Phone Calls Are Becoming Intimidating

The other day I was sitting in a group talking about mobile phone calls.

Every single person expressed frustration about the number of fraudulent phone calls that ring up on any given day. While the phone companies, AT&T for instance, now identifies possible spam calls, there are still far more calls that are not identified.

This a frustrating 21st Century problem and just about everyone in the conversation had the same strategy.  No one answers the phone unless the number is recognized or the caller is in contacts and thereby identified by name. Everyone assumes that a legitimate caller will leave a message.

So yesterday, another scenario occurred for the first time on my mobile. My phone rang and the caller ID said I was calling (myself). At first I thought that maybe I accidentally made the call, but I quickly realized that this is yet another way the scammers are trying to get us to answer the phone. No number was associated with the call — just my name.

Apparently these types of calls have been occurring for years, but this was my first time. The fraudsters made up for lost time, however, by trying to call me six more times throughout the day.

You can learn more by reading a 2014 article, Why is My Own Phone Number Calling Me? that is posted at the CBS News website. Tech reporter Mitch Lipka explains how the calls are made and how we should handle them.

Come on, wireless companies!  Make some headway on these invasive phone calls.