Spam Calls over and over and over again....

[RobertY462118]

We get 8 to 15 spam phone calls Monday through Friday! We don't have caller ID so we answer the phone, almost every call starts with a recording and then we are transferred to a "specialist". Since they wasted my time I stay on to waste their time and when I tell them to quit scamming people and get a real job they either hang up on me and about once a day they start swearing at me. These calls are mostly for Medicare part C, but are also med health, extended auto warranty, "you've been in an auto accident", ect, ect. Every call is from an off shore call center and the accents are so heavy they are hard to understand. Sometimes we even recognize the voice from an earlier call. We are on the national do not call list but that doesn't seem to help.

So my real question is what can AARP do to help with this situation. I understand from other AARP members and similarly aged people that they are having the same issue. 

[ClaytonWing]

Do NOT answer calls from unknown numbers!! Why? By answering call your classifying number as valid. In the marketing industry valid info is GOLD. This info is shared, loaned, traded, sold to other marketing companies.

National Do Not Call Registry only stops unsolicited calls from reputable companies. It will NOT stop calls from scammers, political groups, charities, bill collectors, surveys, etc. It also won’t stop calls from companies you shared phone number with since they are considered solicited.

NOTE: Phone numbers are recycled like mailing addresses - Someone has owned them before you. You may be receiving calls/texts intended for previous owner(s) of your phone number.

• Extended warranty calls - When you purchase a vehicle from a dealership/car lot they share your info. Be sure to opt out of sharing/marketing with car manufacturer (ex. Ford, GM, Honda, etc.), dealerships, auto loan companies, etc.

• Medicare Part C (supplement) calls -

Remove phone number from your credit reports. Obtain your Free annual credit reports (Experian, Equifax, TransUnion & Innovis). Call the dispute number on the reports and ask CSR what creditors are reporting said info. Locate creditor’s privacy policy and opt out of sharing (ex. Limit sharing). This will prevent creditor from sharing phone number with credit bureaus. Dispute phone number after no creditors are reporting it.

Stop unwanted Medicare age related postal mail - hearing aids, supplemental plans, cremation, life insurance, etc. This will remove your info from several marketing lists which contain your phone number. Do NOT call company to be removed this will just add your number to their marketing list which WILL be shared. Instead email your removal request which can be used to follow up if need be.

Limit sharing with companies you have a business relationship with. Ex. AARP - Visit AARP’s website and select Privacy Hub and/or Your Privacy Choices (bottom of webpage). Both options will direct you to aarp.org/privacy > Fill out form “Right to opt out of sharing”. Enter name/email connected to your AARP account as well as your AARP member number.

[JDrysdaleJr]

I've been getting a ton of these spam/scam calls, as well.  At least 20 per day.

Or, I _was_ getting 20 per day.  I'm now seeing about 3 a day.  And I think I'm getting closer to a solution.

First off, if none of your phones have CallerID (I assume land-line phones?), then be sure to buy a CallerID box that goes inline between your phone and the wall plug where the phone gets its connection.  This is going to be really helpful.  I don't think they cost that much, but buy one for each phone.

If you get a call and there's nothing but silence, I believe this is a robo-dialer that is randomly dialing numbers and marking the number as good if it hears a human voice (live human voice, or an outgoing message recording of your voice for voicemail.)  Then I believe it sends all the "good" numbers to all the scammers.  I think this is how you wind up getting 20-30 scam calls a day.

I've tried cussing them out, I've tried hitting MUTE and setting the phone down until they hang up, I've even gone so far as to buy a air horn and use that whenever I hear that thick accent.  These all just confirm that your phone number is a valid phone number.  And the cycle continues.

Now, when I see a number that I do not recognize, I answer and then immediately hang up.  For some robo-dialers, they'll try to call three or four times thinking that there was an issue with the line.  But even if it doesn't call more after that, I believe it marks your number as "bad" and it gets ejected from the list of "good" numbers.

Just my two cents.

[JDrysdaleJr]

UPDATE:  Well, the answer-then-immediately-hang-up ploy is no longer working.  So I've switched strategy.  Now, I answer the call and immediately hit the MUTE button.  Then I listen.  99 times out of 100, it's just silence and eventual hang up on their end.  But they also like to use AI interactive scripts with a somewhat human sounding voice saying "hello".  Not going "hello?" like a real person would.  It's a stated "hello."  Just keep listening.

