Google Voice!

Google Voice just saved me from annoying scam calls! I was able to go into the control panel and report this scammer as spam. Now she is blocked for me and (hopefully) other users as well.

If you don't have a Google Voice account, I suggest making one.

TO THE ADMIN: this isn't advertising, just pointing out a cool site that's totally on topic, since the call blocking is quick and easy.

The problem with that is the definition of scam calls.

Every 8-9 weeks the Red Cross calls me and asks me to schedule a blood donation.  I consider that a reasonable reminder.  Other people may consider it spam and have it blocked.

I have been using and advocating Google Voice for some time now.  I was an early beta user of this product, and it continues to improve.  

I should point out that I have some concerns about what Google may eventually do with the information that this is generating, and you should think about that aspect of it.  If you are wondering why, think of what someone could do with a complete list of every phone number you communicate with.  Telemarketers, Scammers, Marketers, Advertisers, and Collection Agencies would kill for a list like that.

In my opinion, Google is not a search engine company as much as they are an information collection company.  Give a lot of thought as to why this service might be free.  At the moment the privacy terms are acceptable, but they can change at any time.  Google's widely publicized misuse of the wi-fi capabilities in the cars they used to collect imagery for Google maps should make us all very cautious about blindly trusting them.

Let me add a couple of other things to the list of tools, for use with, or instead of, Google.  Callcentric provides great home VOIP service, and combined with a Linksys PAP, makes a powerful addition to your armamentarium that most folks who are patient and can read directions will be able to get running.  Their "Call Treatment Rules" are quite useful.

For the truly geeky, PBX in a Flash (PIAF), an unused older PC, and a VOIP account at Callcentric or Vitleiity makes the ultimate solution.  Think of it as running your own phone company.  You can do anything you can imagine with this.  Want a pest to find that when they call you, they get themselves ?  You can do it.  Want them to get the reservations line for Motel Styx instead ?  Want them to be forced to listen to Rick Roll sing ?  Tell them your line is disconnected ?  Take them through, "If you a calling about an auto warranty press 1, if you are trying to collect a debt, press 2, if I have won something, press 3" ? Want to illegally show a spoofed caller ID ?  Want to legally show your cell phone # for your caller ID instead of the actual number you are dialing from (why) ? You can do all of these things, but you better be pretty technical, or very patient (maybe a little of both).

You can port your existing home phone number to any of these providers.  I have successfully ported numbers both to and from Vitelity and Callcentric.  I cannot speak to porting numbers away from Google Voice, because I haven't done that.  My biggest complaint with Google Voice is the lack of any support, although with a free service, you can't complain very loudly about that.  Just know that if you have a problem you will have to look for help on the forums or solve it yourself.  Be warned that Vitelity is for VOIP pro's and they aren't into a lot of hand holding either.  However, they allow you to do professional things like setting your CNUM, and CallCentric has more restrictions on these things.

So, yes, we can fight back.  And we can do it with some of the same tools the scammers use.

Good Luck.

not Michael,

Fear not, nM, the Red Cross can still call you.

What you mark as a "Spam" call on Google Voice has no impact on anyone but yourself.  If you say that they are spam. then when they call you they are treated as such.  But if they call me, they still go through.

In other words, all settings, including spam status, are on a per user basis.

HTH.

I'm glad that someone else has seen the light of Google Voice.  I have been a GV user since the Beta and I can't see why anyone would not want this level of control over who calls them.  We can control our email in this manner, why not our mobile phones?

But GV is more than just controlling who calls you, you can RECORD the incoming call by hitting 4 when you receive a call.  This only works for incoming calls, but it's an awesome feature to have.  I have captured several spam calls, usually pre-recorded or digital voice calls.

Another awesome feature of GV is regarding Voice Mail. I can receive your voice mail both visually and audibly.  I can receive it to your phone or in a browser or in email.  Although the visual voice mail isn't always accurate, if I can't read it I can listen to it.  I truly appreciate this feature because I no longer have to try to call my mobile carrier to get my voice mail messages.

Google Voice keeps all my contacts online, where I can add to them or remove them with a computer, simply.  These are always synchronized with my phone.  I can make groups and then generate Voice Greetings for each group.  

If I don't want to get messages at certain times of the day or night, I can have GV push all calls to voice mail.

If I don't want to hear from certain people I can push those particular people to voice mail, every time they call, or just block them entirely.

If I want better privacy I can setup a digital assistant to SCREEN all the calls

I agree, GV is very useful in stopping SPAM calls in the ways listed here.
My Droid takes it 1 step further, any number listed in your address book can also be made to "go straight to voicemail", but you have to 1st save the number to your addressbook.

Now, if I could get "unknown & blocked" numbers to goto voicemail!
I'd be set

GV is the most appropriate app which is require very less space and is very user friendly, which even stops the spam calls.

Once Google confirms the call is "Spam" then the call is blocked. I have had many calls blocked that were marked as Spam by others. However, you have to mark them "BLOCK." It only works if you ring the Google Voice number concurrently with your home phone number. Also set the home phone voice mail to answer after 4 rings. Beyond that Google answers. If the home phone is busy then your voice mail ends up on Google so check your gmail.

I've been thinking of google voice, but I'm concerned about privacy.

Do I have to give my email and password I uses, of make up a new one for google to have an account?
I don't have spam now. Do I have to pay for installing google voice of a monthly fee?

Right now I'm only interest in call blocking. Do I have to have a voice mail, email account ect?

Thanks

I've got a question too.  A relative just set up a Google voice account and called me from it for the first time.   A generic number showed on my caller ID which, when I checked here, was in fact associated with Google voice.  But the problem was the delay in transmitting each of our words.  It would take three or four seconds after I spoke for him to hear what I said, and vice versa.  This made the conversation impossible so I just gave up and called him back on his landline.  The part I am not sure about is if his Google voice account was attached to his cell or landline.  Does anybody else know if this long delay is normal for Google voice?  If so, I would never use it because it is too frustrating!

You can connect Google Voice to either a landline or a cellular phone.  When I have made calls using Google Voice, I mostly use the GV app & occasionally I will call from my home number.
But my friend uses an alternate app that allows him to use WiFi. I have noticed a delay when I am speaking when he uses this app. It has been up to a one or two seconds and I can hear what I previously said in the background. I have come to refer to this as a echo.  I find it rather annoying and prefer when he uses his cellular network since I do not hear such a delay. He uses this because he doesn't have unlimited talking. Not to mention he has had his service shut off  at least 3 times in the hopes of buying an iPhone 5 (yawn).
My guess is your relative could be using a similar app.

I hope that helps.

This is interesting information.  So perhaps using Google voice through wifi causes a delay, but the actual GV app may not.  I'll have to ask him about this next time I talk to him.  Thanks for the info!

You are quite welcome. I forget who puts out the WiFi  app, but it doesn't appear to be through Google. He has tried at least two apps. One is called Talkatone and that I know had this echo. On top of that when he would text me, it would advertise itself by adding "via Talkatone" at the end of a text.

I see no one knows anything about this, I'm going to stay with no voice mail. I will keep doing what I'm doing now, with caller ID to answer call from people I know, and not answer any unknown numbers.

I'm also keep my ringer turn off, check my caller ID and delete the unknown callers.