This happened two weeks ago, but for some reason Bloomberg wrote about it today:
The Federal Communications Commission has ordered phone companies to stop carrying traffic related to robocalls about scam auto warranties.
US voice service providers must now “take all necessary steps to avoid carrying this robocall traffic,” or provide a report outlining how they’re mitigating the traffic, the FFC’s Robocall Response Team said in a statement on Thursday. “Consumers are out of patience and I’m right there with them,” FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said in the statement.
I have questions. First of all, why did it take Rosenworcel so long to run out of patience? The rest of us have been sick of this scam for years.
Second, and more important: wtf? Is this all it takes to stop spam? Just issue an order telling phone companies to stop carrying it? I mean, if that's all it takes then I have a long list of spam calls that I would like to order phone companies to stop carrying.
This statement from the FCC might shed some light on the matter:
The FCC and its partners believe upwards of eight billion robocalls have been generated by Roy Cox, Jr., Aaron Michael Jones, their Sumco Panama companies, and international associates....The Cox/Jones/Sumco Panama operation appears to be responsible for making more than eight billion unlawful prerecorded message calls to American consumers since at least 2018. The robocalls include prerecorded messages marketing vehicle service warranties. The messages encouraged call recipients to follow prompts to speak with a “warranty specialist” about extending or reinstating their car warranty.
Apparently this enforcement action became possible after the FCC (in cooperation with the Ohio Attorney General) figured out who was responsible for the calls and where they originated from. Without that, I suppose there's nothing much they can do.
Oh well. I'm sure Cox and Jones are on to their next scam already.
Great! Now let's do the one that includes "... heathcare cosrs." It's all that makes it onto my recorder, because the spam filter catches it early. I had been getting 2-5 of those PER DAY.
Spam calls have rendered phones useless. I blocked incoming calls from unrecognized numbers a long time ago. The problem is when a legitimate service tries to call you to confirm or change an appointment, frx, but then they call from a different number than what you have listed and they can't get through. These folks are the scourge of the earth.
I agree! There was a brief, yet bright and shining moment, when having a phone you could carry with you and use from anywhere was a great thing! Now it "rings" all day, with little else but garbage robocalls and spammers operating out of India.
Sadly, I can't just block them all. My cell is the business line.
On March 10, 1876, Alexander Graham Bell called to his assistant, completing the first telephone call: "Mr. Watson, come here. I want to see you."
On March 11th, Bell received a call from "The Auto Service Bureau" offering to extend his warranty on his car.
Like +10.
I wonder whether if this is the same Roy M. Cox, Jr. who was "Banned From Telemarketing in Settlement with FTC" in 2013?
https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2013/02/robocaller-banned-telemarketing-settlement-ftc
Also Aaron Michael Jones was fined almost $3million in 2017: https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2017/06/ftc-obtains-court-judgments-against-california-based-robocallers-who-placed-billions-illegal-calls
What's up that people who were already caught and already had strict court orders against them have been caught again?
How about we make a law with a mandatory minimum sentence of life without parole for anyone who makes more than 100 illegitimate phone calls?
If you're including ex-girlfriends in that I think it's a bit harsh. A little.
Pingback: Bye bye to all robocalls? – Kevin Drum
Bloomberg is writing about two distinct events at the FCC that happened two weeks apart. On July 7, the FCC issued 8 C&D letters to multiple entities including 8 VoIP providers. The letters basically told them they had 14 days to clean up their act, otherwise the FCC would order all US carriers to block their traffic.
Yesterday, after the VoIP providers failed to respond, the FCC issued the order referenced in the Bloomberg article that gave the greenlight for the blocking. The relevant links are provided below.
July 7 Letters and Public Notice: https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-takes-actions-against-auto-warranty-scam-robocall-campaign
July 21 Order: https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-orders-blocking-auto-warranty-robocall-scam-campaign
Apparently this enforcement action became possible after the FCC (in cooperation with the Ohio Attorney General) figured out who was responsible for the calls and where they originated from.
Can't phone companies trace where calls they're carrying are coming from? Or are they hidden behind so many spoofing devices that it's impossible to tell? Also, these guys don't need to be fined or prohibited from making calls or whatever weak-ass penalties they got before, which obviously weren't a deterrent. They need to do hard time. Probably in a protective unit after the other inmates find out what they're in for.