Anyone Else Getting Frequent Scam Calls From Outside Callers?

[jobrien]

I hate to ask this, but...I feel like Telus should be doing more on their end to block or screen callers. It could just be my number, but it's literally to the point where I want to scream in frustration. Trust me if I had a better way to do this, I don't care what, I would. But at least 20 - 50 times per day, I am the target of a scam call centre. More often than not, they're speaking in Chinese. More often than not, I'm getting people talk about everything from Canada Post orders I never made. To false shipments. And the frequency at which these scam calls are happening, is getting quite annoying. My first, and only, native language is English. These robotic calls, I almost want to say are being done on the phone's sim level. Like the sim is possessed, even though it sounds crazy even to me. But I'm telling people literally to text me on social media apps like What's App, Telegram etc now, and never use my phone accept when I have to use 2factor. I feel like my monthly premium price point service bill, is just going for data that is as conditional as it is useless when it just conks out on me early. And I've tried everything to get rid of the problem. Switching away from Telus mobility, to Rogers, Freedom, hell even Shaw Mobile and Text Now. Back to Telus Mobility, with no significant improvement to block the scam calls. I will say this though. Rogers, Telus and Freedom, let in at least the majority of all scam calls, than Text Now, Fongo and other similar apps including Skype numbers that I've owned. I'd answer the phone, and half the time, the caller just is dropped or hangs up. And I have no ability to control how long the phone rings before voice mail takes over. And so really, my only option is to pay for Telus or Rogers for the best data connectivity option I can get. What I started doing, is literally just taking my sin card out of my phone completely, and using it in my laptop. And getting people to text and call me on Text Now. The reason I'm doing this, is so that I can get some peace and quiet and only trust another company to do better spam and scam prevention away from the phone and sms/mms networks completely. Is this normal now? Guys, we live in an era, where it's acceptable to order Pizza online, or burgers, or groceries. I don't use my phone for much, accept for when I want to talk to someone locally, about a business related inquiry like setting up appointments at a doctor's office, or bank. But even then I'm seriously considering just dropping the phone network completely, and if text now could receive US SMS codes, I'd do it. But as it is, I'm very tight with my money, especially to third party providers, in trust that ones closer to home will be a little more professional when having me as their customer. I feel like I'm not cared for. I don't feel safe even confirming my regular day to day identity over voice mail, that's how bad this is getting. And problems with artificial calls and texts, that only happen on your network, lead me to believe, you're selling my data to scammers. Things like my phone number, email address, as it's happening there also. And only on the email account you know about. And every single caller or texter that is trying to sell me something, conveniently has their number hidden and still you let the call through even though the number isn't registered to any known Canadian service provider. So, Telus, can you please, start caring about local calls once again like you used to? I would really appreciate it. Thank you.

[HSL · Accepted solution]

You have a couple of options:

•  Telus Call Control - once enabled it will prompt every caller to enter a  one digit number before connecting the call. It is extremely effective in blocking spam calls.  Link is here-> Telus Call Control

Call Blocking on your cell phone:

•  If you are using an iPhone you can enable call blocking. This will block calls from unknown numbers and will only allow calls from phone numbers in your  phone's contact list. A "how to" is here -> Apple Support. Silence calls from unknown numbers. 

• Call blocking on an Android phone is similar. This is a link to a Google "howto" on call blocking for an Android phone:  -> Google Support: Call blocking on an Android Phone 

[jobrien]

This is clearly a bandaid, not an effort or attempt to care about what Telus itself lets through to the number. In fact, it advertises that I am the target of a scam call centre by enabling this feature to anyone else trying to call me. But I will enable it and see if it cuts down on the calls, just in case. Thank you for letting me know there are options for Android and iPhone. I feel vulnerable giving up my trust to conditional call block features, that have the potential to, and do make mistakes. Particularly when the majority of the calls I'd otherwise receive by any other service provider that isn't Telus, Rogers or Freedom, do not forward scammers to my number. I wish to opt out of grand central cyberstation calls, so any little fix helps. I kudo'd this, even though I do not agree with the solution.