Wierd beeping phone calls

Has anyone else been getting these? This started a couple of months ago. The phone will ring every few minutes, registered as UNKNOWN on caller i.d. If we answer it, it is just a series of beeps. Same if we let the machine pick it up. It happens at least once or twice a week. Very annoying!
We are on the do-not-call lists.
Does anyone know what this is? And how can we make it stop?

 

It could be someone trying to send a fax and have your number by mistake. Often times fax machines are set to redial every minute or two several times in a row if they do not get an answer.

 

This might help:

There's a GREAT program called PhoneTray and it's free (optional $10 donation). You just need a PC that's on all the time with a modem that's connected to the wall. And you need CallerID (which you already have).

Once you install it, it runs in your taskbar tray and watches for phone calls. You can set it to "zap" certain calls (e.g., "Out Of Area") by picking up and hanging up right away. If you have a modem with voice capability, you can even have it play back a message before hanging up on them. So you can set it to recognize that phone number that bugs you and it'll hang up on them right away. The only downside is that you'll still hear the phone ring once (due to the CallerID delay).

There are lots of other neat features. Download it here: http://phonetray.traysoft.com/phonetrayfree.htm. I'm not affiliated in any way with it.

 

or just set your phone service to block unknown/blocked CID calls. We have VOIP and it's easy, but I think you can do it if you have POTS as well.

 

we've been getting calls from a number somthing like17-674 that's all that shows on caller ID