# General Business Category > Technology Forum > [Question] Call Tracing

## AmithS

Hello All,

Can someone point me in the right direction here or even better help me out!

For the last 4 weeks, I get a call from a private number around the same time, week days only and as soon as I answer the person hangs up!

How do I find out who this person is?

Regards,

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## Mark Atkinson

If you don't answer, what happens? Do they call again?

My extensive movie-going experience leads me to believe that you can only trace a call after you've been on the line with them for quite some time  :Wink: 

(Sorry, I wasn't much help was I?)  :Sorry:

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## mother

Sorry, but I have to ask: Is there any reason to suspect a "rabbit in the pot"-type scenario?  :Wink:

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## Perform Computers

This is why I never answer "Private number" anymore. I always used to, but screw it. Luckily I have two phones, so if it's someone I know who really needs to get a hold of me, then they call me on the bat line  :Smile: 

If it's a client, tough. Leave a voice message & I'll call you back.

My advice: Let it ring. Do not answer. They'll run out of steam soon enough.

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## Dave A

Over the years I've known quite a few people who have gone through this.




> My advice: Let it ring. Do not answer. They'll run out of steam soon enough.


I agree they'll run out of steam - the "soon enough" part may vary. I tend to say "eventually."  :Frown: 

My advice is treat it just like any other phonecall. Someone's blowing off steam. Don't feed it by letting them know they're getting to you.

The less it bothers you, the sooner it goes away.

Not once has any of the people I've known who've been through this ever figured out who was making the calls or why. So don't even waste energy speculating.

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## Perform Computers

Get Jack Bauer to start a trace.

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## AmithS

Thanks for the advice. I also taught of that to just stop answering any private number calls in future and if it is important the person will leave a message - How many of you do this? (Dave can we poll this possibly? I would really love to know what others do with private number calls legit or not)

When they called yesterday I decided not to say a word, just answer and I think the person got taken by surprise as they waited for me to say something and then realised I am not going to you could hear them stumble to put the phone receiver down as they didn't know what to do...

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## Perform Computers

Just don't answer. If it's important, they'll leave a message.

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## Just Gone

Private numbers are the most frustrating things around - they are either call centres wanting to sell their product to you or someone wanting to "make you more visible" on google or some crap out there.  Sad for them because we start to ignore them now or are just blatantly rude to them !! I used to get up to 6 phone calls a day from a company called webmail untill I very frustratingly told them to piss off and get some sort of system in place whereby they know who they have bugged and dont want to be bothered anymore !!  
As far as I know there is no way to trace a private call .

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## gordo

ironic, my friend works for webmail hahahaha! sorry, not to change the topic. I also went through a stage with private calls, I thought I had an admirer, but eventually they gave up. must have found someone better than me hahahaha! 

now days I just dont answer. So id agree thats the best thing to do

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## daveob

If they want to waste their phone bill / airtime, etc calling me, good luck to them.

Telemarketers hold a special position - they the only people that I hang up on without saying a word.

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## AmithS

Agreed Private Numbers\Blocking your number should not be allowed

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## Dave A

Our switchboard's premicells are private numbers. It was set up that way on recommendation of the installers to keep those lines available for outgoing calls, and also because there's no hunting line facility or message service if someone calls back on it and the line happens to be busy.

For the people who don't answer when we call, we assume it's the private number issue, and just call from our after-hours standby cellphone which resides at the office during the day.

We only leave messages on cellphone numbers if we've failed to get through after a few attempts, and even then it's with the full knowledge that most people don't get around to returning the call. We do it more to let them know we've been trying to get hold of them, and we'll just keep trying 'til we get through.

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## Just Gone

lately when I get a call from a private number and it is some telesales person I just say hold on and put the phone down on the desk or in the car still connected.  If they phone back i do the same - They soon get the hint !!

Unfortunately it is rough on them................... but it is just as rough on me - especially when I am running an ad in a newspaper or something  - it seems my private number calls goes up with telesales !!!

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## AmithS

I recently discovered that my Samsung i9000 Android has a feature to reject all private number calls automatically.

Only problem is it cuts the call with an engaged tone and doesn't send the call to voice mail!

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## irneb

My problem is that very often my clients are phoning through their switchboard (similar to Dave's system). Some of these clients get highly upset if they have to try you numerous times. Some even get irritated when that "please leave a message" comes along. So unfortunately for me, I "have to" answer these - though I've made a rule never to answer private numbers after hours.

