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Prepaid Phone Service - Are Spam Calls Triggered By Verizon???
timzibob
Newbie
‎07-02-2012 03:55 PM

I am a prepaid customer who gladly pays Verizon $100 per year just to never be out of touch.  Verizon charges me $ 0.25 per minute against my prepayment.   A perfect solution for me except.......

Close to 90% of calls I receive are are spam.  About 70% are from caller "Unavailable" (I've only answered these a very few times over the past 3 years, and when I did NO ONE WAS THERE TO TALK TO).  Another 20% of calls show the number, and when I look them up, they are advertiser messages.  One who keeps calling is a bible thumping New York City television preacher.   I almost never give my cell number out, and certainly not to any businesses, and I never enter it online or even provide it when filling out paperwork.  When a phone needs to be provided, I give my home phone  and yet I have no problem with spam calls on that line.

So who has a vested interest in getting me to answer my cellphone?   Verizon does, if my minutes get depleted I've got to buy more.  After 2 1/2 years of this crap, it is actually getting worse.  I've received 82 such calls in the past 75 days.  The convenience of a cell phone has turned into both an embarrassment and a major irritant.

I admit to  being skeptical by nature, but would be willing to bet money that Verizon supports such spam against their prepaid customers as a business strategy.  If any other prepaid customers have this issue, I'd be interested in hearing your take on this situation.  The only other explanation I can come up with is that someone I know personally is sabotaging me.  I am retired and have no enemies that I am aware of with the possible exception of my mean spirited ex wife.  However we have been divorced for 30 years and I feel I'm grasping at straws with that explanation

Thanks for your feedback

Tim. 

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Re: Prepaid Phone Service - Are Spam Calls Triggered By Verizon???
drewbayless
Enthusiast - Level 3
‎07-02-2012 05:18 PM

You may want to try an app called "Call Control", there are others but this one has worked well for me.

It allows me to block unknown calls etc...

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Re: Prepaid Phone Service - Are Spam Calls Triggered By Verizon???
timzibob
Newbie
‎07-02-2012 08:17 PM

Thank you for the suggestion Drew.   Didn't find where my phone...a Smooth...could install that app.  (Not saying it couldn't...)

So I called Verizon Customer Service, and the very helpful rep walked me through the phone option of restricting incoming calls to my contact list members only.   The path is: 

Menu- Settings & Tools - Phone Settings - Security - Enter Phone Lock Code (mine was the last 4 digits of my mobile number...you'll need that number...twice) - Restrictions - Enter Calls and Services Code (same as above) - Calls - Incoming Calls.

So...kudos to the Verizon customer service rep who walked me through all of this.   

 

It would still be interesting to know the cause of long lived persistence of spam calls to my number.  If my suspicions as to the cause is correct, serious ethics questions. are raised.  

Anyone else having this issue?

Thanks.    

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Re: Prepaid Phone Service - Are Spam Calls Triggered By Verizon???
vzw_customer_support
Customer Service Rep
‎07-11-2012 03:01 PM

Tim,

First & foremost, I want you to know that we take your privacy very seriously. We would never want to jeopardize our relationship with you.  http://www22.verizon.com/about/privacy/

You can call 1-866-211-0874 to opt out and also register your number through the government https://donotcall.gov/

I trust this information will benefit you.

Tamara H.
Follow us on Twitter @VZWSupport

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