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Does call blocker work when phone is off?

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  Does call blocker work when phone is off? Micky <NONONObobbyburns1111@gmail.com> - 2016-07-30 11:28 -0400
    Re: Does call blocker work when phone is off? nospam <nospam@nospam.invalid> - 2016-07-30 12:10 -0400
    Re: Does call blocker work when phone is off? VanguardLH <V@nguard.LH> - 2016-07-30 18:07 -0500
      Re: Does call blocker work when phone is off? Micky <NONONObobbyburns1111@gmail.com> - 2016-07-30 23:15 -0400
    Re: Does call blocker work when phone is off? Mark F <mark53916@gmail.com> - 2016-07-31 06:29 -0400
      Re: Does call blocker work when phone is off? Micky <NONONObobbyburns1111@gmail.com> - 2016-07-31 07:17 -0400

#32924 — Does call blocker work when phone is off?

If I have my phone off, and a spammer calls and leaves a voicemail,
will it still get blocked in any way by a call blocker?

Or do they only work when the phone is on?

If any will work when the phone is off, I could use a recommendation. 

I've got one guy who keeps calling. 

http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-410-693-4248  not that interesting
but for bored people you have to scroll down a page to see the
complaints and have to go to the second page to see recent complaints.
They've been using this number since Sept. of 2009.  Should 7 years be
time enough for someone to shut them down? 

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#32926

In article <orgppb1leje2msco86tkecnapbevdekd7u@4ax.com>, Micky
<NONONObobbyburns1111@gmail.com> wrote:

> If I have my phone off, and a spammer calls and leaves a voicemail,
> will it still get blocked in any way by a call blocker?
>
> Or do they only work when the phone is on?

that depends if the blocking is done on the phone or in the switch.

> If any will work when the phone is off, I could use a recommendation. 
> 
> I've got one guy who keeps calling. 
> 
> http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-410-693-4248  not that interesting
> but for bored people you have to scroll down a page to see the
> complaints and have to go to the second page to see recent complaints.
> They've been using this number since Sept. of 2009.  Should 7 years be
> time enough for someone to shut them down? 

they can't be shut down.

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#32937

Micky wrote:

> If I have my phone off, and a spammer calls and leaves a voicemail,
> will it still get blocked in any way by a call blocker?

Does my TV still shows movies when it is powered off?
Does my microwave still heat food when it is powered off?
Does my car go from 0 to 60 in x seconds when it has not been started?

C'mon.  Even you know if something is powered off then it obviously
cannot do anything.

If you want incoming calls to get blocked while your phone is powered
off then you have to add those phone numbers to a blacklist stored up on
the phone service.  Check if they have a web site where you can
configure your phone features to see if they provide a call blocking or
screening option to which you can add numbers to block.  Most cell phone
providers also have a code you can dial that will register with your
service provider in your account a number to block - but obviously you
need the phone powered ON to issue the command up to the server.

> Or do they only work when the phone is on?

There are apps that include call blocking.  Most of the freeware
anti-virus/malware apps for Android include a call blocking feature.
Obviously an app can only run when it is loaded on the smartphone and
that obviously means the phone must be powered on (and that it be a
smartphone so you can run apps).

If your cell phone provider lets you issue codes to add callers or
specify numbers to add to a blocklist or they let you do the same by
logging into your account on their web site then why bother with call
blocking that works only when your smartphone and the app are running?
After all, if you have voicemail service, it will kick in and take the
call while your smartphone is powered off - so any calls you added to a
blocklist for an app have no chance to be rejected (the phone is off so
the app isn't running, either).

> If any will work when the phone is off, I could use a recommendation. 

Find out from your cell phone provider what are their codes to enter on
your smartphone to perform a slew of functions.  Most times, the code
looks like "*xx" where xx is a 2-digit number.  Else visit their site
and log into your account there to see if they have a Call Blocking list
you can update.

> They've been using this number since Sept. of 2009.  Should 7 years be
> time enough for someone to shut them down? 

The problem with call blocking is that any caller can spoof their CID
(caller ID).  In fact, there are site that offer this service, and some
are free.  That means a spammer, scammer, or malcontent could pretend
they are a number at the FBI or your mother or anyone.  If you block a
number, make sure it is one that you do not know.  That might mean
reviewing all numbers in your contacts; however, you might not have your
dentist, optometrist, a contracted service doing confirmation calls on
the behalf of someone else (Google uses one of those when you change
settings in your account regarding security settings), or a slew of
"good" callers won't be in your contacts list.  I've seen where someone
got a spam call and then blocked that number; however, the spammer put
the callee's phone number in their CID, so the callee ended up blocking
themself (which meant they couldn't use their phone to call their cell
phone service to check on voicemail).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caller_ID_spoofing

Lots of overseas spam centers will spoof their caller ID so it looks
like the caller is in your country.  Be judicious when deciding to add a
caller to your blacklist.  You won't know for sure who you are really
blocking.  With CID spoofing, they'll change it every day or few hours
so you'll still get nailed by them later.

