Can’t you use asterisks for the last numbers?
1 Like
I signed up to bloctel on 17th February. I think today has been my worst day ever for nuisance calls. Someone please reassure me it gets better.
No it doesn’t. Bloctel is useless.
1 Like
Is this landline or mobile?
I’ve ditched the landline as pointless and use the Orange app for phone calls and it flags marketing calls.
1 Like
Mobile. Landline is long gone.
I’m beginning to understand that.
1 Like
Ugh, despite being on bloctel for years, I too still get many calls to my mobile. Whoever runs bloctel really is stealing a living.
Often the number is supposedly from my textdoor neighbours, i.e. very similar to my own number except the last couple of digits. Pretty sure they’re just spoofing that though.
I usually just ignore calls if they’re not already in my contacts list, but with the house move I’ve been expecting calls from unknown numbers… The spam called I’ve heard recently have been recorded messages saying they want to talk to me and to add them to WhatsApp. That ain’t never gonna happen!
Nowadays, if someone phones my mobile and the number isn’t recognised by my wonderful little contraption… I just let it ring. If someone, who is NOT on my contacts list, needs me they’ll leave a message… and the bona fide folk do just that.
Sadly, a bit like you, I was waiting for a call from a newbie whose number I didn’t know… I did accept some unknown calls yesterday - too many calls … aaargh…
and after all that, the newbie sent me an sms - hurrah. (now added to my contacts 
1 Like
My phone usually tells me if its a spam call, but if they are, they only ring for a maximum of 4 rings (with my unknown number ringtone)
Exactly my belief and practice. The machine dialled spam calls seem to only ring 5 times before disconnecting so I let them just ring out then delete them later. I have given up putting them on the blacklist because 1, it didn’t work they still got through and rang, and 2, before very long at all my blacklist was full, and remains so.
1 Like
I had my first Whatsapp cold call about a month ago. Didn’t know that was possible, but I suppose you could spam Whatsapp with number lists, some of which would be shown as valid numbers on Whatsapp. Reported immediately without a reply.
A technique I’ve found to work elsewhere is to pick up the call with a suspect number if you’re not sure it’s one you’re waiting for, then say absolutely nothing. After about 5 seconds, if it’s a scam call they mostly will disconnect wuthout troubling you IME.
If it’s a genuine call then after you’ve picked up and said nothing the caller will say "hello? are you there? etc in much less time than that and you’ll be able to identify them.
I think this is working because scam calls seem to be made by call centre computers overseas working down lists of numbers dialling each automatcally. You’ll notice that if you say “hello” there csn be a short or long gap. That’s because the computer has flashed a pool of fake human callers “Look, I’ve found a live one” and there is a gap while one of them picks up.
If the computer doesn’t get an answer or if it gets your answer machine, it moves on and doesn’t flash to the team “I’ve got a live answer”.
I think if you pick up and say nothing, that must make you look like an answer machine. So it hangs up after 4-5 seconds of silence and goes away. A real person would have spoken by then on either side. Much less stressful than engaging with them if you are waiting for a call whose number you don’t know.
2 Likes
I recommend watching ‘Cold Call’, the British short TV series from 2019, now of Netflix.
Yes, I have done that sometimes and it does work and saves me looking up the number on reverse pages jaunes later.
Since I took my dive into the river and lost my phone and all my contacts I should remind anyone reading this who knows me to please, if they ring me, say something straight away. 
Personal Bloctel update. Is about as much use as an ashtray on a motorbike. I’m getting more calls 6 weeks after signing up than I was before. What is the point of it?
1 Like
Indeed. I think your comment needs to be in the
Baffling mysteries
thread. 
1 Like
You could ask the people on here who do contact you by phone to send you their phone numbers by private message so you can enter them in your new phone. I never answer any call that is not in my contacts unless it comes from one of two town codes but even my system doesn’t prevent me answering the occasional publicity call from time to time.
Anyone calling me not in my contacts or not leaving a message is an automatic block except in exceptional circumstances, for example, expecting a call back. That doesn’t make 5 to 8 telemarketing calls a day any less of a menace.
I think Apple has turned against me, I don’t even need to be near my phone these days to be disturbed by publicity calls. As long as I am near my iPad, laptop or even my car the incoming call breaks into my day!
It worked for me for a short while then back to the nuisances. Currently getting calls saying from UK but when checked, they originate in China. Also keep getting a spanish number call, don’t know anyone there. I just ignore all calls unless I see the name of the caller.
1 Like