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Verified by Twilio

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Re: Verified by Twilio

#131
post #83

Just what we need, another startup injecting themselves into our lives. And then for the right price, "acceptable robocalls" can be Verified by Twilio™! SHAKEN/STIR[1] is a much more network-agnostic solution to the same problem, using essentially the same, well-established technology used by internet certificate authorities. As such, it has all the same basic problems that CAs do, but it's a hell of a lot better tha…

Looks cool but wouldn't it be cheaper and easier to just outlaw robocalling like the rest of the world has?

Most robocalls are illegal in the US. We have a do not call list and everything. I believe is it a name change is currently working its way through to change the name to "seriously, do not call... please list". [https://www.forthepeople.com/class-action-lawyers/robocallin...]

The problem is that determining the source is difficult and even if you did it is most likely over seas where enforcing the fine is impossible.

I would love to hear a technical solution that has been implemented somewhere that had a significant impact.

Re: Verified by Twilio

#132
post #38

I know it's overkill, but this is my current setup for my phone numbers. I treat phone numbers the same way I do my email address: I use different numbers for different purposes. 1. I have a "clean" phone number I only share with friends/family. Certain prefixes and phone number actually receive next to zero spam calls. This number has received 2 calls in the years I've had it. 2. I have a phone number I share with c…

Is this a uniquely American problem? My Australian mobile phone receives maybe one spam call per year. It’s my single phone and I give out the number to various businesses and people.

It is an increasing problem. I've defaulted to never answering numbers I don't have saved unless I expect a call. If it's important they should leave a voicemail. I wanna say a few years ago it wasn't this bad, then I realized I had missed a lot of spam calls cause I had my number behind Google Voice (free with Sprint) and now it is just ridiculous.

Also idk about other states, but in FL everything is public record, so after I bought my house I've gotten spam letters and calls like crazy.

Re: Verified by Twilio

#133

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't know why people don't get spam calls in Germany, but it's not because of regulation. The U.S. has similiar regulation, and in fact individual consumers can sue telemarketers for $500-$1000 per call. The problem is that the callers disguise their identity and in most cases are overseas beyond the reach of U.S. law enforcement.

> The problem is that the callers disguise their identity and in most cases are overseas beyond the reach of U.S. law enforcement. The problem is that the US telco providers let them disguise their identity. In Germany, there are anonymous calls, and calls where you see the caller's numbers. I've never once been called by a spoofed number. So, it's possible to prevent that, given the political will, and the necessary…

Recently, there as been a lot of calls where older people got called by a fake police detective. The display reads "110" (which is the emergency number for the police in germany). So, if there are countermeasures, they are not effective.

Source:

German Press release PD Westerstede early this year: https://www.presseportal.de/blaulicht/pm/68440/4174253

Follow-Up a few months later, warning that it's still an issue: https://www.presseportal.de/blaulicht/pm/68440/4358872

Re: Verified by Twilio

#134

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have lived in the U.K. for more than 8 years. I receive spam calls daily from a combination of London and blocked numbers. Everyone I know here also receives them frequently. I’m on the U.K. do not call list. It’s endless PPI, “your recent accident”, and just normal phishing attempts. When I’m in the Middle East it’s endless spam texts. I guess Germany has it figured out but by no means is this an American only pro…

I'm in the UK and have had the same number for a decade or so, I probably get one a year? They are mainly from foreign companies. If said countries also had our regulations, and a sharing agreement in place, it wouldn't be an issue.

I am in the same situation yet I know people who are plagued by such calls. There must be something that triggers this off?

Having said that, these people will also give their phone number and email address to anyone who asks whereas I do not. If I have to enter a phone number on a form and it's isn't immediately obvious why I should do that then I'll make-up a number.

Re: Verified by Twilio

#135

FFS USA, not every problem is a problem to solve by "the free market". You can see the America-Is-Great Mindset in a lot of these comments: Even the US has a problem with robocalls, so that must mean it's an unsolved problem obviously. So we have to solve it with our superior technology!! Just no. Almost nobody else in the western world has this problem. How? Regulation. In Germany, if you get reported for unsolicite…

European here, too, lived in several EU countries, received very few robocalls in my life. Do not think this is due to regulation. Exactly, caller IDs can be spoofed, and who gets the fine then? Should be something else: the way how we are used to purchase services, goods, etc... Or the markets here are too small compared to US that blanket dialing does not justify call termination fees... But not 100% sure.

[deleted]

Re: Verified by Twilio

#136
post #113

FFS USA, not every problem is a problem to solve by "the free market". You can see the America-Is-Great Mindset in a lot of these comments: Even the US has a problem with robocalls, so that must mean it's an unsolved problem obviously. So we have to solve it with our superior technology!! Just no. Almost nobody else in the western world has this problem. How? Regulation. In Germany, if you get reported for unsolicite…

Many Americans are allergic to the idea of the government doing anything but managing national defense.

Americans have a do not call list. People are prosecuted for abusing it. Yet we still get Spam calls. This has nothing to do with lack of regulation, but by ease of abuse and difficulty in preventing these calls without impacting legitimate uses. Like, say, creating Twilio which uses a bunch of random numbers?

Re: Verified by Twilio

#137

FFS USA, not every problem is a problem to solve by "the free market". You can see the America-Is-Great Mindset in a lot of these comments: Even the US has a problem with robocalls, so that must mean it's an unsolved problem obviously. So we have to solve it with our superior technology!! Just no. Almost nobody else in the western world has this problem. How? Regulation. In Germany, if you get reported for unsolicite…

Surely it's better to solve a problem through peaceful and voluntary innovation then through coercive regulation.

Re: Verified by Twilio

#138

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I live in Denmark and I don't get calls like that.

Ok? I’m not saying it’s constant, but you do see it sometimes when the scammers try out new regions. Stuff like this, which is the very typical US scam https://www.thelocal.se/20140505/swedes-targeted-in-new-micr... European countries in general just aren’t very attractive to these scams, conversion rates are far lower than in English-speaking countries. E: Another Danish commenter reports the same calls https://news…

> European countries in general just aren’t very attractive to these scams, conversion rates are far lower than in English-speaking countries.

You mean we are not as easily fooled? I like this explanation.

Re: Verified by Twilio

#139

FFS USA, not every problem is a problem to solve by "the free market". You can see the America-Is-Great Mindset in a lot of these comments: Even the US has a problem with robocalls, so that must mean it's an unsolved problem obviously. So we have to solve it with our superior technology!! Just no. Almost nobody else in the western world has this problem. How? Regulation. In Germany, if you get reported for unsolicite…

I have lived in the U.K. for more than 8 years. I receive spam calls daily from a combination of London and blocked numbers. Everyone I know here also receives them frequently. I’m on the U.K. do not call list. It’s endless PPI, “your recent accident”, and just normal phishing attempts. When I’m in the Middle East it’s endless spam texts. I guess Germany has it figured out but by no means is this an American only pro…

The problem in the UK is that the regulations here are toothless.

Re: Verified by Twilio

#140

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ok? I’m not saying it’s constant, but you do see it sometimes when the scammers try out new regions. Stuff like this, which is the very typical US scam https://www.thelocal.se/20140505/swedes-targeted-in-new-micr... European countries in general just aren’t very attractive to these scams, conversion rates are far lower than in English-speaking countries. E: Another Danish commenter reports the same calls https://news…

> European countries in general just aren’t very attractive to these scams, conversion rates are far lower than in English-speaking countries. You mean we are not as easily fooled? I like this explanation.

That’s possible too. But I specifically mean that we’re not as easily fooled by Indian call center staff.
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