253-618-6935

Carpet cleaning scammers - ignore or block.

Call came in at 5:17pm and since I hadn't previously blocked this number the phone rang. I usually turn on the phone and then turn off. Immediately after I turned on the phone a recording started about carpet cleaning specials....
Turned off the phone and added the number to my blocked list.

Call received around 2 p.m.  I don't pick up numbers I don't recognize, so I don't post very often.  This one's recording must have started as soon as the voice mail picked up.  The remaining message was:

"To hear more about this offer please press one or press two to be removed."

Also Pierce County WA..Robo call for carpet cleaning. Do not call list is a joke.
Pressed 2 to be removed yesterday's call. Didn't work. Probably flagged as a real active number now.

Repeat of Saturday's call, including the partial voice mail message left.  There is a twist though.  I had 2 calls within a 10-minute period.  The first call was this number again. The second call had a 6 digit number-101977-rather than a phone number and the ID name said "Not Available".  If the time stamp on the voice mail is accurate, the second call was the one with the voice mail left.

I double checked the time stamp on the voice mail and it was for the first call, not the second.  I also looked up the 6-digit number and there have been complaints filed with different sites for the number.  I learned something new today.  Telephone numbers don't have to have a minimum number of digits to be considered a valid number.  But the screening app on Comcast.net must have a recognizable phone number to screen calls.  Bummer.

Blocked.....never answer..then they know they have a live one!  Never press 2 to be removed....that just makes them happy and your number is sold as a live one!

These illegal telemarketers are evidently using an autodialer that can dial 10,000 calls per hour. To see one in action, watch this YouTube video:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czO8FJLSgpw

Autodialers are illegal under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), which gives you the right to sue them in any court (without paying for a lawyer!) and get at least $500 per call and $1,000 per call if your phone is on the national Do-Not-Call registry. But before you can sue them, you have to "play customer": sound like you're interested in whatever they're selling and keep them on the phone long enough to get the name of their business and an address and city they're in. Above all, you need their address so you can serve them with legal notice that you're going to sue them. One way to get their address is from their URL.  It might even mean ordering their service--carpet cleaning or air-duct--for example--and talking to the people who come out to do the work, who are, in this case, probably not the ones who are making all the calls but who will lead you to them. Suing illegal telemarketers requires a bit of interesting detective work that can pay lots of $$$. I know people who make $70,000/year suing illegal telecallers.

Called at 5:30PM .  Left a recorded message on my voice mail.  I listened to the message and found that it is some carpet cleaning scam.  I called the number after blocking my caller ID and a recording from the phone company says that the number can not be called as dialed.  This means that it is not a real working number. Just another scam to find real working numbers so that  other scammers can call.  I could not block the number because it is not a real number.

I just received a call, the caller id said NAME NOT FOUND! :) the recording picked up about carpet cleaning.

(Residence in North Pierce County)  I don't answer if it shows: "Unknown Name". But, if they leave a message,  I have caller ID that prints out most of what is said, so that I don't have to actually listen to it. Here's part of what they said:  "Will also include a free Dryer Vent to prevent a Fire Hazard and a free Furnace Inspection. To hear more about this offer, press....... "    and so on.

The 618 office code for area code 253 does not exist according to "North American Numbering Plan Administration" (NANPA). How can the Law agencies track down a fake ID?

The law agencies can sometimes ID scammers like this these, but it's easier to figure out who they are by "social engineering" -- playing customer by listening to their sales pitch and with this kind of scam, having them come out to your house to do the work. You can always change your mind once you see their card and see if they're bonded with a WA state contractor's bond number.

Message started saying pick 2 to be removed

Two calls in 15 minutes

They have called every week. Do not pick up. Have them blocked on the"Do Not Call Registry". Does anyone know if this actually works and stops them from calling?
.

DNC is not a call blocker and meant for law abiding telemarketers only.  A regular call blocker is your best bet.  Area code 253 seems to be favored by the carpet cleaning scammers.  I'd block the entire area code.

Good thing I did not answer.  Thanks to everyone for their posts.    "Chin to hear more about this offer please press one or press two to be removed."      TRANSLATION - blah blah blah.

This is an OLD scam and never seems to die.  Since you cannot block all the spoofed numbers, there is no way to stop these calls.  Not answering the calls doesn't seem to stop them either.

Inviting these scammers into your home?

So go ahead and post their names and addresses, please.