How many robocalls do you get each weekday?

[InfoGuy]

Lately, I've been getting 20+ robocalls per weekday, which is extremely disruptive to my productivity.

Blocking and Tackling Robocalls (FCC Blog)

May 15, 2019 - 3:50 pm
By Ajit Pai | FCC Chairman

“[R]obocalls … have become a become a major nuisance to the point where I don’t answer any calls unless I know the number — and [I] have missed some very important calls … because of that.”

“I receive so many robocalls that I don’t answer the phone unless I recognize the number.”

“I now find that my cell phone is becoming useless as a telephone.”

This is just a sample of the roughly 630 complaints that the FCC receives about unwanted robocalls each day. Like me, the American people are fed up with this flood of annoying calls. So on June 6, at our monthly meeting, the FCC will vote on giving them some much-needed relief.

Combatting the scourge of unwanted robocalls has topped my consumer protection agenda since I became FCC Chairman. And that’s why we’ve taken many steps to fight these calls. We’ve authorized carriers to block robocalls from certain spoofed numbers. We’ve authorized the creation of a reassigned numbers database. We’ve taken aggressive enforcement action against those who unleash robocalls on consumers. We’ve demanded that phone carriers establish a robust call-authentication framework by the end of this year. And we have been working with Congress on much-needed, bipartisan anti-robocall legislation, like the TRACED Act and the STOP Robocalls Act.

But this isn’t an easy problem to solve, and we always need to be thinking about what more we can do. For example, call-blocking services use analytics to identify and filter out unwanted calls. They can be a powerful weapon in the fight against robocalls, just as email providers routinely filter junk messages into your spam folder. But call-blocking services aren’t very common because they’re only offered on an opt-in basis. In other words, consumers have to actively reach out to their voice service provider to have blocking activated. Few do, and the tide of robocalls keeps coming in.

Thankfully, the FCC can change this. So at our June meeting, we’ll vote on a declaratory ruling that would allow phone companies to implement strong call-blocking services as the default setting for their customers. Basically, instead of being offered call blocking on an opt-in basis, carriers could provide block calls unless you affirmatively opt-out. This could mean a major reduction in robocalls, as call blocking would become the rule, not the exception.

This ruling would also make clear that phone companies can allow consumers to use their own contacts as a “white list.” That means your phone is only going to ring if the call is coming from somebody in your list of contacts. The item also proposes a safe harbor for carriers that block phone calls that aren’t properly authenticated once the call authentication system (called SHAKEN/STIR) is up and running.

[onwebcam]

Being able to block should be mandatory. It still won't stop it because they use so many numbers in call centers but you can at least slow the roll. Kinda like a wall.

[crockett]

It comes and goes.. This week not a single one.. but some weeks its 1 to 3 a day. The last group were all from Lithuania.. 1st time that's happened


I have ability to block them on my cell so that helps but I still see they called.

[dillfly2000]

I never answer my phone. Everything to voice mail.

But i have been getting a lot of fake Canada Revenue Service calls threatening that
(cue Indian accent)
"We will going to have to be arresting you"

[GAMEFINEST]

not much here

[davidCRM]

maybe one per month or even less.

[pimpmaster9000]

indians...

[bronco67]

I use an app called "Should I answer?" and it's doing a pretty good job of blocking about 60% of the calls. That's better than nothing.

[pimpmaster9000]

I never listen to what the robo calls say but somebody should make a counter app that wastes their time back...

[Busty2]

I wonder if the number that shows up on the phone are in fact real. I get about 4-6 a day except on Sundays which i guess they respect. But mostly local #s when i look in my blocked # file i can see more than 1000 blocked # How the fuck do they have so many #s available. They cost money to rent dont they ?

[Grapesoda]

Originally Posted by InfoGuy

Lately, I've been getting 20+ robocalls per weekday, which is extremely disruptive to my productivity.

Blocking and Tackling Robocalls (FCC Blog)

yeah my phone is worthless as a communication tool... text only these days. Dean Capture pointed out they are pulling from the 'who is' data base...

[CurrentlySober]

None ever... I feel quite left out...

[Rochard]

I get two or three a day. I have an app called Robokiller or something that blocks most of them.

I have my old 623 area code Phoenix number, and I haven't lived there in over a decade. All of the calls I get these days come from the 623 area code. However, it's easier to answer them and then hang up instead of them leaving me a voice mail.

[newB]

Originally Posted by crucifissio

I never listen to what the robo calls say but somebody should make a counter app that wastes their time back...

That's what I've started doing. I answer, click the number to talk to someone then set the phone down. It gives me a warm satisfaction to hear them asking 'hello? hello?' as I go about my business. My personal record, so far, is 14 minutes. Since doing this, I went from getting 2-3/day to about 1/week.

[The Porn Nerd]

In New York City it's a real epidemic! Every single day I get several robo calls. I never answer them but they keep on a-comin'. They even spoof your own phone number to make you think it's someone you know calling, etc. Many are Chinese for some reason.

[crockett]

Originally Posted by Rochard

I get two or three a day. I have an app called Robokiller or something that blocks most of them.

I have my old 623 area code Phoenix number, and I haven't lived there in over a decade. All of the calls I get these days come from the 623 area code. However, it's easier to answer them and then hang up instead of them leaving me a voice mail.

This is same as me, I have my old 321 area code so these robots calls are always 321 so they are easy to spot and not answer.

[Bladewire]

Originally Posted by crockett

This is same as me, I have my old 321 area code so these robots calls are always 321 so they are easy to spot and not answer.

Strange how they do that with local prefixes because all the people you know locally you'll be able to discern the people you know calling :2 center:

[InfoGuy]

Originally Posted by crucifissio

indians...

When I have actually picked up the phone and talked to them, they often have a heavy Indian accent with lots of call center background noise, And whenever I get spam email about web design or SEO, it's usually from someone named Singh, Kumar, Gupta, Patel or Rao.

Originally Posted by bronco67

I use an app called "Should I answer?" and it's doing a pretty good job of blocking about 60% of the calls. That's better than nothing.

Both my mobile and landline phones do a good job at blocking past callers, but without a better solution to try to block nearly unlimited possible phone number combinations, it's like playing Whack-a-Mole.

Originally Posted by Busty2

I wonder if the number that shows up on the phone are in fact real. I get about 4-6 a day except on Sundays which i guess they respect. But mostly local #s when i look in my blocked # file i can see more than 1000 blocked # How the fuck do they have so many #s available. They cost money to rent dont they ?

Many of the numbers are spoofed to give the impression it is from a neighbor/local call. Robocalls originate from VOIP, which is extremely cheap and spoofing the numbers when using VOIP is as easy as spoofing email senders. Some originating numbers are obviously fake and invalid, such as when the first number after the area code is a 0 or 1.

Originally Posted by Grapesoda

yeah my phone is worthless as a communication tool... text only these days. Dean Capture pointed out they are pulling from the 'who is' data base...

A substantial number of robocalls that I get are definitely from scum who harvest WHOIS data. While WHOIS privacy services would help cut down the number of robocalls, technically someone else owns the domain if privacy is used.

Originally Posted by newB

That's what I've started doing. I answer, click the number to talk to someone then set the phone down. It gives me a warm satisfaction to hear them asking 'hello? hello?' as I go about my business. My personal record, so far, is 14 minutes. Since doing this, I went from getting 2-3/day to about 1/week.

14 minutes is impressive! I've done the same when they ask for the owner. I make up some excuse that they're on the phone or with a customer. Then I put them on hold. If they stay on the line after a couple of minutes, I'll tell them to be patient and make them wait some more.