Really rotten robocallers

[Rewind]

Yesterday I received eight -- eight! -- phone calls within five hours. All eight were from the same caller. Caller ID showed "APPLE INC" and the message was a recording alerting me to a problem with my Apple iCloud account and inviting me to press 1 to speak with an agent who will show me how to resolve the issue. Of course Apple does not contact users by telephone unless requested -- and certainly not eight times in a five-hour period. I also do not own or use any Apple products. The calls are made by scammers seeking to learn passwords and/or seeking to gain remote access to people's computers. The FTC says several robocallers have been shut down. Hey, FTC, talk to me again when the "several" becomes "all."

In fighting 'scourge of illegal robocalls,' Federal Trade Commission cites some victories

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...tories-n987586

[Rewind]

We just got a scam call with a recorded message telling us, "Your technical support will end on April 20, 2019." Technical support for what, I wonder. Then it said "the amount" will be debited from our account on April 20. Why would "the amount" be debited if our "technical support" is ending? The message ended with instructions to call "our executive" to cancel. Oh, suuuure we will. Why don't these scammers ever give up and get a real job?

[Rewind]

This technology uses digital signatures to verify whether a phone number that shows up on a caller ID is the number the call was made from. If the number isn't "verified," we know not to answer – although I think most of us ignore 99% of these calls anyway.

A new tool in the fight against robocalls
STIR/SHAKEN will help stamp out call spoofing but experts expect scammers to adapt.
NBC News, May 1 2019

Robocalls have skyrocketed in recent years, with the call-blocking service YouMail estimating that 5.2 billion calls were placed to US numbers in March, up from 2.5 billion three years earlier. But carriers are in the early stages of implementing new protocols aimed at stamping out one of the most common tactics used by robocall scammers. The protocols, STIR (Secure Telephony Identity Revisited) and SHAKEN (Secure Handling of Asserted information using toKENs), will make it harder for scammers to hide their actual phone numbers.

Details: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...-some-n1000681

[Rewind]

The FCC is warning Americans of a robocall scam originating in West Africa. Someone will phone, often in the middle of the night, and hang up after one ring. If you return the call, you supposedly get hit with huge toll charges.

FCC: Beware of new 'One Ring' robocall scam

https://cbs4indy.com/2019/05/03/fcc-...robocall-scam/

But fact-checking site Snopes.com says the reports of the "One Ring" scam are "mostly false." So who do we believe, Snopes or the FCC? Oh, wait a minute. My phone is ringing.

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/one-ring-scam/

[Rewind]

An estimated five billion robocalls were made last month in the United States. I think I received close to one billion of those.

The FCC wants to make it easier for AT&T, Verizon and other carriers to block robocalls by default

https://www.washingtonpost.com/techn...ls-by-default/

[Rewind]

This bill imposes stiffer fines on robocallers, as much as $10,000 per call. Rand Paul was the only Senator who voted against the bill. I wonder why. Maybe Kentucky hasn't gotten telephone service yet.

Senate passes bill cracking down on robocalls

https://www-m.cnn.com/2019/05/23/pol...sed/index.html

[Rewind]

Caller ID is pretty much worthless nowadays. Robocallers outside the US are able to spoof names and numbers so people think they're getting a call from someone in their local area. When they answer, a man with a thick accent launches into a sales pitch for viagra, home loans, insurance, solar panels or some other service or product. The FCC today voted to ban calls using spoofed numbers. Fine – but enforcing the ban will be pretty much impossible.

FCC taking new measures to block robocallers
It's estimated Americans receive around 150 million robocalls every day.

https://www.wfmynews2.com/article/ne...a-3ec82a2135ae

[Rewind]

AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile and eight other phone companies agreed to offer robocall blocking at no cost to consumers – but this "deal" is non-binding. I have a feeling robocall blocking won't remain free for long. I hope I'm wrong.

12 phone companies and all 50 states strike deal to fight robocalls

https://www.latimes.com/business/sto...ight-robocalls

[Penguin]

When I get calls like that, I pick up the phone and cover the mouthpiece before I answer and then I do not say anything. When they don't hear anyone on the line, they always hang up after a few seconds and some of them have finally quit calling.

[Rewind]

"Hello." "Hello, sir, my name is Jawalapur. I am calling from New Delhi and I can offer you 5,000 generic Viagra for only four cents a pill." "Jawalapur, maybe you haven't heard about the TRACED Act. Let me tell you about it......."

Trump signs robocall bill into law
CNN, Dec 31 2019 12:44 PM

President Donald Trump signed a bill on Monday that increases fines on criminal robocall violations and cracks down on companies making the calls, as part of a federal push against telephone scammers. "This historic legislation will provide American consumers with even greater protection against annoying unsolicited robocalls," the White House said of the TRACED (Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement & Deterrence) Act. "American families deserve control over their communications and this legislation will update our laws and regulations to stiffen penalties, increase transparency and enhance government collaboration to stop unwanted solicitation."

The move comes as part of a crackdown against the targeting companies and individuals who have collectively placed more than one billion unwanted calls for financial schemes and other services. Monday's bill, which passed in the Senate in May and the House earlier this month, came following the Federal Communications Commission's June announcement of a nationwide crackdown on illegal robocalls.

https://www.cnn.com/2019/12/31/polit...ill/index.html