Do Not Call List and scam charities

[cabanafrau]

Anybody know if it's possible to report faux charitable organizations for Do Not Call violations and get results? Completely disgusted with a scam group that is repeatedly calling two and three times every. single. day. for about a week now. Let it go for a few days because I thought they kept at it because they were calling for my DH & probably didn't want to take my no for an answer. They actually spoke to DH last night & have now already called back this morning.

Not only is it a pain in the neck that keeps pulling me away from work, but it really frosts my cookies because they present themselves as representing paralyzed veterans. I think it's time they remove the charitable exemption from the Do Not Call -- unless you have an established affiliation with the organization.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

Why not use an answering machine to screen your calls?

 

[Sadie22]

Why not use an answering machine to screen your calls?

These scammers have ways of spoofing Caller ID and making it appear with the name of a legit charity and even a fake telephone number. So screening calls with Caller ID does not always work.

 

[kathie859]

Do you have caller ID? I recognize most family and friends' numbers and have no desire to answer any other. If it's important, the caller will try my cell or leave a message. We're bothered every few months by someone claiming to represent law enforcement and they are seeking donations. IF I answer the phone, which I don't usually, I talk over them and say "Not Interested!" and hang up. Easy peasy!

I'd never give $ to someone who called my house. I'm not that trusting so it's easy for me to say NO!

 

[POOHsie]

If you have a regular hard-wire phone in your home, consider getting new phones. I just got the Panasonic KX-TG6843B DECT 6.0 Plus Cordless Telephone with 4 handsets thru Amazon. You can get from one-to-six handsets. The main phone plugs into the phone line, the rest just plug into an electric base (remote reception). I have them on each floor of my house. There's an incredible amount of easy-to-use features but the one I love is call blocking for 250 numbers. The name/number comes in on caller ID. If I'm not sure who the number belongs to, I Google it (usually, I'll find that others have been annoyed by the same caller). I save the number to Call Blocking. I can set it to ring once after blocking, or not ringing at all. It's my answer to unsolicited scam callers (and unwanted callers that I happen to know). This phone also works during power outage (for a limited time), something my old portable phone system couldn't do. One of my best purchases. Great reviews on Amazon. They also have this phone for 2 lines, and for bluetooth.

 

[cabanafrau]

Haven't had an answering machine for well over a decade, but thanks for the blast from the past.

It is challenging with the spoofing capabilities today to easily identify things from caller ID & because I do receive business & other important calls on the line that I don't want to rely on voice mail alone for, I answer the phone at different times.

I've also discovered that calls like these, and those from Rachel & friends at cardholder's services tend to multiply if you repeatedly don't answer. If you continually refuse, they go away for a period of time. Cardholder Services and the like are easily reported -- although time consuming to do so. Charities are exempted from Do Not Call, so that's why these faux charities are such a problem.

Specifically said they are a scam charity, so where did the assumption I'd ever consider giving them money come from?

 

[cabanafrau]

If you have a regular hard-wire phone in your home, consider getting new phones. I just got the Panasonic KX-TG6843B DECT 6.0 Plus Cordless Telephone with 4 handsets thru Amazon. You can get from one-to-six handsets. The main phone plugs into the phone line, the rest just plug into an electric base (remote reception). I have them on each floor of my house. There's an incredible amount of easy-to-use features but the one I love is call blocking for 250 numbers. The name/number comes in on caller ID. If I'm not sure who the number belongs to, I Google it (usually, I'll find that others have been annoyed by the same caller). I save the number to Call Blocking. I can set it to ring once after blocking, or not ringing at all. It's my answer to unsolicited scam callers (and unwanted callers that I happen to know). This phone also works during power outage (for a limited time), something my old portable phone system couldn't do. One of my best purchases. Great reviews on Amazon. They also have this phone for 2 lines, and for bluetooth.

Thank you for the recommendation. We are to the point of needing to replace our current phones, which is also a Panasonic set but at least five years old now. I'll turn this info over to DH, who loves to research this type of stuff, and I do not.

 

[tvguy]

There are many legitimate charities that use outside (for profit) fundraising firms.

What shocked me is, if you make a donation to that charity that goes through the fundraising firm, under do not call, you are giving that outside company permission to contact you for ALL the charities they fundraise for. You have established a relationship with THAT firm.

