Live data from Hacker News

'One Ring' Phone Scam

fcc.gov

261–270 of 367 posts

Re: 'One Ring' Phone Scam

#261
post #39
post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wouldn't help here in the US. They almost always fake caller id from a local prefix.

70% of the spam calls I get could be stopped simply by blocking the exact same exchange that my number is in. Do spam callers really think I'm expecting a call from the same area code, same exchange as my own number? Do most people have friends that have phone numbers with the same first six digits in common with their own? I feel like this trick can't possibly work on anyone who has already seen it twice, and just b…

"Do spam callers really think I'm expecting a call from the same area code, same exchange as my own number? Do most people have friends that have phone numbers with the same first six digits in common with their own?"

All of the weirdness and strange patterns and methods you see in practice by these actors make perfect sense when you realize their targets are seniors.

In fact, even the ability to keep someone on the phone past the first 2 seconds of recorded intro greeting makes sense if that's the only interaction with a human you get all day/week.

The lives of inactive, retired seniors in the United States - especially in small or rural towns - is tremendously bleak.

And yes, they've spent their entire life with technology wherein everyone they talked to had the same NPA+PREFIX.

Re: 'One Ring' Phone Scam

#262
post #157

From the website: How to avoid this scam: Don't answer or return any calls from numbers you don't recognize. If the FCC is recommending we don't pick up our phones, isn't something really wrong with the system?

Absolutely. The phone system is totally broken. A few years ago I disabled the incoming call part of my phone to everyone except a few family members and my wife. So far it's been great. Everyone who needs me emails me. I've yet to run into a situation where someone I needed to hear from would only call me.

There was an article on here a few months ago about how the organ donor system works. If you are on the list to receive an organ you get a phonecall and if you miss this call the organ goes to the next person on the list who picks up the phone.

Re: 'One Ring' Phone Scam

#263

Similarly, I don't understand why people answer the front door when they can hear or see (through peephole or Ring) that it's a stranger. I don't need your magazines, your house-painting services, your church, or whatever else. If you're lost and looking for your friend's house you're supposed to be at, sorry I'm not gonna be able to help you anyway.

Attitudes like this is why American communities at the local level are dying.

Are you suggesting the attitude should be to give your time to door-to-door salesmen and every religious organization that wants to convert you? Everyone who comes to your door deserves your attention regardless of their intentions?

It's not really an "attitude" as much as it is a solution to a problem. The problem is door-to-door salesmen (whether they're selling phone service, vacuum cleaners, Girl Scout cookies, or religion).

There are ways and places to meet your neighbors that don't revolve around knocking on my door unsolicited. Once we've met, you're no longer a stranger and the "attitude" doesn't apply.

Re: 'One Ring' Phone Scam

#264
post #227

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I believe this is one reason why spam calls are less of a problem in Europe - in Europe the caller pays the higher rate to call mobile phones (vs the north America system where the cell phone user pays for incoming "airtime"). Just looking at skypeout rates and an example, UK landlines cost 2 cents/min vs 10 cents for mobiles

>in Europe the caller pays the higher rate to call mobile phones (vs the north America system where the cell phone user pays for incoming "airtime"). So in Europe, is receiving calls on a mobile phones free? Or do you still have to pay for minutes?

If you are at your home location incoming calls are free. The caller pays.

US carriers double dip by charging the caller and the receiver.

Re: 'One Ring' Phone Scam

#265

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Absolutely. The phone system is totally broken. A few years ago I disabled the incoming call part of my phone to everyone except a few family members and my wife. So far it's been great. Everyone who needs me emails me. I've yet to run into a situation where someone I needed to hear from would only call me.

Just not willing to do this. I never want to miss a call from someone talking about an emergency with a family member, the FAA calling about an unclosed flight plan, a recruiter (if job hunting), a delivery person, etc. I answer virtually all unknown numbers except the ones T-Mobile puts in as “Scam Likely.” What I do not understand is, given that the phone is a computer, why there is not an on-phone IVR which can so…

I have a Google Pixel XL, and it has a built-in call screening feature from Google. It seems like exactly what you're looking for.

Re: 'One Ring' Phone Scam

#266

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Absolutely. The phone system is totally broken. A few years ago I disabled the incoming call part of my phone to everyone except a few family members and my wife. So far it's been great. Everyone who needs me emails me. I've yet to run into a situation where someone I needed to hear from would only call me.

Just not willing to do this. I never want to miss a call from someone talking about an emergency with a family member, the FAA calling about an unclosed flight plan, a recruiter (if job hunting), a delivery person, etc. I answer virtually all unknown numbers except the ones T-Mobile puts in as “Scam Likely.” What I do not understand is, given that the phone is a computer, why there is not an on-phone IVR which can so…

> why there is not an on-phone IVR which can solicit a brief intro

I believe Google Voice has this option. You enable it and it records them saying who they are, which is played to you to accept or reject.

Re: 'One Ring' Phone Scam

#267
post #227

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I believe this is one reason why spam calls are less of a problem in Europe - in Europe the caller pays the higher rate to call mobile phones (vs the north America system where the cell phone user pays for incoming "airtime"). Just looking at skypeout rates and an example, UK landlines cost 2 cents/min vs 10 cents for mobiles

>in Europe the caller pays the higher rate to call mobile phones (vs the north America system where the cell phone user pays for incoming "airtime"). So in Europe, is receiving calls on a mobile phones free? Or do you still have to pay for minutes?

Yes, receiving calls (and text messages) is free. (unless you are roaming and then you pay the international sector of the call)

As far as I know this is true not just in Europe but everywhere outside of North America. It's certainly been true in the Asian countries I've been to (I get prepaid SIM cards everywhere I visit). It comes down to the numbering plans - in the NANP (north american numbering plan), landline and mobile phone numbers are mixed together and you can't distinguish them without a database. In other countries, mobile phones have their own "mobile phones" area code which is non-geographic and applies to all mobile phones. This means that callers beforehand know if they're calling a mobile phone or a landline.

Re: 'One Ring' Phone Scam

#268
post #11
post #2

Scammers are getting more and more sophisticated now a days. It seems like most of these scam calls are a result of the ability to spoof phone numbers. Spoofing phone numbers does have legitimate purposes (for example a phone number from a customer service company is able to use their company phone number as the caller ID) but these scammers seem to abuse this. It's quite similar to how SMTP for emails allows the "Fr…

This is apparently being implemented as we speak ( SHAKEN/STIR, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SHAKEN/STIR ). (which seems a US focused initiative, which I guess makes sense as the problem seems much worse there than in other countries... but I wonder if that means that you guys will be getting lots of robocalls from unknown foreign numbers in the future ;)

"This is apparently being implemented as we speak ( SHAKEN/STIR, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SHAKEN/STIR )."

I see twilio at least mentioning shaken/stir:

https://www.twilio.com/blog/your-phone-your-call-eliminating...

... but I am curious if anyone knows: can this be interacted with, currently, with either twiml or twilio functions ?

Re: 'One Ring' Phone Scam

#269

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's weird. I can understand not returning, since then you're the one originating and thus getting charged for the call, but for answering? Is there any landline service that charges for non-collect incoming calls?

No, but prepaid wireless services may charge you for incoming calls.

Are there any services that actually charge you additional fees for incoming long distance calls though? That seems to be the primary concern here.
Post reply on HN