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Complaints about automated telemarketing calls jumped steeply last year, and have quintupled since 2009, according to a recent FTC report. The report says that in fiscal year 2017, the agency received over 375,000 complaints per month about automated robocalls, up from only 63,000 per month in 2009. That’s a total of 4.5 million robocall complaints, plus an additional 2.5 million complaints about live telemarketing calls. For comparison, there were 3.4 million robocalls and 1.8 million live calls in 2016. (The FCC also regulates robocalls, but has received far fewer complaints — only 185,000 since August of 2016.)
The report says that robocalls are steadily increasing because of cheap access to internet calling services and autodialing, and because it’s getting easier for spammers to hide their true identity and location. People reported more “neighborhood” number spoofing, where calls appear to come from a local area code, in 2017. The most popular topic by far, according to complaint responses, was debt reduction. People also reported spam calls about vacations and timeshares; warranties and protection plans; prescription medication; and “imposter” calls ostensibly from businesses, the government, or family and friends.
https://www.theverge.com/2018/1/1/16837814/robocall-spam-phone-call-increase-2017-ftc-report
(Score: 4, Interesting) by Snotnose on Tuesday January 02 2018, @11:42PM (8 children)
What happens in an emergency when someone on your approved list needs to contact you from a phone you don't know?
I'm more on the side of the guy a couple posts up: summary execution, especially the shitass politicians who make them after exempting themselves from the rule.
When the dust settled America realized it was saved by a porn star.
(Score: 3, Informative) by Justin Case on Tuesday January 02 2018, @11:47PM (6 children)
Hasn't happened yet, but if it were a really serious emergency I hope they'd call 911.
If I (could / bothered to) take advantage of all the capabilities of the computer in my phone, I'd make it require a user ID and password (or similar) on every call. In that case, the (easily faked) caller-ID wouldn't matter.
I mean, I don't let just anyone demand resources from my server, why should my phone be any different?
(Score: 2) by Snotnose on Wednesday January 03 2018, @12:25AM (5 children)
That whooshing sound you just heard was my entire point flying over your head. 911 has already been called. Parent/child is dying, can't use the cellphone for reasons, but they have your phone number.
When the dust settled America realized it was saved by a porn star.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Justin Case on Wednesday January 03 2018, @12:34AM (3 children)
Probably not much I can do about it. Call 911. I'm sure I'll find out eventually.
Again, I didn't claim this would work for you. But it works great for me.
The phone used to be a useful communications device. Advertisers have almost completely ruined it, like email, and those un-skippable things at the beginning of a DVD, and pay TV channels, and... everything they touch. Fire is too good for them.
(Score: 2) by Snotnose on Wednesday January 03 2018, @02:24AM (2 children)
That's cold. You don't have a single person in your life that, if they had a major emergency, wanted you there, and couldn't use their cellphone for reasons.
Sad. I hate to trump the cheeto in charge, but sad.
When the dust settled America realized it was saved by a porn star.
(Score: 2) by Snotnose on Wednesday January 03 2018, @02:29AM
Forgot to say: 911 was called yesterday.
/ I like to think I don't have any friends that think like you do
// Dad's going to die alone, and it will take us 3-4 days to find him. But that's how he wants it and, well, we all can't visit him every day
/// FFS, if my sister finds dad and her cellphone ain't working I'll be pissed as hell if she doesn't borrow a neighbor's phone
//// and Vice Versa.
When the dust settled America realized it was saved by a porn star.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 03 2018, @02:43AM
My sisters friend pull that 'but what if it was an emergency' shit on me at 3AM once. I had just got off the phone from using the net. She apparently had been calling every 5 mins for 4 hours straight. "what if it was an emergency?" "call 911" then I hung up on her.
My phone is at my pleasure. Not yours.
(Score: 1) by tftp on Wednesday January 03 2018, @01:24AM
I have a system similar to Justin's. However every caller is allowed to leave voicemail, even if my phone does not ring. Spammers very, very rarely fo that - the only time it happened was a piece of an ad speech, meaning that the robot was broken. The parent/child in your example can leave a message. If there is sound associated with this event, the phone beeps and the owner can check it immediately.
(Score: 2) by chewbacon on Wednesday January 03 2018, @04:52PM
They’re just fucked. Shame on them for not calling from an approved device.