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How can I set up a scam or fraud prevention method

Gwanzi
Great Citizen / Super Citoyen

Is there any way to prevent more scam calling

7 REPLIES 7

Korth_
Town Hero / Héro de la Ville

I just don't ever answer calls from numbers I don't recognize.

If it's something important (to them) then they always leave a message.

If it's something truly urgent (to me) then they always attempt to contact me through any channel they can use.

If they leave robovoice spam or that annoying recorded Chinese woman spam then they get their number blocked forever. They'll run out of phone numbers long before my phone runs out of blocking slots.

kb_mv
Mayor / Maire

@Gwanzi I block suspected spam numbers and answer others that are not 800 types. They only get 1 second to reply when I say hello, otherwise I hang up.

Korth_
Town Hero / Héro de la Ville

You'll never block all incoming scams, spams, etc.

Register your number on the Canadian National Do Not Call List (DNCL). And on the American Do Not Call Registry (DNCR) - because many call centers are outsourced by/for American companies. Yes, people are always quick to point out that criminals do not obey laws and even legit telemarketers/spammers/sales/etc have plenty of technically legal ways to circumvent things so these registries won't stop the worst spammers. But signing up also won't hurt and every spam call they stop is another spam call they stopped.

Telus (along with its Koodo Mobile and Public Mobile subsidiary brands) somehow never complied with the 2018 CRTC mandate to embed Universal Network-Level Call Blocking (UNCB) into their networks. Their official statement, when pressed, is that it's not necessary because subscribers have call-blocking features built into their phone softwares. What this means is that you're stuck blocking numbers yourself, Public Mobile (and the Telus network it uses) won't do it for you.

You will find that services like TrapCall do not function properly in Canada. Due to other CRTC mandates which were intended to protect the "privacy" of police officers, first responders, government offices, etc. This is basically an anti-consumer limitation so it's not one of the documents the CRTC advertises or makes openly available in public domain.

So as a Canadian consumer who subscribes to the Telus network ... you basically have to block the callers yourself. At least the reputable financial institutions realize that their customers' money is their money so they make proactive efforts to stop phishing attacks and other suspicious-looking activities, that's something.

Terryscell
Great Citizen / Super Citoyen

One form of scam calling is predictive dialling, where a computer dials your number, and a person connects if you answer. I agree with the previous reply saying not to answer unknown numbers. If it's important, they will leave a message.

There is a tone which indicates "Line Disconnected". You can find it on Google or Wikipedia. If you add it to your voicemail message, it will reduce (but not stop) these calls.

Unfortunately, some scammers have caught on, and bypass this.

dwh1
Town Hero / Héro de la Ville

@hTideGnow wrote:

HI @Gwanzi 

this is not really a PM issue.  It is happening to every provider

Some using newer phone ,like iPhone can set to ring only for those in the contact and the rest will go to VM.  You can have this setup that way


For reference - it's in Settings/Phone/Silence Unknown Callers.  I have this enabled most of the time, but I do disable it when I'm actively expecting a callback from an unknown number (eg.. had to leave a message with the public health office about my kids' vaccinations, and I knew they were going to call back).

Finally, in iOS 17, the Live Voicemail feature lets you monitor someone while they leave a message, and you can then jump on the call if it turns out to be someone you want to talk to. That can be helpful.  Help for it is at https://support.apple.com/en-ca/HT213877

hTideGnow
Mayor / Maire

HI @Gwanzi 

this is not really a PM issue.  It is happening to every provider

Some using newer phone ,like iPhone can set to ring only for those in the contact and the rest will go to VM.  You can have this setup that way

dust2dust
Mayor / Maire

Don't answer. Block unknown callers setting. Change number.
I answer everything. If I don't know the number or suspect a junk call then I immediately press mute and then wait for the recording and hang up when I hear it. If someone says hello recognizing that I answered then I'll quickly unmute and talk to them. I rarely get human junk calls. Always recordings. I do not understand the purpose. If it's a scam call then just hang up.

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