Verizon is cracking down on obnoxious spam calls that target consumers by using area codes and phone numbers that are similar ... If Verizon’s tool blocks a legitimate call, customers can ...

The overseas numbers also bypass 900 blocks that parents put on their phones. In some cases, companies are using 800 or local numbers that refer callers to the costly overseas numbers.

Google said late Wednesday that its free messaging and calling service, Google Voice, blocks calls to fewer than 100 specific phone numbers likely to be adult chat lines and free conference call ...