[ValerieO96268]

I recently joined AARP and now the multiple calls/day have started on my cell number that NEVER got spam calls prior to joining. Is AARP selling our numbers? I have had two other friends tell me that robocalls started only after they joined as well.

[larryh1108]

I came to this site to make a complaint. I recently re-joined AARP and with the info submitted, I had to include my email address. I refused to give up my phone number. I used to get maybe 1 email a day that is directed to my email spam folder. Since I re-joined, I get a minimum 5 and as many as 15 spam emails a day directed to my spam folder.

I have to assume that AARP is selling our info to 3rd parties since most companies do. AARP is supposed to protect us yet they seem to be selling our info for profit and these 3rd party companies are now flooding our inbox with phishing and scam emails. Shame on you AARP for directly putting your members in a position to get scammed. That is so wrong. Your members are senior citizens who may not be savvy enough to sort thru the bad actors and will often fall for online scammers. I am so disappointed in AARP for selling our info.

[SereneSeagull]

@larryh1108  I just wrote something the other day with screenshots.  Go to the bottom of the webpage.  Look for AARP Privacy Hub and Your Privacy Choices at the footer of the webpage.  It is there that you can control your privacy as well as opt out of things.  It’s up to us on most websites, unfortunately, to be proactive and opt out and control our privacy.

[larryh1108]

Thank you. I did change my settings. What is so upsetting is that AARP is here to protect senior citizens yet they sell our info to 3rd parties who then abuse us. That is so wrong. Yes, we need to opt out but that is backwards. We should have to opt in to have our personal info sold. How many seniors don't even know what "opt out" means? I had to jump thru hoops to find the opt out section. Very shameful, AARP.

[SummerOnTheWay1]

Yes Larry @larryh1108 , I totally AGREE with you. We should be ASKED "if" we want our info sold. Some sites are beginning to do this thankfully. Thanks for bringing this "issue" up. And thanks @SereneSeagull for posting how to OPT OUT. You are indeed a welcome addition to this Community Board. ALWAYS trying to help us when you can.

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➡️[*** LARRY @larryh1108 wrote:

Thank you. I did change my settings. What is so upsetting is that AARP is here to protect senior citizens yet they sell our info to 3rd parties who then abuse us. That is so wrong. Yes, we need to opt out but that is backwards. We should have to opt in to have our personal info sold. How many seniors don't even know what "opt out" means? I had to jump thru hoops to find the opt out section. Very shameful, AARP.

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[SereneSeagull]

👍 lol!  Your message was timely @SummerOnTheWay1 , considering the ruler slap I just got.   

[SummerOnTheWay1]

I won't go into details so I can stay under the radar @SereneSeagull 😉, but yes, I saw that!!! Lol, you will learn NOT to waste your time on certain things here. But just know we the MEMBERS appreciate you ALWAYS!!!

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➡️[*** @SereneSeagull wrote:

👍lol!  Your message was timely @SummerOnTheWay1 , considering the ruler slap I just got.   

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[SereneSeagull]

I agree.  However, I learned long ago not to count on any organization to protect me. They don’t.  Up to us to do it.

[ClaytonWing]

AARP does share info…as do all companies.

Limit sharing/marketing with companies you do business with. This is easily done by locating companies privacy policy and following their opt out procedure (ex. limit sharing). Also, log into your account and update preferences (ex. communication, marketing, etc.).

• Visit AARP’s website and select Privacy Hub and/or Your Privacy Choices (bottom of webpage). Both options will direct you to aarp.org/privacy > Fill out form “Right to opt out of sharing”. Enter name/email connected to your AARP account as well as your AARP member number.
• Log into AARP account > select your name (top right hand corner) > communications preferences.

[SereneSeagull]

Excellent, helpful post.  

[AARPConsumerCare]

Thank you for your membership, @ValerieO96268. I'm sorry to hear you're receiving spam calls, I can understand your concern. AARP is committed to maintaining your trust by respecting and protecting your privacy, you can find our AARP Privacy Policy here: https://www.aarp.org/privacy/privacy-policy/?cmp=SNO-LITHIUM---&socialid=18205567808 - Diana G.

