Re: Spam calls: how to stop the robots from calling your iPhone or Android, The Verge

[Mike B.]

Howdy Again,

Okay, it turned out I needed to get a different login code, & everything is 
okie-dokie now.

Take care.  Mike.  Go Dodgers!
Sennt from my iBarstool.
Arguing with a woman is like reading a software license agreement.  In the 
end you have to ignore everything, & click I agree.
- Original Message - 
From: Mike B.
To: viphone@googlegroups.com
Sent: Sunday, March 11, 2018 11:43 AM
Subject: Re: Spam calls: how to stop the robots from calling your iPhone or 
Android, The Verge


Hi All,

I just installed the Hiya app, entered my number, & put in the login code 
that was sent to me via text.  Now it just sits on, Verifying Your Code.  Do 
I wait for this screen to change before doing anything else, or is there 
something else I need to do?  All advice will be appreciated.  Thanks much.

Take care.  Mike.  Go Dodgers!
Sennt from my iBarstool.
Arguing with a woman is like reading a software license agreement.  In the 
end you have to ignore everything, & click I agree.
- Original Message - 
From: M. Taylor
To: viphone@googlegroups.com
Sent: Saturday, March 10, 2018 6:38 PM
Subject: Spam calls: how to stop the robots from calling your iPhone or 
Android, The Verge


How to stop annoying robocalls on your iPhone or Android phone
By Chris Welch

Mobile spam calls have been a nuisance for years, but over the last few
months, it's felt to me like there's been a surge of them. I get between
four and six calls daily, and a quick survey of friends shows that I'm not
alone. Every waking day brings with it a new barrage. Robocallers have upped
their game by masking their spam with local, genuine-looking phone numbers.
Sometimes their nonsense is amusing - like when you get a threatening
voicemail about your impending arrest over owed back taxes - but the vast
majority of the time, it's an unwelcome distraction. It's all too easy for
these scammers to wield the power of the internet and fire off countless
calls with ease. And once even just a few people fall for a scam, they've
made enough profit to cover their trivial expenses.

Robocalls have become so infuriating that the Federal Trade Commission
received over 375,000 complaints about them every month last year. The
agency routinely says it's doing its best to get a handle on the situation,
and yes, there are occasionally significant crackdowns. But real-world
feedback indicates that things are getting worse - not better - and it's
starting to feel a little out of control.

So if you're as sick as I am of pulling a vibrating phone out of your pocket
only to see a random, suspect number, let's go over the options for fighting
back and restoring some sense of peace.
First, I'll review some definitions since the carriers make important
distinctions between these calls - even if they're all unwelcome and
annoying. Here's how Verizon looks at things:
. Robocallers: Automated, prerecorded phone messages
. Spammers: Unwanted callers that may be calling indiscriminately to a
large number of recipients; sometimes includes callers to whom you've given
consent to contact you
. Fraud calls: An entity likely pretending to be someone they're not
with malicious intent
Option A: Block individual numbers one by one
This is probably a hopeless endeavor if you're aiming to completely
eradicate robocalls, but if there's a particular number that keeps calling,
it's fairly easy to block it forever from your iPhone or Android phone.

On iOS, just go to the Phone app, then your Recents, and tap the blue
information icon to the right of the number you want to block.
For Android, the process isn't much different: go to the Recents section of
the Phone app, long press on the bothersome number, and choose block. On
some Android phones, you'll also be given the option of reporting the number
as spam.

Again, this will take a lot of persistent work on your part to keep the
spammers away - and it's good for absolutely nothing against blocked or
private callers.

Option B: Trust (or pay) your carrier to protect you
Most of the major mobile providers have taken steps to insert themselves as
a barrier between you and these annoying callers. Unfortunately, two of them
make you pay an extra monthly fee for their effort.

AT: Call Protect
Available for free for all postpaid customers. Unavailable on prepaid lines.
AT has a free app, Call Protect, that's designed to block some fraudulent
robocalls from reaching you, and you won't have to do anything besides
install the software on your phone. It won't completely block spam or
telemarketer calls, however; instead, Call Protect will identify those
callers as "Suspected Spam" when the phone rings and give you the option of
blocking their number in the future. Users can also manually block any
numbers they'd like and report numbers to help improve the database.
The important caveats to know are that Call Protect is only available to
postpaid customers; prepaid customers can't use it at all. And the
"Suspected Spam" feature only 

Re: Spam calls: how to stop the robots from calling your iPhone or Android, The Verge

[Mike B.]

