The Washington Post: The first rule of avoiding scam calls is to never answer unknown numbers, and even some known ones. Curious? Bored? Worried it’s an emergency? Wait the extra minute it takes for the call to go to voice mail, then decide if it’s legitimate.

The first rule of avoiding scam calls is to never answer unknown numbers, and even some known ones. Curious? Bored? Worried it’s an emergency? Wait the extra minute it takes for the call to go to voice mail, then decide if it’s legitimate.

Sick of scams? Stop answering your phone.www.washingtonpost.com Phone scams are still hugely popular — and they depend entirely on people curious enough to answer.

And we have officially ceded an entire communications medium to thieves because nobody can be arsed to do anything about it

Government exists to do just that but ours is so utterly broken by the plutocrats that nothing can happen anymore.

This one in particular baffles me because who the fuck is taking money from these scam companies? I think it’s more the GOP has gotten so deranged they have no idea how to even accomplish anything anymore, and will never let anything good happen on a democrat’s watch

idk i think it's less that they don't know how, or that they're taking money from the scammers, and more that doing something about it would cost money

No, it's that the Reagan-Republican belief is that government should never do anything good for anyone. If government is doing something that improves society, that's bad.

Also a problem in Australia. Few people use landlines anymore for a number of reasons, non stop scam calls being one. On mobile devices we either rely on spam detecting software or call screening. Needs addressing for sure. It's damaging society.

They've been trying, and some of it has gotten better, for example, we are getting closer to being able to trust caller id using STIR/SHAKEN www.fcc.gov/call-authent... and they are blocking most of the providers that enable it.

Combating Spoofed Robocalls with Caller ID Authenticationwww.fcc.gov Caller ID authorization is a new system aimed at combating illegal caller ID spoofing. Such a system is critical to protecting Americans from scam spoofed robocalls and would erode the ability of call...

Is the FCC one of the organizations that Trump wants to disband?

The current Republican party's ethos is don't allow anything that Democrats might get some credit for.

Maybe too simple an explanation, but I've wondered how much of it is because of our gerontocracy in congress. octogenarians who have no idea how email works much less phishing and cookie storage and no desire to learn so the rest of us are just stuck

“This thing I broke doesn’t work!”

Not sure about the %, but I'd wager majority of scam calls aren't from "companies" per se. They're overseas, often used by criminal orgs. My best guesses on why things don't change: - regulation is taboo - writing regulation that would end scam calls but allow for robo-donation calls would be hard.

I think it's a combination of the US government being mostly lazy or incompetent at implementing regulations, and that in India for example the government is often paid off to let the scam centers keep doing their thing

Thank Ajit Pai for killing Net Neutrality, otherwise maybe the FCC could have regulated this stuff

You'll probably be glad to know that the current administration of the FCC (far past Pai) voted to officially restore net neutrality, and if allowed to work will probably work at fixing this problem too.

i mean what's the other option, having the federal agency that is supposed to make sure that communications media are usable make sure that this communications medium is usable

I wrote a bill aiming to improve this a few years back and was told that people try basically every year, but it's impossible to do anything about it at the state level and very difficult at the federal level because they mainly originate outside of the US...

... and the tech is accessible enough that it's whack-a-mole/not worth the resources to prosecute. OTOH: the FCC did implement an authentication protocol to cut down on number spoofing, but it's still not everywhere...because requiring it would cost companies $ www.fcc.gov/call-authent...

Combating Spoofed Robocalls with Caller ID Authenticationwww.fcc.gov Caller ID authorization is a new system aimed at combating illegal caller ID spoofing. Such a system is critical to protecting Americans from scam spoofed robocalls and would erode the ability of call...

Legit though I appreciate your actual informed response!

I suppose getting that last bit done would do a lot, especially for the real terrible scams

Thank you so, so much for trying!!

I have noticed a sharp decline in spam calls and some of it is probably because of new features on my Google phone and some of it is because there is a little bit being done at the executive branch this past year.

But maga be like, "that's government overreach to not allow me to be scammed on my own phone!"

Seems like a real newspaper would lobby for what government and regulatory bodies could do to unfuck this but go on

Dear ignorant jerks, If you let an important call go to voicemail, it's not always a thing you can just call back. Sometimes it means you have to then request ANOTHER call and wait again. Also, f*&$ checking 15 voicemails a day. Use your paper to shame do-nothing politicians, not us.

hospital calls the day before a procedure to tell you the time to show up are a big problem. Just some random number and it changes over time.

and vice versa, scammers calling hospital numbers. We've missed urgent calls because the phone line is busy with scammers repeatedly calling.

Oh no, I was wondering if this was a thing that happens. 😰

I have refused to answer any unknown numbers for so long that about 2 years ago they gave up; I literally do not receive spam calls any longer - my phone hardly ever rings with anyone other than a human person actually trying to talk to me about something important.

that’s interesting maybe the fcc as a communications regulatory agency could regulate this form of communication

So this phone is for making calls but our only solution to crime taking it over is to ask customers to not use it.

And what if you're looking for a job? And what if you're dealing with multiple doctors offices? And what if you're running a class and get calls from students? And what if you just don't want to get 50 calls a day all trying to scam you?

What did you do when you didn't walk around with your phone in your pocket? Maybe you're just that young. Seriously, put the electronic devices down & step away. You'll be ok. If it's an emergency they'll immediately try again or at least leave a message.

No, they don't. I'm in my 40s and have severe health problems. The doctor's offices are auto-blocked by phone companies because they don't leave messages so they're marked as spam. My phone doesn't actually ring...at all. It goes to spam without ringing. I once had a surgery referral delayed months.

Did not know that. That's a problem. My doctor never bothers calling - just posts messages to MyChart & sends an emailing telling me to go read it.

My Chart is fantastic for existing doctors, but referrals typically make initial contact through phone calls. And of course I haven't entered them in as contacts and they often have dozens of numbers they might call from. This has become so ugly that my regular doctors need to schedule appts.

Last year, I saw five new specialists and each appointment was delayed by this phone hellscape. One of my rheumatology appointments, we spent 10 minutes trying to sort out why my referral had been cancelled because they said they were unable to get a hold of me on the phone. It never rang.

You’ve clearly not had to be on a years-long specialist waiting list hoping at any minute they’ll call with a chance to fill a cancelation slot and move your needed treatment up six months. Those folks only call once, and you better pick up.

You are correct. In the post I responded to I also say references to students & job searches... those were actually the ones I'm familiar with. Can't imagine why medical offices would be blocked.

You're wrong. If my kid's friend's parent is calling me to get permission for a thing, the opportunity for that thing might be over by the time I check all the messages and call back. That is a minor example, and it's not an emergency. But you're just so wrong. The world has changed, Gooneybird.

I'm old. I get annoyed when people I'm visiting with keep picking up their phone every few minutes while we're catching up.

That's fair, but not because you're old. It's rude to check your phone while in a live conversation. If it rings, and you are in a lifestyle that needs to answer calls, then excuse yourself and answer. That's not the discussion here, though.

I'm sorry that happens to you, but the inattentiveness of your acquaintances is unrelated to this. It could be a landline and the scam call problem would still apply.

LOL Look around you. Not unique to "my acquaintances". Today our surgeon general recommended a warning on electronic devices People having trouble connecting with their medical professionals is an issue FOMO driving people to pick up their device every time it rings or vibrates is also an issue

I am years, maybe decades ahead of this trend.

I’ve been screening my calls since I had my first landline.