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posted by martyb on Monday June 26 2017, @06:35PM   Printer-friendly
from the Betteridge-says-No? dept.

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.

https://theconversation.com/phone-scams-cost-billions-why-isnt-technology-being-used-to-stop-them-80049

Do you have suggestions on how these scams could be stopped ?


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  • (Score: 2, Troll) by LoRdTAW on Monday June 26 2017, @06:47PM (22 children)

    by LoRdTAW (3755) on Monday June 26 2017, @06:47PM (#531462) Journal

    Do you have suggestions on how these scams could be stopped ?

    Kill all humans. Until then, you can't stop greed.

    Starting Score:    1  point
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  • (Score: 0, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 26 2017, @07:23PM (17 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 26 2017, @07:23PM (#531477)

    You are greedy in that you want a phone service without spam; you want to dominate the would-be spammers; you want to be famous for killing the problem; you want people to pay you respect or, even better, money for solving this problem for them; you want to go down in the history books; you want to add a nice paragraph to your Wikipedia page.

    So, why don't you and others innovate a solution to this age-old problem? The answer is simple: You are coerced to support the very telecom tech that irritates you; governments not only created the monopolies that run this tech, but they also protect them from facing the consequences of not meeting the needs of those greedy innovators who dwell in the market.

    • Greed is innovative when forbidden the leverage of coercion.
    • Greed is nasty when built atop a foundation of coercion.

    There needs to be a separation of business and state.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 26 2017, @07:28PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 26 2017, @07:28PM (#531480)

      Found John Galt.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 26 2017, @07:31PM (1 child)

      by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 26 2017, @07:31PM (#531482)

      People will respond by saying "I'd like to solve the problem just to feel good about making the world a better place", but that's still greed: People are searching for that high one gets when one knows one has done well by others.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 26 2017, @07:41PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 26 2017, @07:41PM (#531487)

        Very few people are searching for the pure satisfaction of having done the world a favor, because the reward for selfless altruism is unending exploitation. Once someone discovers you're willing to work for free, you can expect everyone to dump all their shitwork on you, because you're obviously fucking worthless and deserve to be treated like shit.

    • (Score: 0, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 26 2017, @07:56PM (3 children)

      by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 26 2017, @07:56PM (#531497)

      Assholes.

      • (Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 26 2017, @08:01PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 26 2017, @08:01PM (#531501)

        What else to expect from the ASSHOLE NIGGERS of SHITSTAIN NEWS.

      • (Score: -1, Redundant) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 26 2017, @08:17PM (1 child)

        by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 26 2017, @08:17PM (#531511)

        Wow, I did not realize we had some TRULY fucking nutsos here.

        Time to leave, fuck it I'm done, blacklisting soylentnews.org to save myself from my own bad judgment.

        • (Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 26 2017, @08:30PM

          by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 26 2017, @08:30PM (#531517)

          Bye, ASSHOLE!!!!

          Don't accidentally your own ass on your way out!

    • (Score: -1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 26 2017, @08:00PM (7 children)

      by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 26 2017, @08:00PM (#531500)

      It's on topic, you illiterate assholes; pick another downmod qualifier.

      -----

      You are greedy in that you want a phone service without spam; you want to dominate the would-be spammers; you want to be famous for killing the problem; you want people to pay you respect or, even better, money for solving this problem for them; you want to go down in the history books; you want to add a nice paragraph to your Wikipedia page.

      So, why don't you and others innovate a solution to this age-old problem? The answer is simple: You are coerced to support the very telecom tech that irritates you; governments not only created the monopolies that run this tech, but they also protect them from facing the consequences of not meeting the needs of those greedy innovators who dwell in the market.

      • Greed is innovative when forbidden the leverage of coercion.
      • Greed is nasty when built atop a foundation of coercion.

      There needs to be a separation of business and state.

      • (Score: 0, Disagree) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 26 2017, @08:14PM (6 children)

        by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 26 2017, @08:14PM (#531508)

        How about (-1: Discredited By History)

        We're living right now in a Randian paradise where tech moguls pay the absolute minimum for labor and don't pay any tax. As a direct result of not taxing the rich, we have the Greatest Recession since the Great Depression. The epitome of greed is a society where millennial billionaire techbros go on record as saying on social media, why won't the poor, the old, and the jobless just fucking die already.