As for telesales, at best I'd say: "No thank you!" AND THEN HANG UP!!!

I've had a few call me back directly afterwards, stating some idiocy about the line went dead. "Ag shaaaaimmmee!" I tell them ... "Did it sound like this? ... " click!

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## wynn

Leave a voicemail saying that if the caller is using a private number please to send a SMS saying who it is and what their number is so that you can load it to your phone that way you will know it is them and not some spammey caller

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Perform Computers (04-Oct-11)

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## AndyD

Unknown numbers on my personal cellphone get dispached to my voicemail as fast as possible using the red button. If they leave a message I'll pick it up later when it suits me.

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## Just Gone

> I've had a few call me back directly afterwards, stating some idiocy about the line went dead. "Ag shaaaaimmmee!" I tell them ... "Did it sound like this? ... " click!


lol ..................... like that one  :Wink:

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## irneb

Yep, I got that idea from some comedy I saw once!

Anyhow, I've got an app installed on my smartphone (called Mr. Number). It can block calls & sms's  :Banghead: . Basically after receiving a call/sms you can simply tell it block that number in the future. You could tell it to automatically block private numbers as well, either to pick-up and hang-up immediately or to send them to voicemail.

I don't use the private number blocking for my previously stated reasons, but thus far I've got something like 150 numbers of telesales which simply don't get through to me. It does keep a history of events if you think something's been blocked which shouldn't - so you can add an exception or remove that number from the block-list. I see that this app has a collection for US numbers where people can share these "spam" numbers - much like spam ratings happen on emails. Wish that was available in SA though.  :Boxing:

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## AmithS

I have adopted the dont answer private numbers for now and it seems to be working.

I dont get many calls from private numbers now and when they do call it is like 3 times or so... because I dont pickup...

So for now it seems to be working as the person calling seems to be getting agitated that I am not answering and ignoring them  :Smile:

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## cnel_za

The company that I work for automatically dials out on a cell phone line when I dial another cell phone. It comes up as a private number as our previous IT guy in his wisdom blocked the caller id and the new guy, does not want to rectify this. I unfortuneately need to leave a lot of messages and the telephone is now no long an efficient tool.

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## flaker

this is one number that drives me up the wall.its dials my telkom landline.if it starts at 1am,then it goes on & on. a few seconds after answering u get an engaged tone.the best one can do is then to put the phone off the hook. its like a machine thats dialling you non-stop. have tried speaking to telkom to no avail. they have referred me to cell c & cell c says its not one of their numbers.telkom say they can do nothing & i try explaining that it is their problem because i employ their services and when this happens i have no service for a few hours cause i got to keep the phone off the hook. and my burglar alarm is connected to my phone etc etc. In desperation i've told them that i'd employ the services of Mr. Murdock. That has'nt helped either. any member experience this??

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## AmithS

@flaker, the solution seems to be to disable your sms feature on your telkom line!

8. I have multiple phones connected to the same line. Why do I see a 08810919690X number on the CLI of my non-SMS compatible phones?

When receiving a text message on a SMS compatible telephone, the CLI from the Short Message Centre will be recorded on all the non-SMS capable devices/ telephones that are CLI capable and that are connected in parallel on the same line as the SMS telephone. The numbers recorded by these telephones will be 088109196900, 088109196910 to 088109196990. Note that all telephones installed in parallel with the SMS capable telephone will ring until the SMS phone answers and takes delivery of the SMS text message. This will be one short ring burst only. Thereafter the SMS compatible telephone will provide an audible warning indicating the arrival of a new message.

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Dave A (04-Oct-11), flaker (04-Oct-11)

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## Phil Cooper

Another way with spam calls!

When they ask how you are, thank them PROFUSELY for their interest, and explain how bad you feel, how your back is sore, you have catarrh, your insomnia is acting up, you are waiting for the dandruff treatment to kick in, your spouse is also suffering from the 'flu, and you are so stressed from driving in the traffic with all the taxis, which is raising your blood pressure, giving you headaches ........ etc. etc.

Don't give the a chance to get a word in edgeways .....

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## popayetwo

> My extensive movie-going experience leads me to believe that you can only trace a call after you've been on the line with them for quite some time


That was the OLD days when they had to manually trace a call. It took about three minutes per exchange. Nowadays the caller is identified even while your phone is still ringing.( CLI)

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