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You have reached the Canadian Embassy in Havana - weird phone message

By
Real Estate Agent with Progressive Realty (Boise Idaho) www.Progressive-Realty.info DB-17066

I have been receiving some weird phone messages on my toll free phone number over the past few months and evidently this is a growing problem for many others as well.

The worst part of it is that each recorded message increases my bill since my toll free service is a measured service line and there is no way to block these calls!

Each time, they come from a new number that has never been traced by Google, etc.  Finally, today at least I found a thread online about it on 800notes.com.  http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-281-630-3747#p810582919033825973

I hope that anyone that has received similar calls report it to the FCC so they can look into this practice and stop it before it gets too out of control.  Think of how computer hackers create scripts that are essentially viruses that take over peoples computers to have them simultaneously try to reach a website which in turn overloads their system and effectively takes down their system.  I see this being a similar potential threat to take down companies 800 numbers as well.

The FCC employee that opens my complaint will probably write it off as not worth their time.

I would appreciate it if any of you would share your insight as to why someone would take the time to write a computer script to generate such a call system that does't try to sell anything, obtain your personal data, or other typical phishing schemes.

Time will tell if I am just another Schizophrenic, conspiracy theorist, or just another ActiveRain member trying to get points.  Do I get bonus points if I succeed at all three?

Comments (49)

Anonymous
Laura

wow. I get the Canadian Embassy in Havana calls too and then some spanish woman comes on. The only thing I can make out before her tirade is Diga Me like 3 times. They aren't from 800 numbers, they are from all different area codes at all hours of the night and day. I can't tell who is a real caller or not anymore as it is my business line and am known to get calls from different area codes.

Feb 12, 2015 07:41 AM
#30
Jim Paulson
Progressive Realty (Boise Idaho) www.Progressive-Realty.info - Boise, ID
Owner,Broker

Laura, the calls come in typically from New York, or Texas or other states (typically spoofed numbers via a service like Google Voice I think).  They appear as regular numbers but call in to our Toll Free accounts.  Is the number you are receiving the calls on a Toll Free number?

Feb 12, 2015 07:46 AM
Jim Paulson
Progressive Realty (Boise Idaho) www.Progressive-Realty.info - Boise, ID
Owner,Broker

I just learned that there are multiple companies that do revenue sharing for generating large volumes of toll free calls. That tells me this problem is just starting and will become as bad as spam emails if the FCC doesn't tighten the enforcement and tracking ability of spoofed calls.

Feb 14, 2015 10:49 PM
Anonymous
John Rutkowski

I have taken to blocking all of the following numbers. Complied from my own and other call records. But I still get one a week. It dings my 800 pho0ne bill a couple of bucks a month. So far, no one from the FCC has followed on the complaint I filed.

The Caller ID are all spoofed, so there could be an infinite number of inbound calls.
9142564613
2144052023
8064341429
4083171111
2818651813
5858024154
7139793077
2817382235
8064599633
3152325143
8304597286
4696036962
9172506547
6059849404
7877801401
4156788817
9284978984
9287887806
4088721873
7342953577
7342953577
4325595707
4156255303
7878492114
6077461491
4158606457
2124375994
6056899182
3152925903
6188140033
2547758607
4158658770
4692378148
4692378148
5122099780
5185535292
7144630666
2157178782
2543783473

Feb 16, 2015 04:32 AM
#33
Anonymous
Will Owens

I'm getting same and have been for past 6 months. I use Express800 toll free service.

Feb 16, 2015 10:54 PM
#34
Anonymous
Pat Quick

I have been getting these calls at my office since October. We have no 800 number and the calls have been getting more frequent. From Oct. 2014 to Dec. 2014 we probably got one weekly. From Dec. 2014 to Jan. 2015 we probably got two or three a week and now get them daily or more. I am not able to disconnect the call for between 30 seconds to as much as 15 or 20 minutes. I called my phone company and was told to block the calls, then to trace the calls and call my local police department. Because we are not getting charged for the calls (we have unlimited long distance) and no threats were made, I was told nothing could be done. I called the phone company back and was told to file a complaint with the FCC. I did that and got an immediate response that the case was closed. I called my phone company back yesterday and was flatly told that the only thing we could do would be to change our number. As a small company that gets our business from word of mouth, this is not a practical solution. In other words: pound sand. I am getting very frustrated but have apparently been told that I should just grin and take it. This is a business line and is tying it up for extended periods of time! Any other suggestions? All of the numbers have been different or blocked and happen at random times throughout the day, including weekends. With all of the activity overseas, I would hate to think that my phone line is facilitating a possible attack. How many times have we heard after the fact that something was completely overlooked? I am not willing to let this go...

Feb 17, 2015 11:25 PM
#35
Jim Paulson
Progressive Realty (Boise Idaho) www.Progressive-Realty.info - Boise, ID
Owner,Broker

Maybe it is time we start talking to our local political ambassadors (all the way from our Chambers of Commerce to our senators, congressmen, etc.) and make them aware of this issue.  Edmund Burke said essentially "The only thing that is needed for evil to prevail is if good people do nothing".

Feb 18, 2015 12:34 AM
Anonymous
Pat Quick

Ironically, my boss is a local politician, and sees nothing but road blocks too. His questions are getting no further than mine. I will, however drop a note to my state and federal representatives to see what I can shake out.

