Anti-fraud tools can't keep pace with robocall scammers • Hacker News Board

Re: Anti-fraud tools can't keep pace with robocall scammers

#41

Post by pavel_lishin » Fri, Jul 31, 2026, 6:32 PM UTC

ozim wrote: post #30

otterpro wrote: post #3

I no longer can answer my phone. I get at least 20-40 spam/scam calls per day, and many are legitimate companies calling for loans and refinancing offers, which started after I got a home loan. I cannot seem to stop them from calling, and even though my phone number is listed in National Do Not Call Registry for many years, it hasn't worked at all. The only relief is that on my iPhone, I was able to block all calls n…

I get the comfort that "normal person" would send an SMS "it was me Greg, call me back" if you don't pick up and most of my family is on whatsapp anyway. Scammers or spammers will never send an SMS with clarification that they wanted to call you.

But a normal person could be calling from a doctor's office, a hospital, or your child's school - and not an actual cellphone, and they may not want to text you (or not be allowed to text you) from their personal cellphone, either.

As a parent, the "block all numbers!" approach has always seemed incredibly naive to me.

Re: Anti-fraud tools can't keep pace with robocall scammers

#42

Post by xethos » Fri, Jul 31, 2026, 6:37 PM UTC

otterpro wrote: post #3

I no longer can answer my phone. I get at least 20-40 spam/scam calls per day, and many are legitimate companies calling for loans and refinancing offers, which started after I got a home loan. I cannot seem to stop them from calling, and even though my phone number is listed in National Do Not Call Registry for many years, it hasn't worked at all. The only relief is that on my iPhone, I was able to block all calls n…

> My only solution that I could think of is to have a dedicated phone line just for friends/family/work, and a second line for banking/shopping/utilities/everything else.

This fails the moment one of your "clean line" contacts downloads a sketchy app that sells all their contacts, and sells an updated list as your appear in their recent calls list - meaning it's not a one-time thing, it's for a few weeks after every time you call them.

Re: Anti-fraud tools can't keep pace with robocall scammers

#43

Post by victorbjorklund » Fri, Jul 31, 2026, 6:40 PM UTC

Hikikomori wrote: post #34

victorbjorklund wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I live in Europe and I get scam calls and sales calls. Yes, legit companies spam call less in Europe due to regulation but scammers committing crimes don’t care about privacy laws etc it’s their least problems

Dont get those either, maybe just an outlier but GF don't get them either.

You are lucky. I been on a financial scam list for the last 18 years. They call maybe twice per year. Almost interesting to see over time what scams are trendy.

Re: Anti-fraud tools can't keep pace with robocall scammers

#44

Post by giancarlostoro » Fri, Jul 31, 2026, 6:48 PM UTC

bckr wrote: post #13

DeepSeaTortoise wrote: post #11

The solution is accessible law, not better anti-fraud tooling. Introduce a spam / fraud button, using it requires your pin and costs $10, but obliges your telecom provider to record the call (preferably including a few minutes before you hit the button), email you a signed recording and if found to be spam deposit $100 onto your account. Your provider may then hand the fee +10% for himself to whatever network the cal…

I think we have to do something this extreme. We have to give the system a total makeover. Somehow we also have to keep it from being fully centralized and have the big brother problem on the other side. Unfortunately these two goals are difficult to get through at the same time, with the system that we have.

If major states like California and New York pass it, and spam basically dies in those states, it wouldn't surprise me if it spreads across the country.

Re: Anti-fraud tools can't keep pace with robocall scammers

#45

Post by giancarlostoro » Fri, Jul 31, 2026, 6:50 PM UTC

pessimizer wrote: post #29

DeepSeaTortoise wrote: post #11

The solution is accessible law, not better anti-fraud tooling. Introduce a spam / fraud button, using it requires your pin and costs $10, but obliges your telecom provider to record the call (preferably including a few minutes before you hit the button), email you a signed recording and if found to be spam deposit $100 onto your account. Your provider may then hand the fee +10% for himself to whatever network the cal…

I spent a little time unsuccessfully looking for a reference, but in some ancient Greek and early Roman governments, newly elected officials who were in charge of money were required to personally indemnify (become responsible for the professional liabilities of) their predecessor. If your predecessor committed fraud, you were 100% personally responsible for it. You would then gather the evidence and sue your predece…

How does your predecessor today have those funds? The problem is politicians get to "play" with wealth beyond their own reaches (typically).