Hi All,

I just installed the Hiya app, entered my number, & put in the login code 
that was sent to me via text.  Now it just sits on, Verifying Your Code.  Do 
I wait for this screen to change before doing anything else, or is there 
something else I need to do?  All advice will be appreciated.  Thanks much.

Take care.  Mike.  Go Dodgers!
Sennt from my iBarstool.
Arguing with a woman is like reading a software license agreement.  In the 
end you have to ignore everything, & click I agree.
- Original Message - 
From: M. Taylor
To: viphone@googlegroups.com
Sent: Saturday, March 10, 2018 6:38 PM
Subject: Spam calls: how to stop the robots from calling your iPhone or 
Android, The Verge


How to stop annoying robocalls on your iPhone or Android phone
By Chris Welch

Mobile spam calls have been a nuisance for years, but over the last few
months, it's felt to me like there's been a surge of them. I get between
four and six calls daily, and a quick survey of friends shows that I'm not
alone. Every waking day brings with it a new barrage. Robocallers have upped
their game by masking their spam with local, genuine-looking phone numbers.
Sometimes their nonsense is amusing - like when you get a threatening
voicemail about your impending arrest over owed back taxes - but the vast
majority of the time, it's an unwelcome distraction. It's all too easy for
these scammers to wield the power of the internet and fire off countless
calls with ease. And once even just a few people fall for a scam, they've
made enough profit to cover their trivial expenses.

Robocalls have become so infuriating that the Federal Trade Commission
received over 375,000 complaints about them every month last year. The
agency routinely says it's doing its best to get a handle on the situation,
and yes, there are occasionally significant crackdowns. But real-world
feedback indicates that things are getting worse - not better - and it's
starting to feel a little out of control.

So if you're as sick as I am of pulling a vibrating phone out of your pocket
only to see a random, suspect number, let's go over the options for fighting
back and restoring some sense of peace.
First, I'll review some definitions since the carriers make important
distinctions between these calls - even if they're all unwelcome and
annoying. Here's how Verizon looks at things:
. Robocallers: Automated, prerecorded phone messages
. Spammers: Unwanted callers that may be calling indiscriminately to a
large number of recipients; sometimes includes callers to whom you've given
consent to contact you
. Fraud calls: An entity likely pretending to be someone they're not
with malicious intent
Option A: Block individual numbers one by one
This is probably a hopeless endeavor if you're aiming to completely
eradicate robocalls, but if there's a particular number that keeps calling,
it's fairly easy to block it forever from your iPhone or Android phone.

On iOS, just go to the Phone app, then your Recents, and tap the blue
information icon to the right of the number you want to block.
For Android, the process isn't much different: go to the Recents section of
the Phone app, long press on the bothersome number, and choose block. On
some Android phones, you'll also be given the option of reporting the number
as spam.

Again, this will take a lot of persistent work on your part to keep the
spammers away - and it's good for absolutely nothing against blocked or
private callers.

Option B: Trust (or pay) your carrier to protect you
Most of the major mobile providers have taken steps to insert themselves as
a barrier between you and these annoying callers. Unfortunately, two of them
make you pay an extra monthly fee for their effort.

AT: Call Protect
Available for free for all postpaid customers. Unavailable on prepaid lines.
AT has a free app, Call Protect, that's designed to block some fraudulent
robocalls from reaching you, and you won't have to do anything besides
install the software on your phone. It won't completely block spam or
telemarketer calls, however; instead, Call Protect will identify those
callers as "Suspected Spam" when the phone rings and give you the option of
blocking their number in the future. Users can also manually block any
numbers they'd like and report numbers to help improve the database.
The important caveats to know are that Call Protect is only available to
postpaid customers; prepaid customers can't use it at all. And the
"Suspected Spam" feature only works in areas with AT HD Voice coverage.
Also, the app is unable to block unknown callers altogether.
Download for iPhone | Download for Android
Sprint: Premium Caller ID ($2.99 / month)
If you're willing to add an extra charge to your monthly bill, Sprint's
Premium Caller ID will identify spam callers and anyone not in your contacts
list. It flags robocalls and spammers and assigns a "threat level" to give
you an indication of how suspect the call might be.
But despite costing a premium, Sprint's 

RE: Spam calls: how to stop the robots from calling your iPhone or Android, The Verge

[Rick Alfaro]

I just installed Hiya and so far it seems to be very accessible. Let's see how 
well it actually works. I get a ton of calls using the neighborhood spoofing 
method using the first six digits of my number, so annoying.



