Spam calls from Australia

Forums › Mobile handsets › Spam calls from Australia - how to block

Morgenmuffel

631 posts

Ultimate Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#293020 21-Dec-2021 20:42

Greetings
As of today I have started getting spam calls supposedly originating in Aussie, I am guessing that they aren't
Anyway they leave messages which are just garbled noise sounds like a butt dial underwater at a party
And if I answer they are just the same noise, the phone numbers seem to be different each time, which makes it difficult to block,.

Is there a simple way to stop them?

Phone is a Samsung running a recent version of android
I am with Vodafone

'We love to buy books because we believe we’re buying the time to read them.' WARREN ZEVON

k1w1k1d

1519 posts

Uber Geek

#2836521 21-Dec-2021 20:58

We got a couple of those Aussie calls on Monday on our landline. Silence when I answered. One number had 15 digits, so must be bogus.

SATTV

1648 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

#2836531 21-Dec-2021 21:22

I am getting two or three a day, from ( supposedly ) NZ Mobiles, Skype NZ, Australia and UK, a different number every time so there is zero chance to block it. They dont leave messages.

The one for the UK that I answered was for "an amazing opportunity in digital currency"

The last two I have answered ( NZ Mobiles ) I have answered with Fraud detection and they hang up.

It is getting really annoying, oh and the two that I have spoken to knew my name.

So my guess is that a website has been compromised that has my name and mobile.

John

I know enough to be dangerous

martyyn

1971 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Subscriber

#2836547 21-Dec-2021 23:00

It's starting to get ridiculous

I've had three calls from Aussie, two from the UK and one each from Auckland and Christchurch today.

ANglEAUT

2320 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#2836597 22-Dec-2021 09:01

Morgenmuffel: ... Is there a simple way to stop them? ...

Short answer: No

Morgenmuffel: ... I am with Vodafone ...

You can start here: https://www.vodafone.co.nz/help/mobile-safety/scam-phone-calls/

Long answer: This is a system wide problem that's going to take many to work together to resolve. Lax security, individual & corporate greed, insecure software are all contributing factors.

You can

Report it to your Telco
Report it to Netsafe: https://www.netsafe.org.nz/cold-call-scams/
Report it to CERT: https://www.cert.govt.nz/individuals/report-an-issue/
Report it to Scamwatch (AU): https://www.scamwatch.gov.au/report-a-scam
Create a contact of known "bad numbers"
Add those numbers to your devices blocked caller list
Do the crowd sourcing thing & use apps such as TrueCaller
Search GZ for solutions
If you can, try not to put your number out there on the internet (I know it might be too late now & also not helpful with the robo diallers that do sequential dialling)
Use a voice to text service to screen callers & voicemails?

Please keep this GZ community vibrant by contributing in a constructive & respectful manner.

Talkiet

4792 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#2836609 22-Dec-2021 09:26

"My time is valuable so if you send me $10 of bitcoin I will listen to your pitch"

Usually gets confused silence and then a hangup... Makes their day a little more surreal

Cheers - N

Please note all comments are from my own brain and don't necessarily represent the position or opinions of my employer, previous employers, colleagues, friends or pets.

Shadowfoot

First time caller
385 posts

Ultimate Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#2836844 22-Dec-2021 12:44

I’m getting them too, along with some NZ and UK ones. I have “Silence Unknown Callers” on and see them afterwards. I updated my voicemail telling people then needed to leave a message. These callers never leave messages.

Blue Sky: shadowfoot.bsky.social

gbwelly

1243 posts

Uber Geek

#2836877 22-Dec-2021 14:08

I have voicemail disabled, and I use Hiya (yes I am aware of the privacy compromises I am making in doing so). Once I implemented these two things I would now be lucky to get 1 spam call per year.

The likelihood of me answering that call is also dependent on if I am expecting a call from a number I don't have in my contacts, and which I think Hiya is probably unable to resolve for me.