them.

[martik777]

Thanks all, will check voicemail  from my other phone. I already have 1000 unused minutes lol  . Will check on old vs new plan

[Korth · Accepted solution]

I've gotten a few of these Chinese voicemail msgs over the last month. From Ontario 1-647-203-xxxx

I don't speak Chinese so I assumed they were just wrong numbers, didn't respond, just deleted the voicemails.

Blocked one number but the next call with (I think) the same recorded msg was from another number. Then another. I'll just keep blocking. There's nobody in Ontario I want to talk to anyhow, lol.

Does the Public Mobile (Telus) voicemail system automatically send receipts to the sender? If it does, is there a way to disable these receipts so the sender doesn't know whether or not their msg was heard?

@martik777 

There is a "fast prompt" option somewhere in the voicemail user settings. You can listen to voicemails without enduring the frustratingly slow computer babble about the number and time and date and press-#-for-whatever etc etc, so fewer minutes consumed.

Putting a $5 500-minute add-on onto your plan is a good idea - $0.01 per minute isn't free but it's affordably cheap - it's a one-time purchase (you pay $5 once, not every month) and unused add-on minutes will stay attached to account (month after month) until they're all consumed. And they're only used after all your plan minutes are consumed in any given month.

As mentioned above, you can check your voicemail from any phone (by dialing your own number and voicemail PIN) without consuming your outgoing minutes. If you have the "old" $15 plan with limited incoming and limited outgoing minutes then you should change your plan to the "new" $15 plan with unlimited incoming and limited outgoing minutes.

[softech]

@martik777  when that daily spam call tries to all you, does your phone ring before it goes to the voicemail?  If so, then check Lenny:

Lenny - the Telemarketers worst nightmare! - Community (publicmobile.ca)

Just program it ahead according, then decline the call and let it to go to Lenny instead of your voicemail  

[hTideGnow]

HI @martik777   One thing I can suggest is to use a VoIP app to call yourself and list to the voicemail.  In this case, it does not waste your minutes listen to voicemail.

You can try using Fongo or TextNow.  Very easy to use.  It works as long as you have Wifi or Data

[HALIMACS]

@martik777 

Advice would be to use another device if you're needing to check the voicemail.   You can call your number, let it go to voicemail, then press the * key to access your voicemail box remotely.   Then enter your password.   

Otherwise, just ignore the calls, and they'll eventually go away.   It is believed if calls are answered, the crank caller tags the number as active and one which will be answered, and you may find the call volume may increase by answering crank calls to your number.    So best to completely ignore altogether.

Regrettably, while you can block a number, you can't block an area code in it's entirety.