Robocall Madness

[ERD50]

Our AI created voice message stops the spammers.
We don't answer the phone if it's unrecognized, and just let the message play. Most of the spammers hang up before the message is done.

I'm starting to wonder if they can recognize the voice as generated. OR if they feel insulted because in the message it says: ".....we don't pick up scammer calls...."

I'm pretty sure that in most cases, there is no human on line as the phone is picked up. I'd bet that the usual case is, their 'system' recognizes a human response, and forwards it to any open line in their cube farm of spammers. Then the human (or recording to start) takes over.

If it detects a non-human response (answering machine or voice-mail greeting in many cases), it may hang up. The annoyance for me is that they stay on the line long enough to trigger a voicemail message, then I have to check and clear those out. I'd hate to miss a legitimate message.

-ERD50

 

[GenXguy]

No land line here, but I used to use a call blocking app that didn't allow numbers to ring through to me if they were not in their contact list. I switched to a new phone (same number) a few months ago and didn't even install that app. But I've only had a few unknown callers this year that I suspect were spam/scam calls. I didn't answer, and they didn't leave voice mails.

Edit: the amount of spam texts I've gotten has always been even less than the calls.

 

[scrabbler1]

I'm surprised to see so much activity here. I've always answered my phone, as long as was convenient. I'd just hang up on the scammers. I never let it aggravate me, and I rarely missed an important call from someone who wasn't in my contacts list.

But lately there's been a significant drop in spam calls. I'd say less than one per week. I can't even remember the last one. This seemed to coincide, more or less, with the implementation of the new TRACED act, which required carriers to use the new SHAKEN/STIR protocol so they could identify and trace forged calling numbers.

I seem to recall there was a grace period for these protocols to be implemented, maybe my carrier (Google Fi) was ahead of some of the others.

I'd be curious to hear if anyone else has seen this change. Especially, I wonder if those reporting a lot of spam calls are using certain carriers. It would be good to know which ones to avoid!

There was a news story last year about how the authorities found and charged a few people who were making all those auto warranty robocalls and put them out of business, at least for a while.

 

[ERD50]

There was a news story last year about how the authorities found and charged a few people who were making all those auto warranty robocalls and put them out of business, at least for a while.

When I've read about those 'busts' before, there was nothing to it. The companies are constructed such that all cash is removed quickly. They get a $10,000 fine or something, claim they can't pay it, and open up the next day under a new name.

Totally toothless. Unless you can find something to the contrary.

-ERD50

 

[Qs Laptop]

When I've read about those 'busts' before, there was nothing to it. The companies are constructed such that all cash is removed quickly. They get a $10,000 fine or something, claim they can't pay it, and open up the next day under a new name.

Totally toothless. Unless you can find something to the contrary.

-ERD50

This is about it in a nutshell. The FCC can fine companies under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) for making robocalls to a wireless phone without the consumer's consent. These fines do not carry the weight of a court of law. In other words, the payment of the fine is basically voluntary. As such, the robocaller can appeal the FCC decision from now until doomsday, or simply pull up stakes and start over.

 

[Sunset]

.........
But lately there's been a significant drop in spam calls. I'd say less than one per week. I can't even remember the last one. This seemed to coincide, more or less, with the implementation of the new TRACED act, which required carriers to use the new SHAKEN/STIR protocol so they could identify and trace forged calling numbers.

......

I'd be curious to hear if anyone else has seen this change. ....

Yes, our spam calls have dropped down a lot. So much that a few days ago, I was surprised one phoned us twice in 1 day.

 

[statsman]

Yes, our spam calls have dropped down a lot. So much that a few days ago, I was surprised one phoned us twice in 1 day.

Mine was also quite low, but when we switched to new phones and new phone numbers local to our area recently (had been using an out-of-state number for 4+ years), I started getting them again after about a week.

I have to wonder in the 40+ places I updated my phone number (some for 2FA online access) if there wasn't some small print along the way advising me of them providing my info to others, and I didn't opt out (or couldn't).

 

[braumeister]

we switched to new phones and new phone numbers local to our area recently (had been using an out-of-state number for 4+ years)

I'm curious as to why you did that. Since long distance charges have been gone for a long time now, it doesn't seem to matter. I have many friends and acquaintances who have phone numbers with far distant area codes. Even mine is from the state we used to live in, simply because so many people know it.

 

[statsman]

I'm curious as to why you did that. Since long distance charges have been gone for a long time now, it doesn't seem to matter. I have many friends and acquaintances who have phone numbers with far distant area codes. Even mine is from the state we used to live in, simply because so many people know it.

DW wanted to get rid of our California phone numbers. Otherwise, I would still have my old number. The story goes quite a bit deeper than that, but it isn't worth posting it here.

 

[jazz4cash]

As it is, according to Apple, any blocked calls can still go to voicemail. What's the point of that? To confirm to the spammers that they're dialing a legit phone number?! They'll just keep my phone number around and pass it off to some other dialer.

I think the point is it could be a legit call. The block I use blocks callers that are not in my contact list. Last week I took a family member to the clinic. I forgot to turn the feature off but I got the voicemail notice when it was time to pick him up. I do think the spammers may have a way to log if the phone was answered at 2 o’clock pm on Wednesday. 1 out of 500 robocalls may leave a message but even then it’s usually an empty message.

 

[scrabbler1]

I have been getting a lot more annoying robocalls from bots which try to attempt to engage me in a 2-way conversation, unlike the usual robocalls where the talk goes in one direction - from the caller to me.

When I answer the phone and say, "hello," I get a legit-sounding reply, often with a question to try to get me to say something which is in the bot's "script" to this fake conversation will continue.

But I can sniff out these bots right away so I say something stupid and nonsensical, like, "Are you a bot?" A real person would say something. When I hear nothing, or a non-sequitur, I know it's a bot so I hang up.

More and more of these annoying robocalls are from these bots.

 

[ls99]

Something is going on, no robocalls in two weeks!

 

[MissMolly]

Lucky you! I'm still getting them. Got one this morning.