Automated Robocall That You Can't Hang Up?

[Xtreme2damax]

Just received this odd robocall, likely some medicare/medicaid insurance fraud/scam. When I heard a pre-recorded voice play I decided to hang up or at least thought I could hang up as I was getting ready to call my parents. Despite trying to hang up I couldn't and the pre-recorded message continued to play all the way until a live person answered and then the call ended. I am wondering what the heck is this crap that I can't even hang up. Number is on the dnc registry as well but does crap to stop robo calls from illicit parties out to scam people that conduct their shady "business" out of the country.

[remixedcat]

dnc never works. it actually made me get more calls.

[Detection]

afaik if you call someone and they hang up but you do not, when they lift up the receiver again you will still be connected

[Hum]

Land line ? Pull out the wall plug.

Cell phone ? Take out the battery, I guess.

[Azusa]

afaik if you call someone and they hang up but you do not, when they lift up the receiver again you will still be connected

I've never heard of it working like that back when they had to manually connect each call maybe but not today.

[Detection]

I've never heard of it working like that back when they had to manually connect each call maybe but not today.

Its worked like that for years in the UK

In fact not that long ago there was a scam where the scammers would call house lines and claim to be debt recovery department of BT, they were telling the customer that they owed ?X amount to BT and if they didn't pay via card over the phone to them right there and then, that they would cut them off

They continued by saying if you need proof, hang up, wait 5 seconds, then try to make a call, you will be disconnected

So some people were hanging up, then lifting the receiver and hearing no dial tone, hanging up again and waiting for the scammers to call back

All they were doing was hitting 'Mute' when they heard the customer hang up, the customer obviously can't make a call as they are still connected to the scammer, and they can't hear the scammers end of the call because they have it muted

So some people waited for the call back and gave their card details to some guys in a flat scamming thousands of people out of their money

Try it, call someone, tell them to hang up and then pick back up, you`ll still be connected (Only works on landlines)

I used it about 15 years ago to seek revenge on a cheating girlfriend, she had given me her charge card number so I could call her house free, when I found out she cheated I walked to a pay phone in the middle of nowhere, called her with that card number then left the phone on top of the box

[Azusa]

Its worked like that for years in the UK

In fact not that long ago there was a scam where the scammers would call house lines and claim to be debt recovery department of BT, they were telling the customer that they owed ?X amount to BT and if they didn't pay via card over the phone to them right there and then, that they would cut them off

They continued by saying if you need proof, hang up, wait 5 seconds, then try to make a call, you will be disconnected

So some people were hanging up, then lifting the receiver and hearing no dial tone, hanging up again and waiting for the scammers to call back

All they were doing was hitting 'Mute' when they heard the customer hang up, the customer obviously can't make a call as they are still connected to the scammer, and they can't hear the scammers end of the call because they have it muted

So some people waited for the call back and gave their card details to some guys in a flat scamming thousands of people out of their money

Try it, call someone, tell them to hang up and then pick back up, you`ll still be connected (Only works on landlines)

I used it about 15 years ago to seek revenge on a cheating girlfriend, she had given me her charge card number so I could call her house free, when I found out she cheated I walked to a pay phone in the middle of nowhere, called her with that card number then left the phone on top of the box

Ok 15 years ago maybe cause the system was pretty old and broken then but im sure those scammmers could have been using something to keep the connection alive.

[Detection]

Ok 15 years ago maybe cause the system was pretty old and broken then but im sure those scammmers could have been using something to keep the connection alive.

No, the scam was recently, just try it instead of not believing.

The only person who can disconnect the call, is the caller

[Hum]

^ Er, I disconnect when I hit End on my cell phone, and also if I use a wireless home phone. :huh:

[Detection]

^ Er, I disconnect when I hit End on my cell phone, and also if I use a wireless home phone. :huh:

Landline to Landline only ^^

And no idea about the US, I'm in the UK

EDIT -

http://forums.digita...037&postcount=6

and

http://forums.digita...96&postcount=10

and

http://forums.digita...25&postcount=13

and

http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showpost.php?p=43513654&postcount=21

Looks like you can press "R" on the phone and it will clear the call if the other person won't hang up

http://forums.digita...26&postcount=17

[Hum]

^ R for retard ... ? :p

[Xtreme2damax]

The question is how is this able to be done? When I hang up I expect that the call is ended regardless of whether or not I was the one who called. This is the first I've experienced something like this and it's quite annoying,

[XerXis]

Doesn't work like that in Belgium, when you hang up the connection is gone on both ends

[Hum]

The question is how is this able to be done? When I hang up I expect that the call is ended regardless of whether or not I was the one who called. This is the first I've experienced something like this and it's quite annoying,

Maybe it was with the phone company's cooperation.

Or maybe the phone hackers can send a signal to keep the connection alive.

[Dot Matrix]

In the US, once you hang up, the call is disconnected. Been that way for as long as I can remember.

OP: Was this on a landline or cell phone?

[redvamp128]

Only way I could see this happening which - COULD explain it.

If you had call waiting and they placed the second call just shortly after you answer the first... so when you hang up on one you actually answer the other call.

[The Evil Overlord]

Actually if you quick hang up the landline, (or quick press and release the hang up button) the call gets temporarily disconnected and you can dial out (like call waiting but I dont have it for my landline, but have noticed it works)

[LUTZIFER]

I know where I live, the call is terminated instantly when either party hangs up. always has been that way.

[-Himanshu-]

What I have noticed is that in my landline connection, I can't disconnect unless the other party hangs up if the other part was the one who called me. It has been irritating sometimes, someone called by mistake and don't disconnect. But on the mobile phone, no matter who called, if I end the call, it gets disconnected.

P.S. : Didn't know about pressing the R trick, will try to see if it works.

[Xtreme2damax]

In the US, once you hang up, the call is disconnected. Been that way for as long as I can remember.

OP: Was this on a landline or cell phone?

Landline and I live in the USA.

[PNWDweller]

Against the law to do the non-disconnecting calls:

http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/15/politics/fcc-robocalls/index.html

http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/robocalls/

While the article doesn't specifically address hanging up and they are still there, it does talk about the regulations. Not only that, but I remember (Can't find the source at the moment), that there was a law put into place that basically mandates disconnection if hung up on. This was brought to light by the need to dial an emergency number if need be and the caller wasn't allowing that to go through, then the caller would be liable. Since I can't find the source - probably something I heard, but do think some regulation is there for that purpose (would predate everyone having a cell phone on hand).

I used to have fun with robocalls - usually press the number or wait for the other person to answer (Depending on the robocall message), and play with them. Once gave a home refinance caller bogus information on some commercial property, over valued it and gave a phony name. Spent well over 30 minutes of his time feeding him the information including phony name and address. (he called my place of work). At the end of the call, he said he had to do a credit check for some refinancing figures, so after being asked for my social security number, I fed him the date in a manner that wouldn't be easily recognizable (something like 011 42 01333 which is today's date with an extra digit or two in there). Funny part was he didn't catch it and we hung up. About 10 minutes or so later, another coworker got a call looking for a man named "Rusty Boltz" (Yes I used that name), and was promptly told nobody here by that name, he rebutted saying he just spoke with them at the same number. We all knew what was going on in the office, but he really was upset that he was taken for a ride. We all got a laugh out of it and never heard from that caller or group again. Sometimes it is fun to play with the trolls. :)