Earlier quoted context omitted.
That's like a PO Box location being liable for someone's fraud, or even a software or hardware provider, like Microsoft or Dell, being liable for providing assistance in the crime. It's an answering service for a phone line. Are they supposed to magically know that the people are calling from some robocall and not because it's a semi-large real estate office somewhere? Perhaps the best way to to let them know is to i…
> That's like a PO Box location being liable for someone's fraud, Except if a PO Box was being used for fraud, the person using it would be prosecuted, or at the very least the Post Office would cease providing that service. > or even a software or hardware provider, like Microsoft or Dell, being liable for providing assistance in the crime. Entirely different, that's a misuse of provided products by the purchaser. I…
When notified.
> Entirely different, that's a misuse of provided products by the purchaser. If you buy gas and use it to commit arson, it's not BP's fault.
And how is that different than misuse of a third party service?
> I find it incredibly hard to believe that people aren't informing them, probably at high volumes (audio volumes and quantity volumes) that they don't wish to be called anymore.
See my other comment to the other reply. Also, I get a lot of calls. After the first time, I generally just hang up after identifying it. I'm not even hearing the number after the first time. Sometimes I'm mad and might want to call in to complain, but I'm not always at leisure to do so.
> What's the over under on them still providing services to "Will"?
That's not how I interpreted the article. I interpreted it as they were the answering service for one of the target lines that the number forwarded to.
For example, scam line forwards to 4-10 real agents in on the scam, one of them has an answering service. Occasionally calls forwarded to that agent forward again to the PAT service. That's not necessarily the same as providing answering service for "Will" if that's the case, and may not be immediately obvious if mixed with some other types of calls.
That said, yes, I expect they would investigate and cut ties if notified. Why wouldn't they? You seem to assume they aim to provide this service on purpose for illegal activity. Phone answering services are extremely common. Have you ever called a small medical office during lunch, or after hours at any time? You get an answering service with emergency contact numbers for personnel, in case that's called for. Legitimate businesses do not want to open themselves up to the liability of being complicit in a crime. I'm not sure we've seen anything to indicate the answering service is not a legitimate business being taken advantage of.