Tag Archive for: robocallers

Robocallers “evolved” to sidestep new call blocking rules, AGs tell FCC

Three robots sitting in front of computers and wearing phone headsets.

Enlarge (credit: Getty Images | vladru)

The Federal Communications Commission should let phone companies get more aggressive in blocking robocalls, 35 state attorneys general told the commission yesterday.

The FCC last year authorized voice service providers to block more types of calls in which the Caller ID has been spoofed or in which the number on the Caller ID is invalid. But the FCC did not go far enough, and robocallers have “evolved” to evade the new rules, the 35 attorneys general wrote in an FCC filing:

One specific method which has evolved recently is a form of illegal spoofing called “neighbor spoofing.” A neighbor-spoofed call will commonly appear on a consumer’s caller ID with the same area code and local exchange as the consumer to increase the likelihood he/she will answer the call. In addition, consumers have recently reported receiving calls where their own phone numbers appeared on their caller ID. A consumer who answered one such call reported the caller attempted to trick her by saying he was with the phone company and required personal information to verify the account, claiming it had been hacked.

The attorneys general said they “encourage the FCC to adopt rules authorizing providers to block these and other kinds of illegally spoofed calls.”

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Biz & IT – Ars Technica

FCC to publish weekly name-shame-blame list of robocallers and robotexters

Don’t you hate it when you receive a spammy text message or an unwanted robocall or telemarketing call? The FCC said it received over 215,000 complaints from consumers last year, which averages out to about 590 per day. Last week, in its newest efforts to bring down the hammer on spammers, the FCC started releasing robocall and telemarketing consumer complaint data which will be updated every week; the purpose of such name/blame/shame weekly lists is “to help developers build and improve ‘do-not-disturb’ technologies that allow consumers to block or filter unwanted calls and texts.”

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Network World Security