-Original Message-
From: viphone@googlegroups.com  On Behalf Of M. Taylor
Sent: Saturday, March 10, 2018 8:38 PM
To: viphone@googlegroups.com
Subject: Spam calls: how to stop the robots from calling your iPhone or 
Android, The Verge

How to stop annoying robocalls on your iPhone or Android phone By Chris Welch

Mobile spam calls have been a nuisance for years, but over the last few months, 
it's felt to me like there's been a surge of them. I get between four and six 
calls daily, and a quick survey of friends shows that I'm not alone. Every 
waking day brings with it a new barrage. Robocallers have upped their game by 
masking their spam with local, genuine-looking phone numbers.
Sometimes their nonsense is amusing - like when you get a threatening voicemail 
about your impending arrest over owed back taxes - but the vast majority of the 
time, it's an unwelcome distraction. It's all too easy for these scammers to 
wield the power of the internet and fire off countless calls with ease. And 
once even just a few people fall for a scam, they've made enough profit to 
cover their trivial expenses.

Robocalls have become so infuriating that the Federal Trade Commission received 
over 375,000 complaints about them every month last year. The agency routinely 
says it's doing its best to get a handle on the situation, and yes, there are 
occasionally significant crackdowns. But real-world feedback indicates that 
things are getting worse - not better - and it's starting to feel a little out 
of control. 

So if you're as sick as I am of pulling a vibrating phone out of your pocket 
only to see a random, suspect number, let's go over the options for fighting 
back and restoring some sense of peace. 
First, I'll review some definitions since the carriers make important 
distinctions between these calls - even if they're all unwelcome and annoying. 
Here's how Verizon looks at things:
.   Robocallers: Automated, prerecorded phone messages
.   Spammers: Unwanted callers that may be calling indiscriminately to a
large number of recipients; sometimes includes callers to whom you've given 
consent to contact you
.   Fraud calls: An entity likely pretending to be someone they're not
with malicious intent
Option A: Block individual numbers one by one This is probably a hopeless 
endeavor if you're aiming to completely eradicate robocalls, but if there's a 
particular number that keeps calling, it's fairly easy to block it forever from 
your iPhone or Android phone. 

On iOS, just go to the Phone app, then your Recents, and tap the blue 
information icon to the right of the number you want to block. 
For Android, the process isn't much different: go to the Recents section of the 
Phone app, long press on the bothersome number, and choose block. On some 
Android phones, you'll also be given the option of reporting the number as 
spam. 

Again, this will take a lot of persistent work on your part to keep the 
spammers away - and it's good for absolutely nothing against blocked or private 
callers. 

Option B: Trust (or pay) your carrier to protect you Most of the major mobile 
providers have taken steps to insert themselves as a barrier between you and 
these annoying callers. Unfortunately, two of them make you pay an extra 
monthly fee for their effort. 

AT: Call Protect
Available for free for all postpaid customers. Unavailable on prepaid lines.
AT has a free app, Call Protect, that's designed to block some fraudulent 
robocalls from reaching you, and you won't have to do anything besides install 
the software on your phone. It won't completely block spam or telemarketer 
calls, however; instead, Call Protect will identify those callers as "Suspected 
Spam" when the phone rings and give you the option of blocking their number in 
the future. Users can also manually block any numbers they'd like and report 
numbers to help improve the database.
The important caveats to know are that Call Protect is only available to 
postpaid customers; prepaid customers can't use it at all. And the "Suspected 
Spam" feature only works in areas with AT HD Voice coverage.
Also, the app is unable to block unknown callers altogether. 
Download for iPhone | Download for Android
Sprint: Premium Caller ID ($2.99 / month) If you're willing to add an extra 
charge to your monthly bill, Sprint's Premium Caller ID will identify spam 
callers and anyone not in your contacts list. It flags robocalls and spammers 
and assigns a "threat level" to give you an indication of how suspect the call 
might be.
But despite costing a premium, Sprint's solution doesn't automatically block 
anything from getting through. You can block future calls from a number or 
report it, but the best Premium