FCC Will Enforce Crackdown On Robocalls

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RayCJ

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Maybe this will help a little. The FCC is now approved to enforce rules about robocalls and text messages from International sources. They are now free to take legal and technical action to block this. Phone carriers are in the process of implementing "SHAKEN/STIR" which are technologies and protocols to enable authentication of the originator.

https://www.cnet.com/news/fcc-adopts-rules-to-go-after-international-robocallers/

Until all this gets sorted-out, my phone forwards all unanswered calls to the FCC hotline 1-888-225-5322. Since doing this, all my robocalls have stopped dead in their tracks. The "cash loan" texts are slowing down because I set my phone to not automatically download MMS and I delete them before reading them. This way, the sender never gets confirmation of delivery.

Ray
 
Wouldn't this just move robocalls to nations friendly to it? I can't imagine ALL nations would comply.

One problem is companies allow spoofing, saying it helps certain people like an estranged wife who needs to get in touch with her husband. It would be a step in the right direction to completely get rid of spoofing. I don't see how the benefits of spoofing can outweigh the aggravation and waste of time we have to put up with.
 
Originally Posted by Kestas
Wouldn't this just move robocalls to nations friendly to it? I can't imagine ALL nations would comply.

One problem is companies allow spoofing, saying it helps certain people like an estranged wife who needs to get in touch with her husband. It would be a step in the right direction to completely get rid of spoofing. I don't see how the benefits of spoofing can outweigh the aggravation and waste of time we have to put up with.


There's a technical solution to it as well. Our local phone companies are now required to offer a free method of not receiving calls that cannot be confirmed as coming from a non-spoofed number. I supposed a phone provider in another country could play-along with the spoofers but, once they get reported, the FCC can now ban that carrier from delivering their calls here.
 
Originally Posted by RayCJ
Our local phone companies are now required to offer a free method of not receiving calls that cannot be confirmed as coming from a non-spoofed number.

Why wouldn't everybody subscribe to this?
 
Originally Posted by Kestas
Originally Posted by RayCJ
Our local phone companies are now required to offer a free method of not receiving calls that cannot be confirmed as coming from a non-spoofed number.

Why wouldn't everybody subscribe to this?


Idk how that works. You can almost spoof any number as your own. There are sites out there that do it. In high school we always used Prankdial or Prankowl, idk if either are still around but yeah, we would spoof someones parents number, hand the phone to someone else and they would act like mom or dad, then call the school that way, to get eachother excused for the day.

Twas way more believable (our school had called ID and would compare the number calling to guardians on record) and it saved the robot call of "XX MISSED SCHOOL TODAY" that was sent out at around 5pm if you were absent


Make the call, then it was fishin time.
Trolling.gif
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted by Kestas
Originally Posted by RayCJ
Our local phone companies are now required to offer a free method of not receiving calls that cannot be confirmed as coming from a non-spoofed number.

Why wouldn't everybody subscribe to this?


For some people, maybe those robocalls are the highlight of their day...

Anyhow, it's going to be a while before all the technology is refined and rolled-out. The "SHAKEN/STIR" technology has been in the works for a while and all the major US carriers (Verizon, ATT etc) are on-board.

https://transnexus.com/whitepapers/stir-and-shaken-overview/
https://truecaller.blog/2019/07/12/shaken-stir-fcc-holds-robocall-summit/

FCC Details: https://www.fiercewireless.com/wireless/u-s-senate-passes-anti-robocall-traced-act
 
I ended robocalls by buying and installing a Call Sentry box. Cost about $45 from Amazon. Callers not on the accept list hear a recording telling them to press zero if they are not a telemarketer. The robocalls cannot press zero and are disconnected. Installation takes 2 minutes, pop in two batteries and plug into a phone jack. Done. One aggressive live telemarketer pressed zero and tried to sell me some garbage. The system allows you to perma block numbers so a call will never go through.

Best $45 I ever spent
 
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Also, I'm not overly optimistic this is the "cure-all to end-all" and the "technology experts" are saying the same thing. Technology never stops. What I would really like to see is two things:

1) I want a feature on my cell phone that will not accept any call or text message that is coming from a non-authenticated originator.
2) I want a feature on my cell phone that will not accept any call as-above that is not in my contact list.
 
Originally Posted by RayCJ

Also, I'm not overly optimistic this is the "cure-all to end-all" and the "technology experts" are saying the same thing. Technology never stops. What I would really like to see is two things:

1) I want a feature on my cell phone that will not accept any call or text message that is coming from a non-authenticated originator.
2) I want a feature on my cell phone that will not accept any call as-above that is not in my contact list.


My phone allows them to be blocked, although it's not automatic and I have to do it myself.
My blocked messages folder is full of "Car Warranty is about to expire!" "LOAN 50K TODAY AND BUY A CAR!" and "Join the National Guard today!"
 
Originally Posted by GumbyJarvis
Originally Posted by RayCJ

Also, I'm not overly optimistic this is the "cure-all to end-all" and the "technology experts" are saying the same thing. Technology never stops. What I would really like to see is two things:

1) I want a feature on my cell phone that will not accept any call or text message that is coming from a non-authenticated originator.
2) I want a feature on my cell phone that will not accept any call as-above that is not in my contact list.


My phone allows them to be blocked, although it's not automatic and I have to do it myself.
My blocked messages folder is full of "Car Warranty is about to expire!" "LOAN 50K TODAY AND BUY A CAR!" and "Join the National Guard today!"


In the last few years, I've tried many, free and fee-based phone "apps" and also purchased a service from AT&T (my phone provider) that supposedly blocked unwanted calls. -What a laugh! None of them worked effectively -not in the least. I was still getting 10-30 BS calls & texts per day.