        • (Score: 2, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 26 2017, @08:53PM (2 children)

          by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 26 2017, @08:53PM (#531526)

          Recent history has proven that we are NOT in a "Randian" paradise; sorry, pal, but bailouts of centrally-managed fiat banking, economic "stimulus", etc., is the exact opposite of a world based on rigorous, free-market contract negotiation, dispute resolution, and enforcement.

          • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 26 2017, @09:14PM (1 child)

            by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 26 2017, @09:14PM (#531546)

            I'm living in the real world where Apple has a cash reserve of $250 billion and pays tax at a effective rate of 0.1%.

            • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 27 2017, @12:47AM

              by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 27 2017, @12:47AM (#531678)

              That's why I give Apple my money. They are much better at managing it than I am.

        • (Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Tuesday June 27 2017, @10:23AM (2 children)

          Learn your shit before spouting off. Rand was vehemently against buying and selling legislative and bureaucratic pull in order to tilt the playing field in your favor like we currently have.

          --
          My rights don't end where your fear begins.
          • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 27 2017, @03:16PM

            by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 27 2017, @03:16PM (#531937)

            Rand was also a welfare mooch

          • (Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 27 2017, @04:08PM

            by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 27 2017, @04:08PM (#531979)

            Ooooooh you're a randian? Not that I should be surprised in the slightest, it totally fits. But something about hearing you quote scripture just really slams the point home.

            "Learn your shit" is laughable coming from you.

    • (Score: 3, Informative) by LoRdTAW on Monday June 26 2017, @11:56PM

      by LoRdTAW (3755) on Monday June 26 2017, @11:56PM (#531648) Journal

      The reason everyone is riding your ass is because you're talking about spam. This article is about scam.

    • (Score: 2, Offtopic) by fido_dogstoyevsky on Tuesday June 27 2017, @12:45AM

      by fido_dogstoyevsky (131) <axehandleNO@SPAMgmail.com> on Tuesday June 27 2017, @12:45AM (#531675)

      I disagree with much of what you say in your ON TOPIC post.

      --
      It's NOT a conspiracy... it's a plot.
  • (Score: -1, Spam) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 26 2017, @08:06PM (2 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 26 2017, @08:06PM (#531505)

    It's on topic, you illiterate assholes; pick another downmod qualifier.

    I mean, seriously, you gave "informative" (!) to "Kill all humans. Until then, you can't stop greed." Pig fuckers.

    -----------------

    You are greedy in that you want a phone service without spam; you want to dominate the would-be spammers; you want to be famous for killing the problem; you want people to pay you respect or, even better, money for solving this problem for them; you want to go down in the history books; you want to add a nice paragraph to your Wikipedia page.

    So, why don't you and others innovate a solution to this age-old problem? The answer is simple: You are coerced to support the very telecom tech that irritates you; governments not only created the monopolies that run this tech, but they also protect them from facing the consequences of not meeting the needs of those greedy innovators who dwell in the market.

    • Greed is innovative when forbidden the leverage of coercion.
    • Greed is nasty when built atop a foundation of coercion.

    There needs to be a separation of business and state.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 26 2017, @08:16PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 26 2017, @08:16PM (#531509)

      Spam! Spam! Spam!

      Damn, now I'm hungry.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 26 2017, @08:28PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 26 2017, @08:28PM (#531515)

      Wow, you're more fun than a barrel of monkeys.

  • (Score: -1, Redundant) by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 26 2017, @08:55PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday June 26 2017, @08:55PM (#531528)

    It's on topic, you illiterate assholes; pick another downmod qualifier.

    I mean, seriously, you gave "informative" (!) to "Kill all humans. Until then, you can't stop greed." Pig fuckers.

    -----------------

    You are greedy in that you want a phone service without spam; you want to dominate the would-be spammers; you want to be famous for killing the problem; you want people to pay you respect or, even better, money for solving this problem for them; you want to go down in the history books; you want to add a nice paragraph to your Wikipedia page.

    So, why don't you and others innovate a solution to this age-old problem? The answer is simple: You are coerced to support the very telecom tech that irritates you; governments not only created the monopolies that run this tech, but they also protect them from facing the consequences of not meeting the needs of those greedy innovators who dwell in the market.

    • Greed is innovative when forbidden the leverage of coercion.
    • Greed is nasty when built atop a foundation of coercion.

    There needs to be a separation of business and state.