Feb 18, 2015 12:58 AM
#37
Anonymous
Rural central Montana

Pat Quick, can you please tell me what area code your office line has? Is your affected number a regular POTS land line? A cell phone? A VOIP (internet based calling) phone? Unlimited outgoing long distance would not be relevant for a landline, since these are incoming calls. Cellphones often charge for incoming calls, but generally don't distinguish local from long distance calls in that billing. Also, who is your phone company?

By the way, preventing hang-up IS prohibited per my phone company, whether money is lost or not. Preventing outgoing emergency calls is a crime.

Thanks, your answers may help my Sheriff's investigation.

Feb 18, 2015 11:39 AM
#38
Anonymous
Pat Quick

Our area code is: 904 (Jacksonville, FL) Zip: 32256. It is a regular, business phone account with 4 lines; most of which are being used throughout the day. No cells are on this account. Our phone company is Comcast. Their product is digital (VOIP) to the building but is analog past the phone router in the building. We do have a business phone system plugged directly into the router and 12 phones through the 4 lines. Because the system rolls all of our calls, I cannot easily make the determination as to which line is being called. Any of our lines can be used as a fax line. If the system senses a fax, it simply forwards it to our fax machine. Again, we have no 800 numbers on the account. Thanks!

Feb 18, 2015 09:36 PM
#39
Anonymous
David

We get the same thing with the exact script everyone else is talking about. Blocking the numbers from TX or Ny does nothing because they are always different. Numerous calls to Cablevision do nothing. Its always off hours. www.800notes.com has 100's of people with the same results. This is a huge annoyance and mystery.

Feb 19, 2015 04:08 AM
#40
Anonymous
Pat Quick

As an addendum to my previous posts and as suggested by Mr. Paulson, I would recommend that you contact your government representatives. I have gotten nowhere through my phone company and through other other suggestions posted here and on other online outlets. I sent my local, state and federal representatives this information and am getting their responses very quickly today. Maybe if enough of the powers that be have this brought to their attention, we can get this stopped and/or know how this fraudulent calling is being used. I will share anything I learn on this forum as I get it. Thanks!

Feb 19, 2015 04:20 AM
#41
Jim Paulson
Progressive Realty (Boise Idaho) www.Progressive-Realty.info - Boise, ID
Owner,Broker

Thanks Pat!  Isn't it a shame that the FCC made it illegal to send a fax with incorrect identifier's as to who is sending them; yet they haven't done the same with phone numbers?  

Feb 22, 2015 02:27 AM
Anonymous
Pat Quick

I am curious to know if anyone has experienced a drop/stop to these calls? As luck would have it, we have not gotten one call since my last post after contacting my government representatives. In all honesty, I have done nothing differently in an effort to stop this. I have changed no settings or contacted Comcast so I am a bit confused as to what happened. I would like to think that these people have been caught and stopped but would still like to see a definitive, permanent resolution to this issue. Thanks!

Feb 24, 2015 12:51 AM
#43
Jim Paulson
Progressive Realty (Boise Idaho) www.Progressive-Realty.info - Boise, ID
Owner,Broker

Unfortunately, I still receive about the same amount of calls from them.  Keep up the pressure and and hopefully the FCC will start enforcing caller ID transparancy and accountability.

Feb 24, 2015 10:29 PM
Anonymous
Steve

I have received this same call multiple times over. It always starts out about "Ummm ..... That is exactly what I am going to do.... and I am almost at 30 seconds and that should be enough. Okay.... Thank you bye. Press 3 for Canadian embassy in Havana. The embassy is presently closed. To continue in English press 1. Please hold, your call has been disconnected due to communication problems" and then sometimes a lady comes on and starts talking in spanish. I have a voice mailbox full with these messages saved. I have written down the number and they seem to be from all different sources. I have also received this call live many times. It looks like many of you are receiving the same kind of calls.

Feb 26, 2015 01:44 AM
#45
Anonymous
Rural central Montana

Hey, Pat Quick. My last Embassy call was Feb.16th 2015, and it's now March 10th. (About 3 & 1/2 months of calls, since they started early November 2014.) I'm holding on to my info in case my Sheriff needs it. I surely would like to know the real story.

Mar 10, 2015 08:02 AM
#46
Jim Paulson
Progressive Realty (Boise Idaho) www.Progressive-Realty.info - Boise, ID
Owner,Broker

My embassy calls appear to have stopped recently too.  Hope it stays that way.  I have quit tracking my calls that don't leave messages, if the message is roughly 37k in data size, I know it is not long enough for a message and I just delete it. 

Mar 13, 2015 01:27 AM
Anonymous
Will Owens

I now get random out of state calls to my 800 number that when answered, no one is on the other line? I get about 5 calls a day/night. Some are in the middle of the night, 3,4,5am? I'm on the East coast and most early morning calls are from the West coast. If they go to voice mail, the vm recording last approximately 3 minutes with nothing on the recording. Of course this is charging me each time through my 800 service which is Express800. Does anyone else have this service and experiencing the same? From one annoying call problem to another!

May 20, 2015 05:03 AM
#48
Jim Paulson
Progressive Realty (Boise Idaho) www.Progressive-Realty.info - Boise, ID
Owner,Broker

I am extremely close to cancelling my toll free number since they appear to be a thing of the past (except for spammers to call).   I am glad I own the rights to the number since someday I will hopefully sell it for a good price before no one is interested in it either.

May 21, 2015 04:59 AM