How I Became a Full-Time Call Blocker (1409 Spam Calls are Driving Me Crazy)

So, here’s my life now: I’m basically a full-time call blocker. Every day, my phone lights up with calls from numbers starting with 1409, and no matter how many I block, they keep multiplying like hydra heads. I’ve lost count of how many I’ve added to my block list—there are at least 20 numbers there right now, and yet, they just. Keep. Coming. 😤

It starts first thing in the morning. I’m half-asleep, and buzz buzz buzz—another 1409 number. “Maybe it’s important?” I think for a split second. But no, it’s just another robotic voice telling me about an amazing loan I didn’t ask for, or some deal on something I’ll never buy.

By noon, I’m already annoyed, but I’m also impressed by their persistence. These telemarketers are relentless, and the last few digits of their numbers keep changing, so I can never pre-empt them. It’s like playing whack-a-mole on hard mode, except there’s no prize at the end—just frustration.

I’ve done the usual:

• Activated DND by sending START 0 to 1909. Guess what? Still getting the calls.
• Tried reporting numbers to my service provider. That felt like throwing pebbles into the ocean—absolutely no effect.
• Installed Truecaller, which helps me block them after the first call, but by the time I block one, another number pops up.

It’s beyond irritating now. I’m starting to wonder:

• Am I the only one dealing with this level of madness?
• Is there some secret hack to get these 1409 numbers to leave me alone for good?
• Has anyone here escalated this to TRAI and actually gotten results?

If anyone else is dealing with these calls—or better yet, has managed to actually stop them—please let me know. At this rate, I’m tempted to just ditch my phone and go full hermit. 🧘‍♂️

Thanks for listening to my rant. I’ll go back to playing spam-call whack-a-mole now. 🙃