CID is as unreliable as the From header is in e-mails.  Only good
callers provide an accurate CID, so you end up blacklisting those
behaved callers from whom you don't want calls.  The bad callers may not
be doling out their true CID (just like spammers don't use their true
e-mail address).

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#32948

On Sat, 30 Jul 2016 18:07:48 -0500, VanguardLH <V@nguard.LH> wrote:

>Micky wrote:
>
>> If I have my phone off, and a spammer calls and leaves a voicemail,
>> will it still get blocked in any way by a call blocker?
>
>Does my TV still shows movies when it is powered off?

I'm googling to check.   One post says you need special glasses to see
the movie. 

>Does my microwave still heat food when it is powered off?

It's time for dinner so I'll check. 

>Does my car go from 0 to 60 in x seconds when it has not been started?

It's raining out and it's dark.  I'll google instead of actually
checking. 
>
>C'mon.  Even you know if something is powered off then it obviously
>cannot do anything.

In a perfect world, when the phone was turned on and it got
notifications that voicemails had been left, it would somehow destroy
the ones I'd blacklisted without bothering me.   It would go through
the list that resides on the phone company computer, communicating
with the phone company, in sequence "pressing" 7 for each one I had
banned. 

This might well take more cooperation from the phone company than they
are willing to give, but otoh, the people who write this stuff are a
lot more clever than I am and they might figure out how to do it even
without phone company cooperation.   In fact I myself could flow chart
it. I couldn't code it but I dont' know how to code anything about
dialing the phone etc.  

So even though it didn't seem likely, it seemed worth asking. 

I appreciate the rest of your detailed answer, but it's 11PM and I
haven't had dinner so I will read it later tonight or maybe tomorrow. 


>If you want incoming calls to get blocked while your phone is powered
>off then you have to add those phone numbers to a blacklist stored up on
>the phone service.  Check if they have a web site where you can
>configure your phone features to see if they provide a call blocking or
>screening option to which you can add numbers to block.  Most cell phone
>providers also have a code you can dial that will register with your
>service provider in your account a number to block - but obviously you
>need the phone powered ON to issue the command up to the server.
>
>> Or do they only work when the phone is on?
>
>There are apps that include call blocking.  Most of the freeware
>anti-virus/malware apps for Android include a call blocking feature.
>Obviously an app can only run when it is loaded on the smartphone and
>that obviously means the phone must be powered on (and that it be a
>smartphone so you can run apps).
>
>If your cell phone provider lets you issue codes to add callers or
>specify numbers to add to a blocklist or they let you do the same by
>logging into your account on their web site then why bother with call
>blocking that works only when your smartphone and the app are running?
>After all, if you have voicemail service, it will kick in and take the
>call while your smartphone is powered off - so any calls you added to a
>blocklist for an app have no chance to be rejected (the phone is off so
>the app isn't running, either).
>
>> If any will work when the phone is off, I could use a recommendation. 
>
>Find out from your cell phone provider what are their codes to enter on
>your smartphone to perform a slew of functions.  Most times, the code
>looks like "*xx" where xx is a 2-digit number.  Else visit their site
>and log into your account there to see if they have a Call Blocking list
>you can update.
>
>> They've been using this number since Sept. of 2009.  Should 7 years be
>> time enough for someone to shut them down? 
>
>The problem with call blocking is that any caller can spoof their CID
>(caller ID).  In fact, there are site that offer this service, and some
>are free.  That means a spammer, scammer, or malcontent could pretend
>they are a number at the FBI or your mother or anyone.  If you block a
>number, make sure it is one that you do not know.  That might mean
>reviewing all numbers in your contacts; however, you might not have your
>dentist, optometrist, a contracted service doing confirmation calls on
>the behalf of someone else (Google uses one of those when you change
>settings in your account regarding security settings), or a slew of
>"good" callers won't be in your contacts list.  I've seen where someone
>got a spam call and then blocked that number; however, the spammer put
>the callee's phone number in their CID, so the callee ended up blocking
>themself (which meant they couldn't use their phone to call their cell
>phone service to check on voicemail).
>
>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caller_ID_spoofing
>
>Lots of overseas spam centers will spoof their caller ID so it looks
>like the caller is in your country.  Be judicious when deciding to add a
>caller to your blacklist.  You won't know for sure who you are really
>blocking.  With CID spoofing, they'll change it every day or few hours
>so you'll still get nailed by them later.
>
>CID is as unreliable as the From header is in e-mails.  Only good
>callers provide an accurate CID, so you end up blacklisting those
>behaved callers from whom you don't want calls.  The bad callers may not
>be doling out their true CID (just like spammers don't use their true
>e-mail address).

