(972) 428-5200 -- persistent Texas telemarketer

Every single day I've been getting at least one phone call from the same number: (972) 428-5200. Sometimes it's as early as 8 a.m., other times not till 9 or 10. They never leave a message, but it's obvious from the timing, the constancy, and the number itself that it's an aggressive telemarketer.

I looked up the number, and it seems a lot of people are getting persistent calls from this location. According to the 800notes website, these calls are coming from a company called TransTech Merchant Group (or, alternately Summit Merchant Solutions) in Texas.

Some recipients of the call say that the caller is allegedly selling check imaging services, while other people report that the caller claims to be from their credit card company, and that they're calling to discuss some charges on the bill. Both of these calls are emanating from the same number. I have not picked up the phone to see which one I'm getting-- maybe I'm getting both. The caller does not leave an automated, prerecorded message. From what other people are posting, perhaps the telemarketers have a live human fishing for information at the other end. Some people continue to receive the calls, even if they answer the phone and say "no."

No legitimate business calls people like this every day.

On a happier note, I seem to have stopped getting the expired car warranty calls. Is this new outburst of calls from the same group?

Auto warranty phone call: (786) 369-7342

I didn't answer the phone, but again, the caller ID showed up as "Warranty Alert." You know what that means: it's the same crew that calls my mobile, my work phone, and my home phone almost every day, and your phones, too.

This time it corresponds to a mobile phone number in Miami, Florida (OmniPoint Communications), but of course, it's likely spoofed.

These are the same people who are harassing millions of Americans every day and trying to swindle people out of money with a ludicrous scheme that, like the Nigerian millionaire letters, must be bringing in some money for them from somewhere. Surely there must be a way to track them down and stop them?

A quick search on the web shows that lots of people have been bothered lately by calls from this same number. On WhoCallsMe, one person even complained that when he tried to talk to an "operator" to get off the calling list (if only we could!), she blew a whistle in his ear. Just look at all the posts on this site from aggravated people who get these calls.

Interesting that we live in a country that has the means and the will to wiretap its citizens for whatever reason, but no one seems to take an interest in using technology to find phone scammers and stop them? Nor, for that matter, does our landline monopoly take an interest.

It's time to mobilize a concerted effort to get our elected officials and phone providers to put a stop to these hecklers. At the very least, take a cue from their own playbook: push the button to get a live operator, and then blow a whistle -- loud -- in his or her ear.