Want simple PBX option to stop robocallers

[BahboRic]

Lately the majority of calls I get are robocalls, even though I have my call blocking preference set to High. It has gotten to the point where my wife usually won't even answer the phone. I think there is a simple way Ooma could make it more difficult for robocalls to get through, which is to offer a very simple PBX option for premium users (and this would probably have the result that LOTS of people would pay for premium). What I would like is for before my phone rings, the caller hears a message saying to press a certain number, say 3, if they are a person. A person could push the number, and then my phone would ring, and we'd be confident it was not a robocaller. A robocall wouldn't push any button, and would either be sent to voicemail or just hung up on.

I believe an option like this may be available for business users (PBX in the cloud?), but most people with individual accounts wouldn't need a full-blown PBX. Also, I don't want to pay the business rate.

A quick search on google shows that various people have used Raspberry Pi computers to make such a device, but those wouldn't work with the Ooma handsets, so it would be preferable to have Ooma offer this option. I don't think it would be difficult.

So I hope Ooma will offer this option soon, because Ooma is basically becoming unusable for my family, and it is hard to justify paying for a service that nobody in the family wants to use (they all use their cell phones).

[melburstein]

I had this "Call Screening feature with Magic Jack. It instantly eliminated 100% of spam and robo calls.

[oomamaniacal]

I have been hoping for a long time that Ooma would offer the following call screening feature of Magic Jack: "For broader protection against nuisance calls, try our Automated Call Screening feature. When Automated Call Screening is enabled and a caller attempts to ring your magicJack phone number, they will be asked to dial a random one digit number. If the number is pressed, the call will ring normally on your magicJack line." If not, I would like the to option to send the call directly to voice mail or simply disconnect.

This feature almost makes me want to switch to Magic Junk.

[BahboRic]

That is almost exactly what I want Ooma to provide. I just went to the Magic Jack website (I hadn't heard of them before) and the only thing I didn't like about their automated call screening is that calls are disconnected if a number isn't pressed; I would prefer it go to voicemail. But still, I really wish Ooma would provide this service.

[oomamaniacal]

One more refinement I would like for Ooma to offer is to skip the button press requirement for all phone numbers in the contact list. This would mean that I could still get automated calls from the pharmacy and I would not have to inconvenience friends and family at all.

[Bob Brown]

I have such a gadget "downstream" from my Telo; it would be really nice to have it integrated into the Ooma Premier service. My gadget skips the button press for callers in a separate contact list. It would be nice to maintain only one.

However, at least one sleazy robocaller has figured out to run through all nine digits. {sigh} So, please use a two-digit random number. Dropping the call is fine with me, but someone else wanted voice mail. Perhaps that could be a user option.

[BahboRic]

What is the name of this gadget? I might be willing to get one, and have even wondered if there is a way to make one. It would be wonderful if Ooma offered this, but a gadget might be plan B until that option arrives.

[oomamaniacal]

I found this Sentry v. 3.1 call screener on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Sentry-Industrie ... ics&sr=1-1

It would not work for customers who use the Ooma handsets or the Linx devices. However, it could save money for those who subscribe to Premier just for the call screening features. I have no experience with with the unit, but it has gotten some good reviews.

Here is the top review: "I am an electrical engineer, and I can tell you I searched high and low for the best device to defeat robocalls. Forget the other devices like nomorobo that compare the incoming phone number to a big blacklist..... telemarketers are just faking random caller id's. This device has a recording that immediately tells callers to hit the '0' key while a robot dialer is still searching for a telemarketer to connect the call to after it has been answered. Since the telemarketer doesn't hear that message, they never press '0', and the call is never connected to you. Once your friends and family press '0' and are in the system, their calls are passed through directly to you without interruption. The device also has a huge blacklist number memory for blocking certain numbers. The unit also has a two memory answering machine function which ONLY works after a caller has pressed '0'. Your regular answering machine will pick up all other legit calls. (The device manual does not mention this feature.) My mother LOVES this thing!"

[BahboRic]

This is very interesting, but it isn't clear to me that it would work if I also wanted to use Ooma as an answering machine. I could be wrong, but I think that once it answered the call, a person couldn't leave a voicemail message on Ooma.

[oomamaniacal]

You are right. You would need an answering machine. I have a Panasonic phone system that includes an answering machine.