There has got to be a better way to stop Spam / Telemarketer / Fraud Calls and Texts on the Cell Networks.
I recently received 14 spam/fraud calls in just 3 days! This is bordering on harassment.
What these Spam/Fraud/Telemarketers do is use a service like Google to create a random phone number they can call from (often they will try to match the target’s area code so it looks like its a local call to the target). This way when their number they’re calling from is blocked - by the network or user, the next time they try they use another Google randomly generated number and the call makes it through.
There has to be a better way.
get rid of randomly generated phone numbers - go after Google and others who use this feature
shut down Goggle’s and other bad actor’s ability to create randomly generated numbers. Penalize them if they try.
Work with the carriers to detect and block the company’s doing this on their cell networks. Again, stiff penalties when they try.
Improve AI to detect this activity and shut it down on Network Servers.
I logged onto this forum this morning to request the same thing! The spam calls have gotten much worse lately and even though I am paying extra each month for spam filtering, these robo calls come from all different numbers and most are still coming through the filter. We all have enough stress in our lives. I am so sick and tired of getting multiple spam calls every single day.
I signed up on the “do not call” registry many years ago. It doesn’t seem to have helped.
I hear you @Nieceharr ! I also signed up on the Do Not Call registry. I think if the FCC were to go after the companies like Google who offer the ‘rotating’ number and banish it, we could make some progress - at least then we/the cell networks could go after the numbers that are consistently abusing the system.
Great suggestion. This may sound unkind but I am close to cursing out every caller. If everyone cursed out the callers, perhaps they would consider getting a job where they aren’t infuriating complete strangers.
I work in the industry, and have long been championing for reform. That reform has actually come, in the form of a regulation called “STIRR/SHAKEN”. The purpose of the regulation is to register the phone companies in the US, and give them an authentication “key” to mark all calls originating on their system.
The problem with most of these fraudulent calls is they are coming from outside the US, and thus outside the reach of the FCC/FTC/DOJ. That is why STIRR/SHAKEN has provisions to flag calls originating from outside the US. Likewise it has enforcement actions to allow the FCC/DOJ to pursuit the “gateway” phone companies that connect calls from outside the US to the US network, going as far as disconnecting those gateway companies from the US network (and they have disconnected several, along with millions of dollars in fines to the operators).
Since the phone companies have to register and get a “key”, it’s not like a new one can quickly pop up to replace a company shut down - the problem lies in that the FCC enforcement bureau doesn’t have the resources (personnel) to investigate all of these bad actors, so while they are trying to stop the flow, they’re going after the worst of the worst right now, but there are plenty more that continue to operate but are on thin ice because the investigators haven’t got to them yet.