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Let’s Destroy Robocalls

nytimes.com

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Re: Let’s Destroy Robocalls

#11

Post by tbrock »

Our company actually has a really good view into where robocalls are coming from and what they are doing because we own a tremendous amount of phone numbers in the US (100s of thousands - millions at peak). We can basically see when this is happening and a robo-caller is targeting an area code, zip code, state, etc...

When we get called from a number we don't know we used to simply reject the call. Now, as of this week, we are publishing the metadata to a kafka topic so that we might be able to do some post-processing on these events which might help identify these robot callers earlier. We've already learned that the volume of robo-calls decreases dramatically on the weekends.

The hope is that we'd at the very least learn something about how they operate but at the very best possibly provide an api that allowed people to check if a number was currently considered a robo-caller or if their city, state, zip was currently under attack. That way, for example, the makers of robo-killer, etc... could provide better protection. Perhaps we could even create a live map of the attacks.

I'll follow up when we do and post something to HN.

Re: Let’s Destroy Robocalls

#12

Post by wlesieutre »

gonehome wrote: post #3

What confuses me about this is that Apple could solve this in two seconds by allowing contact whitelists where only incoming calls in your contacts are accepted and everything else is sent to voicemail or dropped. Is there a law against this or something? Nomorobo, Robokiller, Hiya all do an okay job as blacklisting applications but that seems like the wrong way to go about it. Some suggest using do not disturb to do…

Voicemails are still annoying, I have a red alert badge on the home screen and have to go in, check that it's not real, and delete it.

Would love to be able to junk filter incoming voicemail based on the transcript. Anything with "card services calling about your credit card account" or "qualify for a medical grade back or knee brace" goes straight to trash.

Of course that only works for a few months until scammers adapt and somehow make their calls less understandable to the speech to text or vary up their script more often, but we fought the same battle with email and seem to have done pretty well. Couldn't say when the last time I got a spam email in my inbox was.

Re: Let’s Destroy Robocalls

#13

Post by kmcom »

dragonwriter wrote: post #9
whatislovecraft wrote: post #2

[flagged]

> We all, left and right, agree that Trump is worse than robocalls. I'm having trouble imagining Republicans have have >89% support for robocalls, so I have doubts of your proposed left-right consensus on Trump vs. robocalls. https://news.gallup.com/poll/203198/presidential-approval-ra...

Don't feed the troll.

Re: Let’s Destroy Robocalls

#14

Post by epriest »

gonehome wrote: post #3

What confuses me about this is that Apple could solve this in two seconds by allowing contact whitelists where only incoming calls in your contacts are accepted and everything else is sent to voicemail or dropped. Is there a law against this or something? Nomorobo, Robokiller, Hiya all do an okay job as blacklisting applications but that seems like the wrong way to go about it. Some suggest using do not disturb to do…

Here's how to actually "solve" this problem on an iPhone:

- Pay $1.99 to buy a silent ringtone from the ringtone store.

- Make that your default ringtone.

- Give everyone who you want to be able to call you an audible ringtone.

Re: Let’s Destroy Robocalls

#15

Post by [deleted] »

gonehome wrote: post #3

What confuses me about this is that Apple could solve this in two seconds by allowing contact whitelists where only incoming calls in your contacts are accepted and everything else is sent to voicemail or dropped. Is there a law against this or something? Nomorobo, Robokiller, Hiya all do an okay job as blacklisting applications but that seems like the wrong way to go about it. Some suggest using do not disturb to do…

[deleted]

Re: Let’s Destroy Robocalls

#16

Post by whatislovecraft »

dragonwriter wrote: post #9
whatislovecraft wrote: post #2

[flagged]

> We all, left and right, agree that Trump is worse than robocalls. I'm having trouble imagining Republicans have have >89% support for robocalls, so I have doubts of your proposed left-right consensus on Trump vs. robocalls. https://news.gallup.com/poll/203198/presidential-approval-ra...

> I'm having trouble imagining Republicans have have >89% support for robocalls

Really? Why though? I would assume they do. Robocalls are the maximum free-market ideal communication / ad mechanism. Aren't Republicans constantly trying to get less regulation in the US? Constantly removing laws around protecting consumers from this stuff?

I would assume most Republicans are in favor of Robocalls.

Re: Let’s Destroy Robocalls

#17

Post by guitarbill »

gonehome wrote: post #3

What confuses me about this is that Apple could solve this in two seconds by allowing contact whitelists where only incoming calls in your contacts are accepted and everything else is sent to voicemail or dropped. Is there a law against this or something? Nomorobo, Robokiller, Hiya all do an okay job as blacklisting applications but that seems like the wrong way to go about it. Some suggest using do not disturb to do…

You'd still miss out, like with the surgeon's example of a patient calling.

It doesn't need a technological solution at all. In the UK and Germany, there were some calls, but it was rare, not even once a month. Do-not-call lists are enforced, and e.g. the ICO can fine directors of companies, not just the companies. Reporting nuisance calls can be done on a website, immediately.

Then again, in the US, everything requires a phone number, which is problem number 1, even having mail sent to my house. Why exactly? Second, I would pay for a wildcard phone number service that forwards to my mobile, and lets me track leaked info like I do with wildcard email domains.

Re: Let’s Destroy Robocalls

#18

Post by sebringj »

This has made me so frustrated with my phone. I see it as only an entertainment device at this point and only use the phone with a small select group of people, rejecting all other calls as its gone insane.

Re: Let’s Destroy Robocalls

#19

Post by whatislovecraft »

kmcom wrote: post #13
dragonwriter wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> We all, left and right, agree that Trump is worse than robocalls. I'm having trouble imagining Republicans have have >89% support for robocalls, so I have doubts of your proposed left-right consensus on Trump vs. robocalls. https://news.gallup.com/poll/203198/presidential-approval-ra...

Don't feed the troll.

Are you referring to me? The article's author is clearly the troll here! The only thing above the fold is a statement baked in hateful ideology, clearly meant to anger and upset the readers. I'm not the troll here, I'm standing to defend basic human decency.

The author is the troll.

Re: Let’s Destroy Robocalls

#20

Post by gjs278 »

tbrock wrote: post #11

Our company actually has a really good view into where robocalls are coming from and what they are doing because we own a tremendous amount of phone numbers in the US (100s of thousands - millions at peak). We can basically see when this is happening and a robo-caller is targeting an area code, zip code, state, etc... When we get called from a number we don't know we used to simply reject the call. Now, as of this we…

robocall people are just spoofing random numbers
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