Hi, this is Cristy, I'm a Medicare advisor on a recorded line....

[MtnMan]

The FCC do not call list is a sick joke. Choosing option 9 to be placed on our do not call list is a fucking joke. On the rare occasion the caller is an actual person and telling them to fuck off or place me on your do not call list is a waste of time.

Is this strictly a US thing, or are people in other countries bombarded by a constant background of spam phone calls about everything from Windows or Apple computer compromised, your vehicle warranty is about to expire, etc., etc.

 

[Brainonska511]

Scammers don't care about the pesky DNC list.

 

[MtnMan]

Scammers don't care about the pesky DNC list.

Obviously, I'm just curious if other countries have been able to shut most of this down. The FCC is too damn interested in throwing the consumer under the bus in favor of the corporate profits.

 

[BoomerD]

Hi, this is Barbara from Hyatt Hotels. We'd like to thank you for your recent stay..." never mind that I haven't stayed in ANY hotel in more than 2 years...and it wasn't a Hyatt...or part of the chain. They almost always come from a local (seeming) number...

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

Phone utility providers don't care about the pesky DNC list.

I get the free hotel nights (usually Marriott?) and car extended warranty.

Car extended warranty actually REALLY took off for me when I registered my car with the state. For the longest time my car was still under my mom's name from college days - so I went and did the due diligence to change it to be registered under me.... Bad idea apparently.

My understanding is phone companies largely don't give a shit because more calls = more money? Not sure.

 

[Brainonska511]

Obviously, I'm just curious if other countries have been able to shut most of this down. The FCC is too damn interested in throwing the consumer under the bus in favor of the corporate profits.

I think there has been some effort, but these scammers hide behind legitimate call centers and can just pop up and collapse.

I get the free hotel nights (usually Marriott?) and car extended warranty.

Car extended warranty actually REALLY took off for me when I registered my car with the state. For the longest time my car was still under my mom's name from college days - so I went and did the due diligence to change it to be registered under me.... Bad idea apparently.

My understanding is phone companies largely don't give a shit because more calls = more money? Not sure.

These scammer are probably using a cheap VOIP setup - hardly seems like it would be a money making operation to just allow those calls for big Telecom. And my understanding is that it is easy to spoof telephone numbers, as it has no verification protocol to confirm if you're actually calling from a specific number. I also doubt telecom companies don't want to spend the money to overhaul the system to help weed out this problem.

As for the increase you've experienced - I don't think it's necessarily tied to anything in particular. There just seems to be a general increase in spam calls as criminal enterprises see it as a way to skim money off of people with very low risk.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

I think there has been some effort, but these scammers hide behind legitimate call centers and can just pop up and collapse.


These scammer are probably using a cheap VOIP setup - hardly seems like it would be a money making operation to just allow those calls for big Telecom. And my understanding is that it is easy to spoof telephone numbers, as it has no verification protocol to confirm if you're actually calling from a specific number. I also doubt telecom companies don't want to spend the money to overhaul the system to help weed out this problem.

As for the increase you've experienced - I don't think it's necessarily tied to anything in particular. There just seems to be a general increase in spam calls as criminal enterprises see it as a way to skim money off of people with very low risk.

The car registration definitely coincidence far too much - to me there is no question. I presume my state has public records or something that these services are simply pulling from on a regular basis?

I get the same thing when I pay off a loan, refinance my mortgage, etc... I get a bunch of notices all at once.

But I dunno, I remember reading an article a few years back that basically said the phone companies have zero reason, push, or care to stop spam calls because there is zero monetary benefit for them to do so and if anything makes them lose money.

 

[lxskllr]

Maybe your state is selling the information. Make a couple bucks on top of the money they're already making.

 

[Red Squirrel]

I used to get the odd spam call on my landline but I don't have a landline anymore. I rarely get any on my cell. I think the DNCL works half decently here at least on the cell network. I think it's fairly easy to spoof caller ID to get around the list though either way. Lot of telemarketers just spoof a random local number to get around the list.

 

[sactoking]

If your name isn't programmed into my contacts your call is going to voicemail.

Seriously, who actually answers their phone these days?

 

[pcgeek11]

I like the ones where they show up as my phone number on caller ID. Like I'm calling myself.

 

[DigDog]

As i understand it, most of the networks in the UAE are implementing a auto-reject feature that blocks all non-standard numbers. Our call lines default to a hidden number, and even when trying to call UK mobiles on holiday in UAE, the line just does not connect unless we use the un-hide-number feature.

The UK has vague laws that would work *if* they were implemented correctly, but a few networks here have figured out you can sell the antispam feature so they have developed their own ban list; British Telecom's Call Guardian is just that, a communcal ban list. Once a number is added to the ban list, it cannot connect to any of the Call Guardian numbers.

The solution exists, it's just not being implemented because of $$$$ reasons.

 

[Red Squirrel]

If your name isn't programmed into my contacts your call is going to voicemail.

Seriously, who actually answers their phone these days?

The issue with this is you can miss actual important calls. Ex: if there is a legit problem with an account for one of your services like your payment is not going through for some reason, or if you bought tickets for a draw and you actually win etc. You can't just put those things in your contacts either as the outbound calling number may be somewhat random depending how their call centres are setup.

My hospital has been having a 50/50 draw every month so if I was to win they'd call me but I don't really know from what number I'd get the call on. I always make a mental note of that too since there are so many scams out there stating that you won something, I'd hate to hang up on them if it's legit lol.

 

[Shmee]

Unless I am expecting a call, or recognize a number, I don't answer my phone generally for non contacts.

 

[quikah]

Maybe your state is selling the information. Make a couple bucks on top of the money they're already making.

Pretty sure that would be a violation of Driver's Privacy Protection Act of 1994

 

[dank69]

If your name isn't programmed into my contacts your call is going to voicemail.

Seriously, who actually answers their phone these days?

I hate having to listen to and clear voicemail so I pick up and fuck with the AI as much as possible.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Pretty sure that would be a violation of Driver's Privacy Protection Act of 1994

Not like they would care. It's the government they can do what they want. There's not really anyone that will punish them.