Scam calls about an envelope?

Is anyone else getting these solicitation calls for donations where they say they're going to be sending an envelope to your house, and can we commit on the phone that when it comes that we'll put in a certain amount? For a couple months it was a guy saying it was for the police fund, then a lady tried autism, now this morning a lady tried breast cancer. All of them talk about the envelope coming and press us to say on the phone a dollar amount we'll put when it comes. You can hear a beeping indicating they're recording. What scam is this and where do we report it? 


Update: I reported it to the FTC by calling 1-877-382-4357 (https://www.usa.gov/stop-scams-frauds). The operator hadn't heard about this specific fraud but took a report. She clarified that signing up for the "do not call list" will only stop telemarketers, not fraud calls like these. 


Almost all scammers spoof their phone numbers. If reported there will be no follow up. Even if the number weren't spoofed there will be no follow up.

As for promising to leave or not leave money its a non-issue. If you tell them to send an envelope and not following up will result in nothing happening. They can't force you to pay.

The beep is likely meaningless. Anyone can put a beep in to you make you think they are recording for legal purposes.

The real annoyance is that you're interrupted with these phone calls. Its been reported that spammers or marketers do 4 and 1/2 billion calls a month. That is why most no longer answer unrecognized phone calls.

If there was effective follow up we wouldn't be subjected to billions of calls. They know there is no follow up.

But how do they know your address? Do they ask it when they call?


I never pick up a call if I don't recognize the number. Unless I'm feeling adventurous that day.

I wonder why the teleco's allow spoofing. Surely there's a way to prevent it.


I just tell callers that I don't do pledges over the phone and ask them to send something in writing.  They generally hang up once I say that.


drummerboy said:

I never pick up a call if I don't recognize the number. Unless I'm feeling adventurous that day.

I wonder why the teleco's allow spoofing. Surely there's a way to prevent it.

 There is a phone number Authentication Protocol which was mandated by the federal government, and should be fully implemented by 2023. It's called stir / shaken, and should allow phone systems to detect spoofed numbers.


joan_crystal said:

I just tell callers that I don't do pledges over the phone and ask them to send something in writing.  They generally hang up once I say that.

 I do this too.


mrincredible said:

drummerboy said:

I never pick up a call if I don't recognize the number. Unless I'm feeling adventurous that day.

I wonder why the teleco's allow spoofing. Surely there's a way to prevent it.

 There is a phone number Authentication Protocol which was mandated by the federal government, and should be fully implemented by 2023. It's called stir / shaken, and should allow phone systems to detect spoofed numbers.

 about time they listened to me


drummerboy said:

 about time they listened to me

Yes, but how did they know it was you?

It's a computer thing I don't fully understand but I kind of grasp the concept. The current system is like if you just showed your ID to a bouncer to get into a bar, but they never looked at your face to match the picture. The new system compares the supposed number with the actual calling origin.

I don't think it will let you see the real number but your phone system should be able to alert you there's a mismatch between the presented number and the actual origin.


joan_crystal said:

I just tell callers that I don't do pledges over the phone and ask them to send something in writing.  They generally hang up once I say that.

 Same here.

Also, for the fairly significant proportion that are robo-calls, I have NOMOROBO (https://www.nomorobo.com/) on my landline and it has been great!  I was less enchanted with the mobile version but it may be that I just never got it set right.  But on the landline, it rings once and then the call is ended.  I had to train myself to wait for the second ring before taking any action but we've had it for several years now and it has been a lifesaver.  


mrincredible said:

 There is a phone number Authentication Protocol which was mandated by the federal government, and should be fully implemented by 2023. It's called stir / shaken, and should allow phone systems to detect spoofed numbers.

 In 2018 I read it was 2020. In 2020 it was to be 2021. Now its 2023? I'm disappointed.


RTrent said:

mrincredible said:

 There is a phone number Authentication Protocol which was mandated by the federal government, and should be fully implemented by 2023. It's called stir / shaken, and should allow phone systems to detect spoofed numbers.

 In 2018 I read it was 2020. In 2020 it was to be 2021. Now its 2023? I'm disappointed.

 I think it's kind of a staged release. Something happened on June 21 but I can't figure out what. I think it had to do with IP networks. The cellular network doesn't use IP does it? Though I guess at some point it does.



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