If you were a parent of school-age children and saw “TEACHERS PHONE” come up on your landline caller ID, wouldn’t you pick up the phone? If your kid’s teacher is calling you up, something must be very wrong. When they pick up the phone? A prerecorded sales pitch for “Card Services,” a classic robocall.

The problem is that we consumers are defenseless against robocallers. They don’t honor the Do Not Call list, the numbers they provide on Caller ID are false, and they’re relentless. All we can do is hang up and refuse to give them our personal information or give them any of our money.

Recipients of the “TEACHERS PHONE” call have found each other online and swapped stories. The call claims to be from your credit card company (it isn’t) offering a great new rate on your card.

“How mean, to call a home shortly after [parents drop] kids off at school. Parents will panic and answer,” said one call recipient, who also happens to be consumer reporter Bob Sullivan’s sister.

You can report robocalls to DoNotCall.gov when the federal government isn’t shut down, as it is when we posted this story. Don’t press any buttons, even if the call says that’s how you can get off the company’s list. It won’t work.

New telemarketer dirty trick — impersonating teachers, calling parents during the school day [Bob Sullivan]

RELATED:
What To Do If You’re Still Getting Calls From “Rachel At Cardholder Services”
Please Don’t Press Any Buttons When You Get A Scammy Robocall

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