In a similar vein, there is unsolicited calls from call center that dial your number automatically. If you picked up and say “Hello?” they register the sound and connect you with an agent. So I picked up my phone and stay silent every time I got a call from a unknown number. Quite enough that ends up by being hang up after 5 or 10 seconds. Actual people say “hello?” first when we don’t.
Comment on Having fun with text scams
FlihpFlorp@lemm.ee 2 months ago
I’ve heard these wrong number scams are used to probe for an active phone number
Basically they’re fishing for a “sorry I think you have the wrong number” to confirm or deny that there is a human on the other side so they don’t waste resources spamming inactive phone numbers
Anyways this is still really funny tho
pseudo@jlai.lu 2 months ago
prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 months ago
Right, but why pick up the phone at all? Simply answering marks you down on their list as an active number even if you don’t say anything.
At least that’s my assumption. So maybe I’m wrong.
FozzyOsbourne@lemm.ee 2 months ago
but why pick up the phone at all?
Because sometimes it’s someone actually calling for you
prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 months ago
If it’s important, they’ll leave a message or send a text. If they don’t, then fuck em.
pseudo@jlai.lu 2 months ago
I don’t received that much fish phone number, but as much as I receive legitimate call from unknown number (my bank, a friend who changed their list, etc.)
SkyezOpen@lemmy.world 2 months ago
I say hello all the time and I hardly get real scammers on the line anymore. I assume I’ve been blacklisted from call centers for the verbal harassment.
Anissem@lemmy.ml 2 months ago
Good to know. I’ll just go back to ignoring them
Glitterbomb@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Or channel your inner kitboga and waste their time.
prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 months ago
Yeah this is why I don’t respond. Immediately marked as spam and number blocked.
Now there was a (very brief lol) period of time where I got a few Trump fundraising texts (my guess is someone put in my number as a joke or out of malice). They stopped coming after I replied with dick pics lol
abbadon420@lemm.ee 2 months ago
That happens mostly with phone calls, doesn’t it? They call you and if you pick up, they know it’s and active number. I’ve picket up a phone call or two that immediately hung up on me and I immediately realised I had to expect a couple scam calls or texts I’m the coming weeks.
thermal_shock@lemmy.world 2 months ago
I copied the og goatze pics 256 times into a separate folder. I attach all 256 and reply to scam numbers.
capt_wolf@lemmy.world 2 months ago
All of them are to probe for active numbers. Calls and texts. The best thing you can do is ignore them. For calls, don’t pick up, don’t hang up. Even ending the call early let’s then know your line is live.
Just ignore them and their system will mark your line as dead. I get maybe one or two calls a month now.
HonorableScythe@lemm.ee 2 months ago
Sometimes when I have to answer a call from an unknown number, I’ll pick up but won’t say anything. A human will say something when they hear it stop ringing, but most bots listen for voice activity before they start their recording so they’ll just stay silent as long as you do.
brbposting@sh.itjust.works 2 months ago
It’s too bad. Back in the day, you could let somebody know they had the wrong number, and that could help them out. They could go ask a friend, "Hey, do I have the right number?“ or whatever. Now? Nope… Just perma-ghosted.