I once got a call on my cell phone from 1-561-524-6524 of which I had no affiliation.  Because I was currently awaiting a phone call from a prospective employer about an interview, I answered the call.  Much to my chagrin, it was a telemarketing call from some company offering health insurance (via an automated message); if I were interested, I was to press 2.  I had thought to press 2 just to have an opportunity to give them a piece of my mind for calling a CELL PHONE (which is illegal, by the way), and wasting my precious minutes when I could have been wasting them in a more constructive manner by taking the important call I was waiting for!  I decided not to, and just hung up.  I did, however, report them to the Nat'l Do Not Call Registry, of which my home and cell phone numbers are both registered.

It then occurred to me that with the onslaught of telemarketing and harassment calls I was receiving on my land line (people and creditors calling for individuals who no longer have my phone number), and now my first spam call on my cell phone, perhaps I should change my numbers, and start afresh?  No; that would not do.  Changing my telephone numbers would only incur expensive charges to ME, when it really should be these monsters who should be charged for inflicting aggravation on my person.  Besides, while incurring the charges of having everything changed (around $15 per phone number), and having to memorize two new numbers may well be worth it, it would only serve as a temporary fix.  So, I figured if I was going to have to spend a little money to keep my sanity, it had better have a permanent effect.  I decided I needed to do what I'm about to describe, below.

First, you should get a free phone number from a web site such as Evoice.com and give that number out.  (Keep in mind it may be a long distance number, but who cares?  You're not the one calling it!  You get your voice mail messages from your e-mail)!  Leave your land line and your cell phone number - your REAL telephone numbers - for those who really matter in your life - your friends and family.  For one, when filling out forms, etc., DO NOT put your real telephone number, NOR your cell phone number.  Will you be completely free of telemarketers and people looking for others who no longer possess your phone number?  No, but this is because they used to have that phone number and they probably let every Tom, Dick and Harry have it, and they put it on every form under the sun.  I say let the voicemail from your real telephone numbers catch your calls!  If the caller doesn't leave a message, it's none of your concern.  You may also want to place your telephone numbers on the Nat'l Do Not Call Registry.  Just because someone who had your phone number before you registered for everything under the sun, does not mean YOU are interested, therefore making the excuse that you signed up with services for ____ null and void, because YOU didn't - they did.  Also, put a tri-tone operator recording on your voice mail greeting.  this fools computer-dialed systems, telemarketers, and anyone calling your number who is unfamiliar with you.  (Just tel your family and friends so they do not think they have misdialed).

If you think you're blocking your number when you call some mysterious toll-free number back, think again!  Every time you block your number to call back an 800 (or any toll free number), they will  (not 'might') obtain the number you are calling from anyway, regardless of your hiding the  phone number from them.  Since they are allowing you to call without charge, and they are incurring the charge for you, they are entitled to a detailed bill, including the date, time, phone number, how long the call lasted, etc.  Yes, this is another way people are getting your UNLISTED number!  Most of these companies sell your information (no new news there), so to avoid these toll free companies being able to obtain the home or cell phone number you are calling from, you may want to purchase a calling card.  They are inexpensive - usually around $5, and the rates vary, but these calling cards usually last quite a while.  When you call a toll-free number from this calling card, the company can obtain the number you're calling from, but it's not your phone number they are getting - it's the phone number of the calling card!  (This is referred to as phone number spoofing).

Even when it comes to your address, keeping this private is a must  in today's society.  Getting a P.O. Box can help you keep your private information private.  The only people who need to know your real address are your family and friends.  I wouldn't even give your real address to your doctor(s) or the IRS.  Most correspondence that transpires between an individual and the IRS has to do with being sent a tax refund check, and certain letters.  Surely they can send that  to a P.O. Box!  Anything else usually requires the use of a telephone call (this is where your calling card will come in handy)!  If a doctor needs to send you anything, it's usually a bill, or a postcard with a reminder for your next appointment.  There is no reason why these can't come to a P.O. Box, either.  If it is something of a serious nature, the doctor himself usually calls the patient to schedule an appointment to discuss the matter.  There still is no reason that they can't leave a message at your decoy phone number, since they usually call during working hours when you are at work and unable to take their call anyway.

Well, what about forms that ask for home, work, cell and other phone numbers, all at the same time?  Put the same decoy phone number for each - how do they know you don't have your own business?  Or just leave the cell phone number blank.   Usually, the most phone numbers required on a form are two phone numbers (one main number and an alternate one); asking for any more phone numbers than that is simply an invasion of privacy.  So just put your decoy phone number in the home and work fields, and leave your cell phone number blank.

That wraps it up, folks!  I hope you find this information to be useful!  Good luck!