Calls from "Unavailable" or "Private"

We've received a number of calls from "UNKNOWN CALLER" in the past month: three for Local Maps verification and then one today that was an abandoned call.

We also received one call marked "PRIVATE CALLER" with a robocall for carpet cleaning.

Even if we had a call blocker, we couldn't block this because we have at least one client that calls here on a cell phone that shows up as an unknown caller.

I have had 15 calls to da from "Unavailable! I didn't answer any of them! I learned that if you answer, no matter who is calling you that your number shows it is a "LIVE NUMBER! My blocker through ComCast blocked every one of them! Our numbers get bought by foreign people in blocks o thousands! Nice!! :(

I get calls from Privat all the time also.

Come on phone company.....why cant you ID these phony criminal calls and ban these creeps from calling and harassing? What the hell is the matter with you??

Because it is not their job to do that?  Why did you not know that?

How is the phone company supposed to "ID these phony criminal calls" when "these creeps" tend to spoof the number they're calling from?

I think Jay thinks the phone companies are like monopolies and know everything about their customers and what the customers are doing with the phone lines. He doesn't understand that the phone companies have automated all of the equipment so it runs unattended 24 hours a day, and that the phone companies hire as few people as possible and the "operator" isn't at a switchboard where any circuit can be listened to.
I am old enough to remember when that was possible.

So am I.  I remember watching the videos of them going into the switch room to see where the call was coming from.

I'm old enough, as well. I remember when phone numbers didn't have area codes, too. Ah, the old days. :-)

That was me in 1969.  That switch room actually was a whole floor or floors where the Number 7 Cross Bar was located.  Number 7 was an electro-mechanical (click-clack) switch and each telephone number had its own position yes, each!  It would take time to trace a call as it was all hard wire trace.  If the call was dropped poof, end of trace.  That's why in the old movies the cops wanted you to keep talking to the perp so the trace could done.

It's not a criminal offense to hang up on anyone, but it IS a crime for a collection agency to even imply that a criminal offense is involved.  Unfortunately the US currently has no federal law enforcement to protect anyone other than (foreign owned) corporations, so we will just have to keep hanging up until the next election.

So, why are you giving advice to someone who clearly posted here 8 year ago, and is talking about a Canadian debt collection company that does not have to follow US law?

When I see "Unavailable" on the phone screen, I think to myself "Hmm, what a coincidence! So am I."