Armed Polite Society

Main Forums => The Roundtable => Topic started by: Hawkmoon on April 17, 2019, 12:23:10 PM

Title: What's going on department
Post by: Hawkmoon on April 17, 2019, 12:23:10 PM
For a long time I stopped answering my telephone (landline) because the overwhelming percentage of calls were marketing. I've started answering some calls lately, and I don't understand what's happening. I answer a call, and all I hear is several seconds of dead microphone, then a click and the connection is broken. They aren't the typical robo calls, because there's no canned announcement that starts playing as soon as I pick up. These are strictly just dead air, then disconnect.

Has anyone else experienced this? Do you have any idea what it's about?
Title: Re: What's going on department
Post by: DittoHead on April 17, 2019, 12:30:25 PM
I get them too. I assumed they are either robocalls that failed to properly activate or robocalls that are just testing for human responses to improve their calling lists.
Title: Re: What's going on department
Post by: HankB on April 17, 2019, 12:46:35 PM
Like you, I rarely answer my landline since most calls are scams or telemarketers. I get these "silent" calls too. My guesses are that

a) they're automated testing to see what time is best to call and get a live person so they can have their own live person try to sell you something (or scam you)
b) automated call center with multiple calls per operator, and someone else answered before you did
c) crooks testing to see if anyone is home so they'll know when to stage a B&E at your place
Title: Re: What's going on department
Post by: Ben on April 17, 2019, 12:50:23 PM
I get them too. I assumed they are either robocalls that failed to properly activate or robocalls that are just testing for human responses to improve their calling lists.

Several possibilities, bit I suspect the latter is a good portion. Verifying active numbers and a potential human to talk to. With stuff like Google Voice, there are probably a large number of phone numbers that go right to VM and that are either unused, rarely used, or created to be given to sales people.
Title: Re: What's going on department
Post by: Hawkmoon on April 17, 2019, 12:50:42 PM
Like you, I rarely answer my landline since most calls are scams or telemarketers. I get these "silent" calls too. My guesses are that

a) they're automated testing to see what time is best to call and get a live person so they can have their own live person try to sell you something (or scam you)
b) automated call center with multiple calls per operator, and someone else answered before you did
c) crooks testing to see if anyone is home so they'll know when to stage a B&E at your place

A few years ago I would have gone with (c). These days, I suspect that (a) is more likely.

I guess I'll just revert to letting the answering machine earn its keep.
Title: Re: What's going on department
Post by: lee n. field on April 17, 2019, 12:51:22 PM
fax spam?
Title: Re: What's going on department
Post by: Hawkmoon on April 17, 2019, 01:02:46 PM
fax spam?

Ah!

VERY possible. I have a fax machine, but it's on a dedicated line/number. And I was getting so much fax spam that I've had to resort to keeping the machine turned off except when someone notifies me that they want to send a fax, or when I need to send a fax. I was literally going through reams of paper on junk faxes for every legitimate page I received. So it makes sense that these calls could be robo fax machines hoping to encounter a fax tone.
Title: Re: What's going on department
Post by: Perd Hapley on April 17, 2019, 01:07:19 PM
It's a gang initiation. If you answer the phone, they hang up and leave you alone. If you just listen, and refuse to answer, they are waiting outside to murder you. And steal your phone.
Title: Re: What's going on department
Post by: MechAg94 on April 17, 2019, 01:18:59 PM
I have gotten those dead calls on my cell phone.  If they don't answer pretty quick, I usually hang up if it is an unknown caller.
Title: Re: What's going on department
Post by: RoadKingLarry on April 17, 2019, 02:06:26 PM
Automated dialers. Multiple numbers are dialed on multiple lines, 1st one to pick up goes live, the rest go dead.
Title: Re: What's going on department
Post by: brimic on April 17, 2019, 05:21:07 PM
I made the mistake of filling out a questionnaire at a weak moment late at night on fecesbook. Now my cell phone and email is getting nonstop messages for job openings. :mad:
Title: Re: What's going on department
Post by: 230RN on April 17, 2019, 10:21:39 PM
I'm kind of curious as to whether the'yd respond if you answered in Spanish, like with a "Bueno."