Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Report Phone Spam – Shut down robocallers and text spammers

reportphonespam.org

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

151–160 of 339 posts

Re: Report Phone Spam – Shut down robocallers and text spammers

#151

Post by CWuestefeld »

gruez wrote: post #92
mullingitover wrote: post #25

I wish we could euthanize this garbage, antiquated phone system. It shouldn't be expected/required that every adult has a phone number when the system is so irredeemably broken and dangerous. If the web didn't have HTTPS, it would be illegal to conduct sensitive business over it. Yet we're stuck with this entrenched telephone system, the best we can do is STIR/SHAKEN, and that's not real security.

>If the web didn't have HTTPS, it would be illegal to conduct sensitive business over it. Source? According to this timeline[1], e-commerence with credit cards predate SSL. Therefore I'm not really convinced that there's some law against it, except for laws that were introduced after SSL was a thing. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-commerce#Timeline

...and why would there be? People are free to be stupid if they want.

I really hate this attitude that every little danger has to be regulated.

Re: Report Phone Spam – Shut down robocallers and text spammers

#152

Post by 29083011397778 »

lotsofpulp wrote: post #145
lakpan wrote: post #138

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In America’s “receiver pays their part” system I wouldn’t be too sure. In the rest of the world, the caller/texter pays 100% of the charge, but in the US you’re charged per text and minutes received . Once you add a “free call” entity on the other side (like Google Voice) then no one is charged to make the call. Additionally, plenty of people “sell” their real number and there are android apps routing internet call t…

> , but in the US you’re charged per text and minutes received I doubt 99%+ of end users in the US have been charged for non international minutes or non international text in the last decade or even 15 years.

The bill the end user receives being zero doesn't change how telecom billing is set up. The fact that it's "Free" and costs are hidden from the user in America isn't exactly uncommon.

Re: Report Phone Spam – Shut down robocallers and text spammers

#153

Post by TuringNYC »

dboreham wrote: post #23

My solution since 2002: don't answer the phone.

>> My solution since 2002: don't answer the phone.

I have two children. Doesnt happen often, but I've received calls from my kids' school. Twice the kids got hurt on the playground and needed to be picked up. The call can from a random number from someone at the school, not the main number.

I have also received calls from pharmacies about order verification for much needed prescriptions. And received calls from doctors' offices about last minute re-scheduling.

Not answering voice calls seems like a solution that works 99% of the time and drastically fails 1%

Re: Report Phone Spam – Shut down robocallers and text spammers

#154

Post by grecy »

callalex wrote: post #121
jimmydddd wrote: post #112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I disagree with the posted page that the telecoms are interested in stopping spam. If they really cared, they would have addressed it by now. I suspect they are somehow making money from the spam callers.

Carriers could solve the spam problem overnight by disconnecting about 3 or 4 countries from the rest of the world. However popular that action may be, it would not be legal.

The world has already decided to disconnect 5 countries from the global banking system, effectively keeping them locked in the dark ages....

Re: Report Phone Spam – Shut down robocallers and text spammers

#155

Post by naravara »

jimmydddd wrote: post #112
aimor wrote: post #81

I've been reporting spam calls and texts to the FCC for a few years now. Does it do anything? I don't know, certainly not immediately, and the problem persists. I tried the method spelled out here for my latest batch of "Your USPS package has arrived" texts, but the phone numbers (example: +63 936 631 6676) just give an "invalid number" response. Not unexpected. Every official channel seems to be failing us on this o…

I disagree with the posted page that the telecoms are interested in stopping spam. If they really cared, they would have addressed it by now. I suspect they are somehow making money from the spam callers.

I think you underestimate how ineptly run a lot of these highly-regulated, legacy industries actually are.

They care, but in the way most people care about not being fat. They still can’t make the necessary lifestyle changes to do anything about it even if it is their most ardent wish.

Re: Report Phone Spam – Shut down robocallers and text spammers

#156

Post by joshmanders »

Scoundreller wrote: post #101
johnbatch wrote: post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That’s bad. I do know T-Mobile blocks calls to their phones spoofing the 1-800-TMOBILE number as of a few years ago.

damn, sometimes tricks like that let you receive free calls from your tech-savvy friends while roaming ;)

Again, spammers are the reason we can't have nice things.

Re: Report Phone Spam – Shut down robocallers and text spammers

#157

Post by lotsofpulp »

29083011397778 wrote: post #152
lotsofpulp wrote: post #145

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> , but in the US you’re charged per text and minutes received I doubt 99%+ of end users in the US have been charged for non international minutes or non international text in the last decade or even 15 years.

The bill the end user receives being zero doesn't change how telecom billing is set up. The fact that it's "Free" and costs are hidden from the user in America isn't exactly uncommon.

If the phone companies are billing each other, they don’t they have to know who to bill, per tinus_hn’s comment?

Re: Report Phone Spam – Shut down robocallers and text spammers

#158

Post by idontwantthis »

steelframe wrote: post #99
AgentOrange1234 wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

100%. My son got sick at school last week and I ignored the call from the school nurse because I have been so thoroughly conditioned by daily scam calls to ignore any unrecognized number. It’s insane that this is still a problem.

The exact same thing happened to me last week. My son got sick at school, enough so that they ended up calling the paramedics. But I had been spammed so much the week before with spoofed phone numbers from my area code that I had my phone on "Do Not Disturb" allowing only people in my contact list through. I thought it would be fine since the school's phone number is in my contact list. Unfortunately the school's sys…

One slightly better solution is to get a Voip number from a distant area code in a place you’ve never been and know no one. Only give that number to people you want to actually call you. Then you can safely ignore all calls from that area code.

Re: Report Phone Spam – Shut down robocallers and text spammers

#159

Post by davidmurdoch »

ipython wrote: post #142
nilamo wrote: post #82

It's so funny(?) that we passed the TCPA in order to stop robocalls, but then never decided to actually enforce it.

The TCPA deputizes you as a private citizen to enforce it. It’s empowering, so much so I would be amazed if anything like it would be passed these days.

Uh, it gives us zero power to enforce anything whatsoever.

Re: Report Phone Spam – Shut down robocallers and text spammers

#160

Post by Forbo »

steelframe wrote: post #122
megablast wrote: post #108

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you have a kid and are ignoring calls, that is crazy.

You're right. How about we all try this? The next time anyone's in a meeting together talking about a production incident or quarterly planning or whatever, they're going to tell everyone else to STFU and wait while they take every random call they get on the off chance it's their kid's school trying to get through to them. Does that seem reasonable to you?

No, because it isn't reasonable. What would be reasonable is for the individual receiving the call to excuse themself leaving the rest of the meeting to carry on. Isn't this already the standard?
Post reply on HN