As I said, my spam calls have dropped to almost zero because, I have all incoming calls (that I don't recognize and don't answer) automatically forwarded to the FCC hotline line at 1-888-225-5322. Within 3 days, the calls were down to a few a day. This week, I have not received a single spam call. Try it, you'll like it.

Ray
 
If the NSA has the technology to listen in on and locate terrorists, why can't they do the same on robocalls? Wouldn't you love it if they could fry their computers or the government goes and raids their bank account?
 
Originally Posted by RayCJ

Also, I'm not overly optimistic this is the "cure-all to end-all" and the "technology experts" are saying the same thing. Technology never stops. What I would really like to see is two things:

1) I want a feature on my cell phone that will not accept any call or text message that is coming from a non-authenticated originator.
2) I want a feature on my cell phone that will not accept any call as-above that is not in my contact list.


iOS13 for the iPhones has that feature, and it is wonderful. Anybody not in my contact list gets sent straight to voicemail. Phone doesn't ring, vibrate, or anything, just a notification of a voicemail.
 
Originally Posted by Skippy722
Originally Posted by RayCJ

Also, I'm not overly optimistic this is the "cure-all to end-all" and the "technology experts" are saying the same thing. Technology never stops. What I would really like to see is two things:

1) I want a feature on my cell phone that will not accept any call or text message that is coming from a non-authenticated originator.
2) I want a feature on my cell phone that will not accept any call as-above that is not in my contact list.


iOS13 for the iPhones has that feature, and it is wonderful. Anybody not in my contact list gets sent straight to voicemail. Phone doesn't ring, vibrate, or anything, just a notification of a voicemail.


Good to know. Thanks. This is a feature that should have been available a Loooong time ago. Wonder what the hold-up was.


Ray
 
Originally Posted by RayCJ
Good to know. Thanks. This is a feature that should have been available a Loooong time ago. Wonder what the hold-up was.

Ray

No problem! You're telling me lol... I forgot T-Mobile also has what they call "Scam Block" which I also have enabled. It significantly reduced the amount of incoming calls, and the iOS one catches all the rest.
 
SHAKEN/STIR only works on VoIP calls, not PSTN, so it's not a great solution as many many calls touch VoIP at some point, including most cellular calls (VoLTE). Plus companies that manipulate their caller ID, which many do, may have trouble completing their calls as their own carrier may block them.
 
I use an app called "Should I Answer?" from the Google Play store for my Android phone.

No issues with spammers, Robocall, etc.
 
Originally Posted by RazorsEdge
I use an app called "Should I Answer?" from the Google Play store for my Android phone.

No issues with spammers, Robocall, etc.


I'll check into this but honestly, I'm leery... About 6 months ago, I had an Android program that was working perfectly. It would allow calls in my contact list and everything else went straight to voicemail. One day, the program was updated and it would ring and notify me for every call (including spammers). I contacted the developers and they informed me that Google forced them to make it work this way. So there's your answer... There are powerful forces at work making sure spammers are free to annoy us into oblivion.
 
Originally Posted by RayCJ
Maybe this will help a little. The FCC is now approved to enforce rules about robocalls and text messages from International sources. They are now free to take legal and technical action to block this. Phone carriers are in the process of implementing "SHAKEN/STIR" which are technologies and protocols to enable authentication of the originator.

https://www.cnet.com/news/fcc-adopts-rules-to-go-after-international-robocallers/

Until all this gets sorted-out, my phone forwards all unanswered calls to the FCC hotline 1-888-225-5322. Since doing this, all my robocalls have stopped dead in their tracks. The "cash loan" texts are slowing down because I set my phone to not automatically download MMS and I delete them before reading them. This way, the sender never gets confirmation of delivery.

Ray


How do you set this up on a Android? If you don't answer because you've missed the call, it will go to the FTC? and it may be a good call you want, just not in your contacts.
 
Originally Posted by JLawrence08648
Originally Posted by RayCJ
Maybe this will help a little. The FCC is now approved to enforce rules about robocalls and text messages from International sources. They are now free to take legal and technical action to block this. Phone carriers are in the process of implementing "SHAKEN/STIR" which are technologies and protocols to enable authentication of the originator.

https://www.cnet.com/news/fcc-adopts-rules-to-go-after-international-robocallers/

Until all this gets sorted-out, my phone forwards all unanswered calls to the FCC hotline 1-888-225-5322. Since doing this, all my robocalls have stopped dead in their tracks. The "cash loan" texts are slowing down because I set my phone to not automatically download MMS and I delete them before reading them. This way, the sender never gets confirmation of delivery.

Ray


How do you set this up on a Android? If you don't answer because you've missed the call, it will go to the FTC? and it may be a good call you want, just not in your contacts.


Under "Call Settings", there is a "Call Forwarding" option. Mine has 3 sub-sections. Forward ALL calls, forward missed calls and forward busy calls. For any/all of those options you wish to forward, you remove the voicemail call forwarding number and put the FCC number in there. Each sub-option can be turned on or off as desired. Yes, it forwards everything but in my case, friends and family know what's going on. Everybody else can go jump because this is my personal number. Business associates etc are told to use email to contact me. I have several email aliases tied to the same private email account with GoDaddy. I dole-out email aliases judiciously and some of them are intended as SPAM traps.
 
Todd is still calling me several times a week about the medical bracelet I can't live without. And Rachel calls me about my credit card(she doesn't know squat about my credit card). Sure wish the feds would put more pressure on the major carriers to stop this nonsense. PITA
 
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