Re: Anti-fraud tools can't keep pace with robocall scammers

#46

Post by gbourne1 » Fri, Jul 31, 2026, 6:52 PM UTC

otterpro wrote: post #3

I no longer can answer my phone. I get at least 20-40 spam/scam calls per day, and many are legitimate companies calling for loans and refinancing offers, which started after I got a home loan. I cannot seem to stop them from calling, and even though my phone number is listed in National Do Not Call Registry for many years, it hasn't worked at all. The only relief is that on my iPhone, I was able to block all calls n…

I too set it up so all unknown calls go to VM. I figure if legit they will leave a message. If two calls and no message I block the unknown number.

Re: Anti-fraud tools can't keep pace with robocall scammers

#47

Post by giancarlostoro » Fri, Jul 31, 2026, 6:52 PM UTC

otterpro wrote: post #3

I no longer can answer my phone. I get at least 20-40 spam/scam calls per day, and many are legitimate companies calling for loans and refinancing offers, which started after I got a home loan. I cannot seem to stop them from calling, and even though my phone number is listed in National Do Not Call Registry for many years, it hasn't worked at all. The only relief is that on my iPhone, I was able to block all calls n…

> I also tried using "Screen unknown caller" feature, but then, no one likes them and sometimes they think it is AI bot and they usually just hang up (which is great for spam caller but not for legitimate caller)

When its someone legit I find that they actually go through the effort. I've had USPS explain who they were to my phone and I was able to answer them as a result.

Re: Anti-fraud tools can't keep pace with robocall scammers

#48

Post by dmitrygr » Fri, Jul 31, 2026, 6:57 PM UTC

DeepSeaTortoise wrote: post #11

The solution is accessible law, not better anti-fraud tooling. Introduce a spam / fraud button, using it requires your pin and costs $10, but obliges your telecom provider to record the call (preferably including a few minutes before you hit the button), email you a signed recording and if found to be spam deposit $100 onto your account. Your provider may then hand the fee +10% for himself to whatever network the cal…

Simpler yet: require every call to come with a physical source address, huge (and enforced) jail times for faking it. Let the internet and the pissed callees crowdsource the rest

Re: Anti-fraud tools can't keep pace with robocall scammers

#49

Post by olyjohn » Fri, Jul 31, 2026, 6:59 PM UTC

orev wrote: post #10

One of the biggest concerns I have with phone scams is that the people most vulnerable are the elderly, and they don’t have the knowledge on how to block these calls (if a technical solution is the only option). And further to that, the elderly are also the ones who cannot block unknown numbers, because doctors’ offices seem to have random numbers they call you from (they may have a pool of numbers but it’s not reaso…

And if you think spam calls on your cell phone are bad... oh boy, land lines get about 10x the calls. My theory is that because it's mostly older people who have land lines on top of the fact that spam laws are tighter for cell phones. There aren't enough land line users to complain, so not a big enough voice to make a public outcry. Cell phone users have no idea the problems that land lines have.

I know this because I had to spend 6 months taking care of my dad while he was dying. We had so many medical people calling us and making appointments, and doing tests, etc etc. And on top of it about 10-15 spam calls a day and it's impossible to differentiate via caller ID. This was all while I was also working full time from home. It's a real hellscape, and these phone scammers are really having a negative effect on people's lives. It made my life miserable at one of the hardest times of my life, and I have nothing but contempt for these fuckers, and no empathy left for the people making the phone calls either. They're all scumbags and deserve time in prison.

Re: Anti-fraud tools can't keep pace with robocall scammers

#50

Post by orbital-decay » Fri, Jul 31, 2026, 7:00 PM UTC

DeepSeaTortoise wrote: post #11

The solution is accessible law, not better anti-fraud tooling. Introduce a spam / fraud button, using it requires your pin and costs $10, but obliges your telecom provider to record the call (preferably including a few minutes before you hit the button), email you a signed recording and if found to be spam deposit $100 onto your account. Your provider may then hand the fee +10% for himself to whatever network the cal…

Infeasible. Fraud or spam is usually pretty hard to confirm from one recording without additional context. Many scammers have plausible deniability or are just checking whether the number is active. Moreover, this solution would involve secret non-consensual recording; what if it's not a scam?