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World-wide, credit card fraud and other scams cost the public billions of dollars. While credit card fraud is the clear leader in sheer volume of money lost, "regular scams" still result in a significant amount of money being lost each year. Globally, credit card fraud resulted in losses of US$21.84 billion in 2015. The so-called "Nigerian scam", usually perpetrated via email, totalled US$12.7 billion in 2013. Overall losses are likely to be much larger however, as many scams go unreported.
While scams that come in over email are increasingly being picked up by spam filters, around 45% of scams in Australia (and likely other countries) are by phone and text message.
Email spam filters are using machine learning techniques to get better at identifying the wide range of scams that can arrive in inboxes. This is by far the most effective way of dealing with scams, as the average member of the public has been shown to be remarkably susceptible. However, very little has been done about phone and text scams. This is surprising given scammers have quite brazenly stuck to using the same number or area codes over significant periods of time.
[...] Google and Apple should, however, be able to do more independently of these agencies. With the advent of machine learning techniques being used to analyse emails, it will be also possible to apply the same technology to phone calls.
[...] The list of other scam types is fairly consistent, and so is identifiable by software interpreting the conversation in real time. Governments should apply pressure on companies like Apple and Google to tackle this problem. Until then however, it is worth using one of the third party apps (like: TrueCaller, Hiya ) to ward off scams.
Do you have suggestions on how these scams could be stopped ?
(Score: 5, Insightful) by hojo on Monday June 26 2017, @06:39PM (6 children)
I don't answer the phone any longer unless it's from someone I know. Period. Plus I disabled voicemail, so no one (even those I know) can leave messages.
That means I don't get any junk, and also means that my ability to get emergency stuff is also limited. Note that I don't block texts. I do share, with a very limited few, my real email address.
The upside is glorious. I add anyone whose number I don't recognize to a "junk" list that goes straight to the nonexistent voicemail, so no one ever gets to ring my phone more than once.
The sad reality is that voice calling, like paper mail, is dead. Use it only for very limited purposes.
(Score: 0, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 26 2017, @07:21PM
Not drastic enough. I just stopped talking to people. I especially stopped talking to people I know.
I don't have a phone and I don't use email and I'm not on social media.
I live under a bridge and I don't interact with society at all.
The end result is I'm a hobo. And I'm so happy!
(Score: 2) by captain normal on Tuesday June 27 2017, @01:29AM
To quote a notorious right wing nut job, "Ditto".
Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts"- --Daniel Patrick Moynihan--
(Score: 2) by davester666 on Tuesday June 27 2017, @05:54AM (1 child)
Phone scams aren't stopped because the medium used, namely the phone lines, make more money because the calls take place. They get paid for every call.
The "free market" solution would be for you to pay your phone company to block them.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 27 2017, @12:08PM
Yeah, no. There can't be a free market with a monopoly imposed (or competition prohibited) by government guns.
One of many truly free-market solutions would involve boutique providers that include additional data tied to the funding network source of the originating phone call, and offering tools to allow users to route calls making use of said data. Not entirely dissimilar from how many US Internet networks drop all traffic from China entirely.
(Score: 3, Funny) by jdavidb on Tuesday June 27 2017, @02:14PM
I agree with everything you wrote except that I do not agree that voice calling being dead is sad. I'm overjoyed.
ⓋⒶ☮✝🕊 Secession is the right of all sentient beings
(Score: 2) by driverless on Wednesday June 28 2017, @11:02AM
Ivan Danko: Chinese find way. Right after revolution, they round up all phone scammers, all phone scam funders, take them to public square, and shoot them in back of head.
Art Ridzik: Ah, it'd never work here. Fucking politicians wouldn't go for it.
Ivan Danko: Shoot them first.