TECH
FRUSTRATED WITH AUTOMATED PHONE MESSAGES? By Genny Tech
I
f you have a phone, even a land line, you’ve been robocalled.
Maybe the number popped up as your own, which is always a bit creepy. Perhaps you answered because the caller ID showed a phone number with a local area code. But instead of a neighbor’s voice, you heard a recording of a woman explaining how she can help with all that money you allegedly owe the IRS (the woman is always remarkably chipper given the bad news she delivers). Occasionally, people are told a court has ordered them to pay money to resolve litigation, an especially odd call for those who have never sued or been sued. Phone scams go all the way back to 1888 when the phone was such cutting-edge tech that only the wealthiest people had one. And as the phone technology evolved, so did the scams,
until eventually we ended up with the robocall. Today, it’s the Internet that enables robocalls to exist because that’s how most calls are now connected. But how did robots get your phone number?
There are different kinds of robocalls but the basic technology that enables them is the same. An automated system, often overseas, gets phone numbers from marketing lists, data leaks (like when a hotel’s records are hacked) or public records. The system, run by just one or a few individuals, calls up to millions of people every day. And although the vast majority of people receiving these calls hang up, don’t answer or block the call, enough people pay the alleged “debt” that robocalling is obscenely profitable for scammers. There have been attempts to thwart the insidious, automated evil that buzzes your phone throughout the day.
Robocalls are one of the few things Congress agrees on so they have closed a loophole scammers used by updating some language in existing laws. Lawmakers are also flirting with the idea of levying fines on robocallers and passing laws that would make cooperating with other countries to stop robocalling operations easier. In the past two months, significant new legislation is in the forefront for carriers to provide relief. The FCC is mostly on board, too. Taking a James Bond approach, the FCC worked with telecom companies to develop a way to authenticate phone numbers using what’s known as the SHAKEN/STIR protocols and encourages phone companies to adopt them. Meanwhile, there are some things you can do to protect yourself. AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile all have an app for that and usually it’s already turned on for you. Check with your carrier.
But if calls are still getting through or you want more customization, other apps like Robokiller are available for both Android and iPhone users. There’s a “National Do Not Call Registry,” although be warned that it is not as robust an action as it used to be. You can follow the guidelines in a list from the FCC, which you can find at www. fcc.gov/consumers/guides and search for robocall help guides. Finally, no matter how tempting, don’t engage with robocallers! GenTech is a full service, tech help center. 402 E Greenway Parkway, Phoenix. 602-374-5624 gentechsupport.com
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