Reply To: Burner Phone Calls

I agree with blocking. I’m not familiar with how burner phones work, but if it is someone shady, they’ll get bored and move on if there’s no response. If it’s spam, my understanding is that engaging with the numbers that call or text (I get both!) means you’ll get more spam. Or, at least, that’s what I’ve heard. Ignore all numbers you don’t know. If it’s someone legit who wants to get a hold of you, they’ll leave a voicemail or send a text that makes sense.

Also, without knowing what kind of phone you have, I have an iPhone and for the most part, legitimate businesses or people now have their names or company show up as the caller even if they are not saved to my phone. It displays as the phone number, below which there is a name (or sometimes it’ll say “Maybe: Jane Doe”). But even then, doesn’t hurt to exert caution — I have a friend who fell for that bank/Zelle scam awhile back because she said she Googled the number whose calls she kept missing and it took her to her bank’s website, so she thought it was legit. The next time the number called, she answered, followed whatever instructions she was given, and was out several thousand.