[GailL1]

Never had this problem but haven’t been a member since about 2010 - but what you can do if you have an iphone (maybe even an android) is turn on your “Silence Unknown Callers” - This setting ensures that numbers not saved in your contacts will automatically be silenced, sent to voicemail, and appear in your Recents list, while calls from your contacts, recent outgoing calls still ring.

The best of all worlds !  You know about them but then again don’t have to listen to them.  

[KellytheBelly]

I don't understand this! I've had the same number for many moons and never get these type of calls. Do you have to be of retirement age to get them? Really, this has never been an issue for me. Emails are more common to receive spam, that is. I think it all has to do with AARP, soliciting calls and email [cannot believe the emails I get from AARP, not including newsletters]. They are a business doing business solicitations, all the time, every day. Gives them a bad rep, in my opinion. 

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@RobertY462118 wrote ‎06-10-2025 08:19 PM:

We get 8 to 15 spam phone calls Monday through Friday! We don't have caller ID so we answer the phone, almost every call starts with a recording and then we are transferred to a "specialist". Since they wasted my time I stay on to waste their time and when I tell them to quit scamming people and get a real job they either hang up on me and about once a day they start swearing at me. These calls are mostly for Medicare part C, but are also med health, extended auto warranty, "you've been in an auto accident", ect, ect. Every call is from an off shore call center and the accents are so heavy they are hard to understand. Sometimes we even recognize the voice from an earlier call. We are on the national do not call list but that doesn't seem to help.

So my real question is what can AARP do to help with this situation. I understand from other AARP members and similarly aged people that they are having the same issue. 

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What if it all works out?

[AARPConsumerCare]

KellytheBelly If you're receiving unwanted email communications from AARP, you can update your preferences here - https://aarp.info/3kl1ANP - If you'd like to stop receiving phone calls from AARP, please send us a private message, and we'll be happy to help. If you haven't yet enabled private messaging, you can find the instructions here - https://aarp.info/47hWcl7 - Christy C. 

[KellytheBelly]

Christy,

That's very kind of you to offer! At the moment, I'm all set, but it's good to know you're there if something comes up. 😌

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@AARPConsumerCare wrote ‎06-13-2025 09:06 AM

KellytheBelly If you're receiving unwanted email communications from AARP, you can update your preferences here - https://aarp.info/3kl1ANP - If you'd like to stop receiving phone calls from AARP, please send us a private message, and we'll be happy to help. If you haven't yet enabled private messaging, you can find the instructions here - https://aarp.info/47hWcl7 - Christy C. 

[AARPConsumerCare]

We understand your concern, @RobertY462118. We have an article with helpful tips: https://aarp.info/3eoYlkD

Also, we invite you to check the AARP Fraud Watch Network for information about the most recent scams, you'll find tips to stay safe and how to recognize a potential scam: https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/?cmp=SNO-LITHIUM---&socialid=17273132320 - Diana G.

[SummerOnTheWay1]

📎  Robert @RobertY462118 , I luv my CALLER ID & BLOCK THEM LIST.

Be "careful" with "speaking" to them. Some scams are based on "recording" YOUR VOICE.

Take care,

Nicole  👵

[RobertY462118]

Blocking them doesn't really work because they use a random number generator. I get about a dozen calls a week on my mobile phone and the numbers are always local. If you call the number you will talk to a person who has no clue why you are calling them and they speak understandable English.

[GiannisK745032]

You're absolutely right. They record your voice, clone it with AI and use it to scam your loved ones. 

[nctarheel]

NEVER, NEVER say the word YES.

I jerk these people around.

I tell them that they are on a live podcast (they usually hang up then).

If they don't hang up I start asking them questions. As every call, whether they are using the "border scam, the Social Security scam, the Amazon scam, the grandchild scam" or whatever is likely from the same location based on the "hold" music and "hold" voice, I ask questions using language considered inappropriate in their home country. Some of these idiots go ballistic at this point so I know I am hitting home.

There is a joy knowing I am wasting their time.