 

[lynxstch]

If you have a regular hard-wire phone in your home, consider getting new phones. I just got the Panasonic KX-TG6843B DECT 6.0 Plus Cordless Telephone with 4 handsets thru Amazon. You can get from one-to-six handsets. The main phone plugs into the phone line, the rest just plug into an electric base (remote reception). I have them on each floor of my house. There's an incredible amount of easy-to-use features but the one I love is call blocking for 250 numbers. The name/number comes in on caller ID. If I'm not sure who the number belongs to, I Google it (usually, I'll find that others have been annoyed by the same caller). I save the number to Call Blocking. I can set it to ring once after blocking, or not ringing at all. It's my answer to unsolicited scam callers (and unwanted callers that I happen to know). This phone also works during power outage (for a limited time), something my old portable phone system couldn't do. One of my best purchases. Great reviews on Amazon. They also have this phone for 2 lines, and for bluetooth.

I second this..it's one of the best things I ever purchased on Amazon!

 

[cabanafrau]

There are many legitimate charities that use outside (for profit) fundraising firms.

What shocked me is, if you make a donation to that charity that goes through the fundraising firm, under do not call, you are giving that outside company permission to contact you for ALL the charities they fundraise for. You have established a relationship with THAT firm.

Yep, another one of those situations that beg the question, just whose interests were being looked out for when that regulation was written? Who am I kidding, I don't even ask that question anymore, because I never expect the answer to be me.

I always love the privacy notices from banks, etc. If you actually read them you realize that there is next to no prevention from sharing your information with anyone they choose based on a fingernail's width of affiliation.

 

[teller80]

Specifically said they are a scam charity, so where did the assumption I'd ever consider giving them money come from?

I don't think anybody said you were?

 

[cabanafrau]

Must be the season. Today's fun was with "Amanda" from Life Giving Moments. She must have been having a bad day, as she sounded incredibly unpleasant the moment I asked who was calling. Maybe I should feel bad that I probably didn't improve her day when I said, no thanks, and hung up. Nope. apparently I don't feel bad about that at all.

 

[frostedpink]

Do you tell the caller to remove you from their list before you hang up? Legally the are obligated to take you off the calling list if you tell them to (of course I know this doesn't always happen but it's good to try!)

 

[taterheads]

Make a report with the states attorney! We got scammed once and didn't know but others had reported to the states attorney. They sued on our behalf and got our money back. You should have heard the guys voice when they called back 2 years later still fundraising for the exact same kid and the exact same trip. The fraudulent charity had changed the state they were based out of and were stupid enough to think they wouldn't get caught again. I laid him out flat and told him he was going to be reported immediately. I think he wet his pants

 

[BrerMom]

My best response (well, the one I had the most fun with):

I answered the phone, listened long enough to realize I didn't want to talk to her, and asked her to hold on a minute.
I then held the phone out and said in a loud voice,
"Excuse me, class. Please say hello to the telemarketer."
"Hello, Telemarketer!"
"OK, as you were saying?"
"Sorry to have bothered you. We won't call again."

 

[teller80]

My best response (well, the one I had the most fun with):

I answered the phone, listened long enough to realize I didn't want to talk to her, and asked her to hold on a minute.
I then held the phone out and said in a loud voice,
"Excuse me, class. Please say hello to the telemarketer."
"Hello, Telemarketer!"
"OK, as you were saying?"
"Sorry to have bothered you. We won't call again."

You answer your phone during class?

 

[tvguy]

You answer your phone during class?

.

Yeah, students and teachers are not allowed to have cell phones in classrooms here.

 

[BrerMom]

.

Yeah, students and teachers are not allowed to have cell phones in classrooms here.

I haven't thought of Michigan as progressive for a long time, but evidently it is. Every district I know has phones in the classroom.

 

[tvguy]

I haven't thought of Michigan as progressive for a long time, but evidently it is. Every district I know has phones in the classroom.

I think most if not all here have phones in the classroom, but not that you can call from outside the school.

 

[teller80]

I think most if not all here have phones in the classroom, but not that you can call from outside the school.

Yea, I would think it would be a pretty big distraction. What if the kids parents got hold of that number and called to check on him, or ask you a question about an assignment during class time?

BrerMom, do you get a lot of telemarketer calls? Or politicians during election time? What about calls from parents? I get that it could be used in an emergency, but I'm with tvguy, I'd rather calls from outside the school not be allowed.