Okay,
time for a pop quiz. What annoying situations would you like to stop? Drivers
following too closely on the freeway? People leaving the lights on? Your spouse
telling you “Stop mumbling!”
For
me, robocalls - those unsolicited automated phone calls, would be at the top of
my list. At the Center I’ve heard many folks complain about robocalls and that
it seems to be getting worse!
Unfortunately,
it is. The volume of automated calls has skyrocketed in recent years reaching
an estimated 3.4 billion in April which is more than a 25% increase since last
year. And it’s not surprising. They are cheap and robocallers can easily dial
millions of consumers daily, and once the number is ignored or blocked, they
can find new numbers to hide behind.
But there are efforts underway to fight this nuisance.
At the federal level, both the House and Senate have either passed or
introduced legislation aimed at curbing abuses. And regulators are working with the telecommunications
industry to identify ways to authenticate the calls to help us identify the
callers.
But it
will take time. So, what can you do now to reduce this almost daily nuisance?
1.
Keep your phone number to yourself. I made the mistake of going online to investigate
refinancing my house mortgage and in the process gave out my phone number. Now
I’m receiving phone calls from various lenders all across the country. But it
does make me feel wanted.
2.
Tell companies to get lost. It not illegal for a business to make marketing
calls if you have a business relationship with them. But you can stop those
calls by making a specific request to the business - and follow up with the FTC
if the business keeps calling you.
5. Get
on the Do Not Call Registry. The federal Do Not Call Registry may prevent some legitimate
companies from calling. But the scammers don’t follow the rules, so why would
they follow the Do No Not Call Registry? But it is worth a try.
3.
Don’t answer calls from unfamiliar numbers. I used to answer any call that
appeared local, but in the recent year an increasing number of them were scam
calls, e.g.. “Would you like to purchase a special vacation package from
Marriott? What has happened is
robocallers can now fool your telephone service by what is known as “neighborhood
spoofing”: using local numbers in the hope that folks like you and me will more
likely pick up the call.
6.
File a complaint. In 2017 there were 4.5 million complaints to the FTC about
robocalls - more than doubled since 2013.
7. Use
software that blocks robocalls. Apple iPhones and most Android phones can block
specific numbers. And now there are apps you can use to block robocalls such as
Nomorobo, RoboKiller or Truecaller, although there may be a small monthly subscription
charge.
But
until unwanted robocalls end, don’t be offended if I don’t answer. Just leave a
voice message and I’ll call you back - when I remember to check my messages.
It’s
time to reserve your space for the Theater Play Table Read of one-act plays and
skits on May 23rd from 1:00 – 2:30 led by Kerry Cobb. Pick a role
and play your part as the you read entertaining one-act plays. No experience
necessary—just a desire to have fun. Limited to twelve.
The
name of the popular and affordable sports coupe with a long hood and short deck
was the Ford Mustang. (I received correct answers from Lana Tepfer and this
week’s winner of a quilt raffle ticket, Jim Ayers.)
It’s
time to take a break from pop music, television shows and hot cars and move to
old time religion. For this week’s “Remember When” question, what religious
leader was appointed Bishop of Rochester in 1966; hosted the night-time radio
program The Catholic Hour before hosting
two television programs in the 50’s and 60’s; and was called by Time magazine the first televangelist? Email
your answer to www.mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, leave a message at 541-296-4788 or
drop it off with a tape of an episode of Life
Is Worth Living.
Well,
it’s been another week, enjoying the beautiful days. Until we meet again, when
you start digging yourself into a hole - know when to put the shovel down.
“When
I walk into a room, I know that everyone in it loves me. I just don’t expect
them to realize it yet.” Byron Katie
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