Calls from unknown numbers keep coming. It is not uncommon for spam calls with little serious background to hide behind this. TECHBOOK lists the phone numbers that are currently causing trouble particularly often.
The companies and call centers behind the spam phone numbers call at all hours of the day and night. Usually several times in quick succession. The reason: Computers often take over the calls, which often test a number until they get a response at the other end. As a result, people who are called who accept a call from such an unknown number often hear cracking and hissing on the line before they are – if at all – connected to an employee.
The callers are often sitting in call centers and have only one task: to request data from the person called and to lure them into flimsy sweepstakes or dubious contracts. In the worst case, such a call becomes really expensive for the recipient. However, commercial calls of this type are legally prohibited if the person called has not explicitly allowed them. Of course, the companies and call centers also know this. They therefore regularly change the numbers they use to call to distract themselves and avoid trouble. Sometimes they change the entire phone number, sometimes just the last few digits.
For this reason, the list of spam phone numbers active over a period of time is constantly changing. So it’s good that many sufferers report the spam numbers to the Federal Network Agency. They have the option of imposing penalties or even blocking telephone numbers. In any case, however, she creates a list of the numbers that are currently particularly active.
Also interesting: Federal Network Agency switches off almost 1500 phone numbers forever
These spam phone numbers are currently particularly active
The app operator “Clever Dialer” also takes a similar approach. Using its application, users can enter phone numbers that are harassing them and block them if they wish. Based on the data, Clever Dialer creates an up-to-date list of spam phone numbers that are currently causing trouble particularly frequently.
Advertising calls, competitions and cost traps are categorized accordingly by Clever Dialer. In the past few weeks, people who have been called in Germany have complained particularly frequently about the following telephone numbers:
As in the previous month, 01637875622 has again landed in second place among spam numbers. Furthermore, these are calls with supposed sweepstakes. But now this phone number is so well known that more and more users are blocking it. Even if, according to Clever Dialer, almost five percent more calls came from the mobile network than in the previous month, landline numbers (area codes 020, 030, 040, etc.) remain the method of choice for fraudsters with a 70.8 percent share. Increasingly, callers are also asked directly for information such as bank details and, in the case of 040299992000, even had access to sensitive data.
In contrast to the previous month, not only German phone numbers are in the list. A number from the United Kingdom (country code +44) also made it to number 10. Apparently this is a cost trap. Users report that the callers wanted to sell a lottery contract.
Beware of the current big scam
TECHBOOK repeatedly reports scams that scammers use particularly often to get user data. One of them is the Europol scam, which has been causing trouble for several months in a row. Scammers call users on behalf of the law enforcement agency in an attempt to obtain sensitive information. A TECHBOOK editor was also called several days in a row by an alleged Europol employee. On the phone, she then informed about an alleged identity theft. In this case, the number the scammers used to call was +49 176 23816914. In some cases, however, they also manage to technically transmit Europol’s real number in order to give the impression that the police are actually on the phone. So be vigilant if Europol contacts you with alleged warnings.
Also read: Europol rip-off – even the BKA warns of these calls!
Block spam calls
Fortunately, consumers can do something about phone spam. If they have staying power, they can simply ignore calls from unknown numbers. But it is even better to find out their origin on the Internet. To do this, they enter a spam phone number that keeps popping up on their phone into their browser’s search bar. This often reveals who is behind the calls.
If the number is questionable, it can be blocked easily and free of charge using most routers and smartphones. A small catch: Unfortunately, blocking only works for a specific number. If the companies change their spam numbers, they must be added to the list of blocked connections.
Also read: How to easily find out the owner of an unknown cell phone number
Via landline
Many routers from Netgear, D-Link, the Fritz boxes from AVM and others offer the option of blocking phone numbers in the menu under the “Telephone” or “Fixed Network” tab. Calls from these connections are then no longer put through to the telephone. It then quite simply stops ringing and the subscriber is no longer bothered.
On Android smartphones
Android phone owners can also block spam phone numbers using their Google account. To do this, open the phone app on your smartphone and click on the symbol with the three dots in the upper right corner. All unwanted numbers can now be entered under “Spam” or “Block”. If you like, you can even ignore all unknown phone numbers. Then the cell phone only puts through calls from contacts that are saved in the address book.
You can find out how blocking unwanted phone numbers works in our video:
On iPhone
Of course, blocking certain phone numbers also works on Apple’s iPhone. To do this, users go to their call list and select the appropriate call. Click on the button for more information, then a new page will open with the command “Block caller” displayed at the bottom.
Read more: How to Mute Unknown Calls on iPhone
If companies call from a blocked number, they can still leave a voicemail message, but the person called will not receive any notification of this. They also do not find out that they have been blocked by the recipient.