Are you tired and frustrated with pesky phone calls from anonymous people? If you think that signing up for the Do Not Call Registry would resolve all your issues, then sadly, you are mistaken.
But do not worry, you are not alone in this exasperation.
According to the Congressional Research Service (CRS), the registry had approximately 230 million active registrations as of 30th September 2017. This number has increased by almost 4 million from the previous year as per the CRS record. Even then, no less than two spam filtering companies reported an uptick in the total number of unwanted calls from 2017 to 2018.
Luckily, Kinetic by Windstream offers one of the most reliable, outstanding, and safe phone, internet, and TV services. With Windstream, you can get all the help needed to identify potential spammers and deploy unique ways to get rid of anonymous calls.
Types of Anonymous Calls
Let’s begin by first understanding different types of spam calls you may get:
Spoofing Trick
Spoofing happens when a caller intentionally misquotes the information transferred to your caller ID display to hide his actual identity. When carried out spitefully, the scheme is part of an extensive ploy in which the caller will attempt to obtain sensitive or personal information from you. An important thing to remember here is that some businesses also use this trick to call without displaying a toll-free number.
In the past couple of years, it has gotten even more difficult to prevent yourself from this treacherous spam. It has taken the structure of a number that may have the same first 6 digits of your contact number and exactly the same area code as yours.
Political Calls
The peak time of receiving political calls is during the presidential or congressional elections. When almost 30 candidates stand and compete against their rivals to achieve victory in the run for president, you may get a lot of these spam calls. The same applies for other elected posts.
And, based on your residential location, the local competition may get even more intense. If you have a landline phone, then the bad news is that these calls are legally permitted regardless of your consent.
Commercial Calls or Telemarketing
The calls in which a salesperson targets and calls prospective buyers and persuades them to buy specific products and services are called commercial calls or telemarketing. Except for some charities, political organizations, phone surveyors, or firms with which you already have an occurring business connection, you will not get any commercial or telemarketing calls if you have signed up for the Do Not Call Registry.
Scams
Most of the anonymous calls that you frequently receive on your phones are scams. There are a variety of scams related to advance fees, insurance, credit card, tax, job, and others. Often, these calls seem as if they are actually from your insurance company or bank. But, they mostly prompt you for your ATM pin and other sensitive information that helps the hacker in stealing your identity.
Block Anonymous Calls on Windstream
Now that you have learned about the few most common types of anonymous calls, you must be curious to know how you can totally avoid them. If you have already subscribed to Kinetic by Windstream, then nothing can stop you from blocking unwanted calls. Windstream has introduced a new, unique, and highly-demanded feature called Spam Call Alert at absolutely zero charges. Every time your home phone rings, it will notify you if the incoming call is spam or not.
Here are the three different types of messages that it displays on your caller ID screen:
Fraudulent Calls
All calls incoming from invalid, unallocated, and in-bound telephone numbers are categorized as fraudulent calls.
Spam Calls with Caller ID
The calls that have maximum chances of being unwanted ones.
Regular Caller ID
For regular calls, information and details like address, name, etc. will appear as usual.
After checking the displayed message, it gets easy for you to make up your mind to answer or block the incoming number. Here are the simple steps to do so using Windstream anonymous call and selective call rejection feature:
Anonymous Call Rejection
- To cancel this feature, dial *87.
- To reactivate it, dial *77.
- Once you hear the confirmation tone, the action has been successful.
Selective Call Rejection
- Dial *60 to make sure that the service is active.
- Switch Selective Call Rejection on and off using the 3 key.
- Dial #01# and follow the guidelines to send the number of your last caller to the call rejection list
- To add any other number to your block list, press the # key, and follow the guidelines.
If you find out that your phone number has been listed as a scam, then call Windstream customer service at 1-855-349-9312 to report the issue.
Conclusion
With Windstream, you do not need to worry about losing your identity or money just due to some anonymous fraud call. All you have to do is follow the instructions that we have mentioned in this blog to help you block spam callers. If you are not a Windstream customer, then what are you waiting for? Order Windstream now, before it is too late!
FAQ
Does Windstream notify subscribers of requests related to account information?
Yes, it does except for few exceptions like counterproductive or exigent circumstances. But, you may only get notified for civil cases. You will get a copy of the legal request whenever the company can provide one. It can be either before or after the declaration of your account information.
How can I report obscene, abusive, or threatening calls?
In such cases, always get in touch with your local Law Enforcement Agency. If they think it is demanding, they will reach out to Windstream for help. You may also use Windstream’s Call Trace feature to get assistance in this regard.
