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Let’s Destroy Robocalls

nytimes.com

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Re: Let’s Destroy Robocalls

#151

Post by escherplex »

Loughla wrote: post #105
escherplex wrote: post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A smart phone app which behaves as a firewall requiring callers to enter, say, a three character PIN code before phone rings may be useful. Incorporate two message files, one for leaving messages from those who know the PIN code and one those who don't, would allow for any contingencies. A front end answering machine box for the home with the same functionalities may be useful as well.

So shift the burden of calling to literally everyone who is acting well? Why would I want to remember a unique PIN for everyone I know? Also, isn't that just taking the 9 digit phone number and turning it into a 12 digit?

Bad actors exist and they're cleaver. Plus these days you don't have to remember anything. Adding an updatable PIN field to a personal call file in such an app coupled with a software protocol with a pop-up button labeled say 'PIN entry' which appears once a contact device answers (say, with a message enter PIN) that can transmit the PIN number would be sufficiently user-friendly for such an app. Better than receiving junk calls while waiting indefinitely for regulations with teeth from dysfunctional legislatures.

Re: Let’s Destroy Robocalls

#152

Post by SlowRobotAhead »

cfallin wrote: post #84

One solution, not practical for most folks but works well for me: live in a different area code than phone number. (My cell number is in the area code I grew up in.) It seems most spam calls either fake a source number that's in my phone's area code, or use a completely random source. Almost any inbound call I actually expect without an address-book entry would come from my (new) local area code, so I can pick up a c…

Yea, any time I see an 808, I know it's almost certainly spam as only one real person I know has that area code.

BUT.... I've had the opposite effect where they spoof to where I physically was regardless of my phone number.

I recently contacted a phishing prevention company for a quote. They knew where I was physically located, and called me using a spam number of my local-actual code. I told them flat out that was a bad idea and to not do that. Nothing made me lose initial trust more than a legit company using spoofing tactics.

It was the company that bought Wombat Anti-Phishing. They even told me they didn't do it to "prove a point" but rather just they get people to "pick up the phone more often".

Re: Let’s Destroy Robocalls

#153

Post by SlowRobotAhead »

gesman wrote: post #40

Make it mandatory $10000/call fine + prison sentence and teach users how to get a money trail. Then the hunt will get efficiently crowdsourced. After few well publicized cases the problem will greatly diminish.

Good luck getting a money trail with out of country scammers.

Re: Let’s Destroy Robocalls

#154

Post by andrewla »

eropple wrote: post #121
kevin_thibedeau wrote: post #99

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It would be nice if someone would create a device to exchange contact info with businesses to close the loop on managing the whitelist for new, infrequent associations. I should be able to go to a receptionist, mechanic, or contractor and accept identifying info from a Bluetooth device or a standardized non-URL QR code payload to let them contact me in the future. Then we could more conveniently manage authentication…

You can embed a vCard in a QR code right now. Your phone should handle it correctly.

That's a neat feature that I didn't even know existed. Sure enough, fives seconds on a random qr code site (https://www.qrcode-monkey.com/#vcard) and my iPhone's camera offered to add it as a contact. I wonder why this isn't first-class (in terms of exporting); something I can expose directly as "this is me" or to pass off an existing contact via a quick visual swap.

I guess I'll generate one for me and store it in the notes app, which is sort of a catchall for this sort of thing.

Re: Let’s Destroy Robocalls

#155

Post by rightbyte »

jerf wrote: post #120
sacul wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

(This turned into a bit of a rant...) So, AFAICT, Hustle provides a service that's nearly as bad as robocalls. From their front page: "Hustle works because people read and respond to texts—and to communication that feels more human." So it's a bait and switch, just like a robocall: you contact me in a way that makes you feel personal, approachable and reasonable to me so that you can gain my attention. Look, try to s…

I am currently being hammered by robocalls, in relative terms at least. I can't remember the last time I got an unsolicited text. An anecdote to be sure, but I don't hear anyone complaining right now about unsolicited texts, so it doesn't seem like Hustle is the problem. "I still want to have access whenever I want it. Maybe I can't have it both ways?" You can, actually, and it isn't that hard. I have a strict "one s…

I've never got any in Europe. Maybe the cheap spam bots are not localized?

Only robot calls I get is after contacting customer support they autocall you and ask the enter a rating of the call.

Re: Let’s Destroy Robocalls

#156

Post by davesque »

gesman wrote: post #40

Make it mandatory $10000/call fine + prison sentence and teach users how to get a money trail. Then the hunt will get efficiently crowdsourced. After few well publicized cases the problem will greatly diminish.

This assumes the offenders are in the same country as you.

Re: Let’s Destroy Robocalls

#157

Post by grumblez »

bloopernova wrote: post #144
nonbel wrote: post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It never made much sense to me that the providers would not offer some kind of robocall-free plan. I would instantly switch to avoid getting any more of these spoofed calls, which would block the vast majority of robocalls. It turns out that it is government regulation somehow preventing this: > "The FCC last year authorized voice service providers to block more types of calls in which the Caller ID has been spoofed…

I pay t-mobile $4/month for their advanced spam-call blocking feature, and it works very well. I now get maybe 1 spam call every 2 weeks, compared against my worthless work number that has no such blocking which gets maybe 6 spam calls a day.

FYI: T-Mobile's app that they charge $4/month for is a reskin of the Hiya app (https://hiya.com/) that's only $1.25/month when paid yearly.

Re: Let’s Destroy Robocalls

#158

Post by atombender »

cletus wrote: post #62

So robocalls are the result of: - Cost of phone calls decreasing to basically zero - Cost of automation going to basically zero - Phone calls that can come from the Internet so there are no national boundaries anymore - Caller ID operating on essentially the honor system - Bad actors (telephone companies) benefitting from this traffic by charging for it - Larger players having no incentive to punish bad actors There'…

Whitelisting is problematic because there are so many cases where it's impractical or impossible to add a contact first: Doctor's office calling to confirm your appointment; restaurant confirming a seat reservation; delivery guy is outside and can't find your doorbell; Lyft/Uber/whatever is nearby and is looking for you; pharmacy calling to inform about a prescription being ready; some store calling to inform that your order is ready to be picked up; insurance company calling about some claim; etc.

These examples are from my own life, and they happen several times a month. I hardly ever make calls myself, but I do have to be able to receive important calls.

Obviously some use cases can be fixed with text messaging and app, and increaasingly they are, but there are always going to be exceptions. Directing to voicemail is also a solution to some of these, but voicemail acts as a filter: The caller may decide to not bother leaving a message.

Re: Let’s Destroy Robocalls

#159

Post by [deleted] »

Someone1234 wrote: post #150
egypturnash wrote: post #142

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Contacts-only whitelist with some work: Default ring: silence, no vibration. Custom ringtone for everyone you actually want to pick up the phone and talk to. Yeah you gotta spend some time setting it up for your existing contacts, then spend 5s selecting a ring when you add a new contact.

This seems like an iOS specific work-around. On other platforms they simply give you the choice to block non-contact calls. I can do so on my Pixel by leaving Do-Not-Disturb on with Contacts Only.

[deleted]

Re: Let’s Destroy Robocalls

#160

Post by SlowRobotAhead »

rrggrr wrote: post #113

Regardless of one may feel about Trump is there a reason @gailcollins must invoke his name in the title of a totally unrelated OpEd? For some people identity politics is a fever.

Before 2016, the behavior commonly seen would have been unthinkable. People that hated Obama, didn't start articles about robocolls with the same derangement.... Now... I'm not even slightly surprised.

TDS seems to be real.

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