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#32959

On Sat, 30 Jul 2016 11:28:01 -0400, Micky
<NONONObobbyburns1111@gmail.com> wrote:

> If I have my phone off, and a spammer calls and leaves a voicemail,
> will it still get blocked in any way by a call blocker?
> 
> Or do they only work when the phone is on?
My Sprint phone (Galaxy S5) has an "auto reject list".  I had been
using this to block (I thought) spam robots. However, while writing
this message I found out that that phone feature just "are
automatically ignored and the call is forwarded to voice mail", rather
than actually blocking the caller.  (In several years of use I only
had one voicemail message from a blocked number.  I had thought that
I got the voicemail message because I was on another call when the
second call from the same number came, but I guess it was because only
one of the spammers called me a second time and then bothered to leave
a message.  I don't remember if the first call seemed like a robocall
or a boiler room call.


It seems Sprint also can block from its side:

https://mysprint.sprint.com/mysprint/pages/secure/mypreferences/myPreferencesLanding.jsp
 
 Limits and permissions
   Block voice
    Click on your phone number
     Click on "Block only the following phone numbers for inbound and 
       outbound calls
 I.e., if you block a number then you can't call that number.
I haven't tried blocking from the Sprint web site, only from the phone
itself.  I think, but am not sure, that I can call blocked numbers.


 
> 
> If any will work when the phone is off, I could use a recommendation. 
I haven't tried it, but the Sprint "Block voice" for blocking specific
numbers seems like it would do the trick, but you have to login to
the website set it up and you also can't call the spammer (which is
probably meant to stop you from spamming someone else.)
> 
> I've got one guy who keeps calling. 
> 
> http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-410-693-4248  not that interesting
> but for bored people you have to scroll down a page to see the
> complaints and have to go to the second page to see recent complaints.
> They've been using this number since Sept. of 2009.  Should 7 years be
> time enough for someone to shut them down? 

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#32960

On Sun, 31 Jul 2016 06:29:44 -0400, Mark F <mark53916@gmail.com>
wrote:

>On Sat, 30 Jul 2016 11:28:01 -0400, Micky
><NONONObobbyburns1111@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> If I have my phone off, and a spammer calls and leaves a voicemail,
>> will it still get blocked in any way by a call blocker?
>> 
>> Or do they only work when the phone is on?

>My Sprint phone (Galaxy S5) has an "auto reject list".  I had been
>using this to block (I thought) spam robots. However, while writing
>this message I found out that that phone feature just "are
>automatically ignored and the call is forwarded to voice mail", rather
>than actually blocking the caller.  (In several years of use I only

Wow.   I guess they were afraid that if they totally rejected callers,
they would get a rejection complex. 

>had one voicemail message from a blocked number.  I had thought that
>I got the voicemail message because I was on another call when the
>second call from the same number came, but I guess it was because only
>one of the spammers called me a second time and then bothered to leave
>a message.  I don't remember if the first call seemed like a robocall
>or a boiler room call.

This is bad: I just called on the real phone for my messages, and the
spammer's message wasn't there, just one from a friend. I erased that
one and that left none.  But then I turned the phone on and spammer's
notification is still on the phone.    I must have erased his empty
message the last time I did that, days ago, and yet it's still there
yesterday and today.    Maybe that's a fluke. 
>
>It seems Sprint also can block from its side:
>
>https://mysprint.sprint.com/mysprint/pages/secure/mypreferences/myPreferencesLanding.jsp
> 
> Limits and permissions
>   Block voice
>    Click on your phone number
>     Click on "Block only the following phone numbers for inbound and 
>       outbound calls
> I.e., if you block a number then you can't call that number.
>I haven't tried blocking from the Sprint web site, only from the phone
>itself.  I think, but am not sure, that I can call blocked numbers.
>
That wouuld be nice, but it seems with a prepaid ATT phone
"Network-based blocking, "at the root", is not available with prepaid.
All "blocking" would have to rely on your phone, and is highly
dependent on brand and OS (many phones do not offer such "barring"
features):"

https://forums.att.com/t5/Wireless-2013-Archive/Blocking-a-phone-number-with-prepaid/td-p/2874879

It's only one number and I don't remember his ever calling me prior to
my getting the new phone.  I don't know why that would matter, but
regardless, I think he'll stop soon, like all my home phone spam has
stopped (Of course that could be because my home phone is broken.) 
 
A call blocker app would be nice but apparently the phone has to be
on, and mine rarely is.  Even the message says "I can go weeks without
turning on my phone, so don't leave a message until you have reason to
believe I'll be checking."

 
>> If any will work when the phone is off, I could use a recommendation. 

>I haven't tried it, but the Sprint "Block voice" for blocking specific
>numbers seems like it would do the trick, but you have to login to
>the website set it up and you also can't call the spammer (which is
>probably meant to stop you from spamming someone else.)

Yes, but you gotta be Sprint and I gotta be me. 
 
>> I've got one guy who keeps calling. 
>> 
>> http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-410-693-4248  not that interesting
>> but for bored people you have to scroll down a page to see the
>> complaints and have to go to the second page to see recent complaints.
>> They've been using this number since Sept. of 2009.  Should 7 years be
>> time enough for someone to shut them down? 

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