tl;dr: I need to figure out how to find out who is calling me so I can make it stop.

details:

I've been getting frequent recorded-message phone calls trying to get me to talk to them about improving my credit card interest rate. Sometimes the message will tell me this is my second or third notice. The only option you are given is to press 1 to speak with a person or hang up. I have spoken to a person this way and repeatedly asked to be removed from their call list, as I do not have a credit card at all.

Lately, the calls have been more frequent, and I have been receiving very rude responses from the representative when I ask to be removed. It started with him/her just hanging up on me. Last week, he actually laughed at me before he hung up. If I ask to speak to a manager, they are all "in a meeting."

Today was the worst. I told him I had heard the "in a meeting excuse" several times and wanted to speak to a higher-up. He laughed, and said "We've been slammed lately. They're all busy. I'm gonna go now. I gotta go make that money somewhere else." When I told him I didn't understand what he meant, he babbled some incoherent stuff about "makin that money" and hung up.

If I call back the numbers, the number has either been disconnected or is unavailable. I would love to figure out who is bugging the heck out of me, but how?

Recent numbers from which I've been called:
773-367-5631
862-881-0546

1/9/2012 5:42:54 PM

Is your number on the do not call list?

1/9/2012 5:57:38 PM

Yes

1/9/2012 5:59:47 PM

Okay, had to ask. Other than that idk what to do

1/9/2012 6:04:00 PM

hrm...

I was doing some reading on the DNC registry page, and found this:

Quote :

"If I register my number on the National Do Not Call Registry, will it stop all telemarketing calls? No. Placing your number on the National Do Not Call Registry will stop most telemarketing calls, but not all. Because of limitations in the jurisdiction of the FTC and FCC, calls from or on behalf of political organizations, charities, and telephone surveyors would still be permitted, as would calls from companies with which you have an existing business relationship, or those to whom you’ve provided express agreement in writing to receive their calls. However, if you ask a company with which you have an existing business relationship to place your number on its own do-not-call list, it must honor your request. You should keep a record of the date you make the request."

[Edited on January 9, 2012 at 6:08 PM. Reason : ]

1/9/2012 6:06:35 PM

Both of them appear to be phishing scams that probably don't give a rat's ass about the Do Not Call Registry

http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-862-881-0546

1/9/2012 6:20:41 PM

Next time start calling whoever is on the other end of the phone "pickles" and ask him if he'd like mayonnaise with his pickles. Eventually they should leave you alone.

1/9/2012 8:06:32 PM

FUCK! I'm so sick of these calls. One from Tilamook, OR today on the home phone and one from somewhere in IL on the cell phone. How do I make this bullshit stop?? The guy mocked me today when I asked him to put me on with a manager.

1/19/2012 5:47:54 PM

first, stop answering them

[Edited on January 19, 2012 at 6:21 PM. Reason : .]

1/19/2012 6:20:54 PM

Once you've made the do-not-call request, you can sue for $10,000 per call.

Start recording the calls, then talk to a local lawyer.

1/19/2012 11:21:13 PM

maybe it's the drunk, but this whole thread made me laugh. I don't mean to make light of your misfortune.

1/20/2012 12:16:33 AM

Stop answering calls from unknown numbers...

1/20/2012 12:22:48 AM

Got one of these at work yesterday, then saw this thread. Wonder where they're harvesting these numbers from?

1/20/2012 11:50:14 AM

shit like this is infuriating. almost as bad as those shady looking teenagers going door to door "selling magazines" (who always ask to come in and smoke weed)

1/20/2012 11:53:15 AM

you can do absolutely NOTHING about these calls, I've been harassed by these pricks since 2010!!!

here is the http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2010/06/asiapacific.shtm official release by the FTC about this illegal operation which has been harassing people since 2010 making as many as 27 auto calls per second at one point!!! You can also report the numbers that call you to http://whycall.me, because clearly Do Not Call registry is pretty powerless against these callers

[Edited on January 25, 2012 at 10:03 PM. Reason : spelling]

1/25/2012 10:03:41 PM

Yea, ive been bothered by a similar scam... When the guy laughed at my request to take my number off I about lost it.

1/25/2012 10:58:04 PM

Not sure if it's related, but I've gotten a lot of computer dialed numbers that are just a series of clicks when I pick up. The other day I got a delayed recorded message saying I had been selected for a free two week cruise and all i had to do was answer a 20 or so question public opinion poll.

They all originated from Oregon I believe.

This was my cell phone. I just switched from Verizon to AT&T and kept the same #. Never had a single call with Verizon...getting blown up as an AT&T carrier

LOL...Verizon probably sold my number to some scammers to spite me for switching

[Edited on January 25, 2012 at 11:43 PM. Reason : ]

1/25/2012 11:42:36 PM

I get similar calls from some online pharmacy. it got so bad I added the block feature on my cell phone and blocked all the known numbers. Every now and then, they add a new number and I receive one.

I actually started having fun with them. I put together a big order, then told them to take it and shove it up their asses. Even got to the point about giving them a fake credit card number.

1/26/2012 9:33:15 AM

Aren't telemarketers rated on performance based on successful calls per hour (day or whatever). Just keep them on the phone for a looooooooooooooong time, then explain you don't have a card at the very end and hang up.

1/26/2012 9:51:00 AM