So… For several weeks now, my cell phone has rung multiple times every day – all calls coming from the (984) area code, and all coming from the same prefix “849,” yet with each call, the last 4 digits have been different.  Since I don’t answer calls from numbers I do not know, each of these goes to voicemail, but there’s never a message.  Annoying, to say the least.

Last night, I finally had had enough, so logged on to My Verizon to block the calls.  Imagine my surprise; Verizon cannot block any of these numbers because they are not “real” numbers.  Which means they are coming from some kind of spoofed, hidden origin; a warning sign if ever there was one.

So, today, my phone rings and it’s another one of these spoofed numbers.  I open the call but don’t say anything.  After 10 seconds or so, a woman’s voice comes on saying “Hello Rodger (yep, they had my name), this is… (Wait for it)… AMERICANS FOR PROSPERITY, and we want to talk to you about taking America back!”  (Needless to say, I spoke up and said, “Do NOT call me again, from any of your spoofed numbers.  I have no need of listening to ANYTHING you folks have to say and if you are going to make calls from hidden numbers you don’t have any integrity to begin with.”  So what happened?  Three more spoofed calls this afternoon, after my request to not be contacted.

Another one of the republican “swampy” organizations wants to call people from spoofed numbers, won’t honor their wishes not to be contacted, and somehow has the temerity to act like THEY are the law and order / patriotic / red-white-and-blue / “REAL” America?  Does ANYONE believe these jerks anymore?  (A rhetorical question, meant to indicate my absolute bafflement that there are people who seem to think this kind of crap is “good.”)

If you get calls from any number beginning with (984) 849-XXXX?  It’s republicans playing games again and there’s nothing you can do to get them to stop – except make certain you vote for whomever is running against ANY of their candidates.