Stopping Robocalls

[Tom Bender]

Got all three of my neurons working together and here's what they came up with,

User fees for high caller volume. Say the first 100 calls per day are covered by the base rate, then callers must pay 1 cent per call. This would not be a significant burden for legitimate business as each call must have a value of more than 1 cent.

What could go wrong?

Where did I get 3 neurons you ask, conjugal visits and fertility drugs.

[Jim Becker]

The conundrum here is that the majority of robocalls originate from other parts of the world, are generated using Internet protocols and are not tied to valid numbers. Even those launching in North America are not coming from any kind of normal phone number. That's why the carriers have to fully get onboard with the technological solutions that can detect these calls before they get to your number. Trying to charge and entity that "doesn't exist" would be, um...difficult.

[Malcolm McLeod]

Old episode of Andy Rooney on 60 minutes: “Tired of junk mail? Send it back. Just put the blank ‘application’ in the wrong envelope: CC app goes to the new window folks; new window RFQ goes to the Tijuana time share; etc. Since it is all in prepaid biz envelopes, the USPS gets added revenue and the sender gets to pay to receive and dispose of someone else’s blank forms.” (I’m simplifying story a bit.)

Do the same to callers: Press 1 to talk to a rep; ask them to repeat EVERYTHING 5 times at least; try to renew the warranty on your 1837 Conestoga 4x4 starship - with leather interior. Then hang up.

It costs you 4-5 minutes. If everyone does it, it costs the caller a fortune. With zero return. (Presumably there is virtually zero cost to the caller for the computer to call you, but the meter runs when you connect to a human.). IIRC there are phone apps that will engage with said humans for you…?

[Michael Weber]

Congratulations on that conjugal visit��

[Bruce Wrenn]

Ever notice they have gone to only four rings before they hang up and move on to the next victim? Our answering machine is set for FIVE rings. Seldom is heard a word! Still need to get fax machine sounds on answering machine. I guess this will meant shortening rings to three before answering machine picks up.

[Maria Alvarado]

The other problem is spoofing real numbers. Apparently my landline number has been "calling" people all over the country multiple times. And if they have caller ID, my name shows up. I come home to not only spammer missed calls, but irate messages (all from good people over a certain age, judging from the voices) trying to figure out why I've called them and not left a message. At least two fine gentlemen figured out what was going on and left kind warning messages in case I had lost my phone. Sadly, there is nothing I can do about it.

[Curt Harms]

The other problem is spoofing real numbers. Apparently my landline number has been "calling" people all over the country multiple times. And if they have caller ID, my name shows up. I come home to not only spammer missed calls, but irate messages (all from good people over a certain age, judging from the voices) trying to figure out why I've called them and not left a message. At least two fine gentlemen figured out what was going on and left kind warning messages in case I had lost my phone. Sadly, there is nothing I can do about it.

I ran into the same thing with a work cell phone. I got a few voice mails telling me to quit bothering them. I had no idea who they were so the number (no name on the phone) was being spoofed

[Mark Bolton]

The conundrum here is that the majority of robocalls originate from other parts of the world, are generated using Internet protocols and are not tied to valid numbers. Even those launching in North America are not coming from any kind of normal phone number. That's why the carriers have to fully get onboard with the technological solutions that can detect these calls before they get to your number. Trying to charge and entity that "doesn't exist" would be, um...difficult.

There is no conundrum other than the excuses (no offense) like this one you provide. Our government, and the corporations routing these national and international calls could end this nightmare immediately. They dont... because there is money in it. For them, their political donor, the phone companies make money off this foolishness, on and on. It continues because there is profit being made. Again, no offense Jim, but your type of devils advocacy perpetuates its continuation.

All of this nonsense could end in a matter of days/months should the choice be made. It would just end. It can happen in nearly an instant. There are just dollars at play. Making excuses for businesses not being able to answer their phones due to this foolishness serves zero purpose.

Another boondoggle that is building at the moment that will thwart ending robocalls is the fact that businesses left and right are so fed up they are investing in call services ("Thank you for calling xyz services, please listen to all of the menu options as our menu options have recently changed"). Even small companies around here are going that route to eliminate the burden from a receptionist then to simply eliminate the receptionist all together. So now farming out what was done on your PC years ago is another industry that will be impacted by "stopping robocalls".

It can end in a fart... excuses serve no purpose. Its about money. The United States is minting more "paper" billionaires every year. A vast majority of which are off "air" that comes from our time, our data, and pretty much nothingness. The data front is coming to a head. Who knows if it will ferment into some real common sense.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMtrY6lbjcY

[Jim Becker]

Mark, I think you interpreted what I wrote incorrectly...I absolutely support and WANT the technology to be used. I wasn't making excuses for anyone. I'm not the one not doing the job. The carriers are and the reasons are their own, not mine, and yea, the jurisdictions are also not pressing the matter. This was supposed to be in place several years ago. It's still not effective and at least one carrier refuses to even use Shaken/Stirred to be consistent with the others. The only way it ultimately works is for it to be end-to-end. That's the technology speaking, not me.

[Mark Bolton]

Mark, I think you interpreted what I wrote incorrectly...I absolutely support and WANT the technology to be used. I wasn't making excuses for anyone. I'm not the one not doing the job. The carriers are and the reasons are their own, not mine, and yea, the jurisdictions are also not pressing the matter. This was supposed to be in place several years ago. It's still not effective and at least one carrier refuses to even use Shaken/Stirred to be consistent with the others. The only way it ultimately works is for it to be end-to-end. That's the technology speaking, not me.

It can end in an instant. It wont because money is being made and people insinuating the problem as "too complex". It can end in a fruit flies fart. Cash and complacency are the drivers.

[Jim Becker]

It can end in an instant. It wont because money is being made and people insinuating the problem as "too complex". It can end in a fruit flies fart. Cash and complacency are the drivers.

Exactly my point but more blunt.

[Tom Bender]

So might I get a robot of my own to say "please press 3 to complete your call"? A robocaller would not be able to do that and would not get thru.

[Roger Feeley]

So might I get a robot of my own to say "please press 3 to complete your call"? A robocaller would not be able to do that and would not get thru.

At one time, there was a device that would require callers to enter a 4 digit code to make your phone ring.

[Roger Feeley]

When I moved from Kansas to the DC area, I was too lazy to change my phone number to the local area code. Now, when I get a call from the 913 area code, I know it’s a robocall. The takeaway from this is to get a phone number from someplace you’ve never been.

[Rick Potter]

Any politician that ends robo calls, diverts unwanted flooding from East of the Rockies to Western deserts, and finances the search to cure Cancer will go down in history books as the first universally loved president.