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Leisher wrote: Congress looking to criminalize robocalls.

Who says Congress never does anything? Much less 15 to 20 years after they could have done this?

TheCatt wrote:

Leisher wrote: Congress looking to criminalize robocalls.

Who says Congress never does anything? Much less 15 to 20 years after they could have done this?

Right? And I'm certain political robocalls will be exempt.

Virtual Kidnappings.

Hung up incoming call scam.

If only the government could fix that phone thing. And maybe the telcos could off their asses too.

To be fair, if you read the article the telcoms have done stuff to remedy this sort of thing. I just don't think they've gotten the word out.

Leisher wrote: To be fair, if you read the article the telcoms have done stuff to remedy this sort of thing. I just don't think they've gotten the word out.

I do like the call screening feature on my Pixel, where it talks to the person for me and transcribes their response.

But that's an after-the-fact (call) solution. I never want my phone to ring from those people.

I'd like a "never accept a call originating overseas" option. Send it right to VM.

GORDON wrote: I'd like a "never accept a call originating overseas" option. Send it right to VM.

I want "this number is really the number that called you"

Both! And a flag if they tried to obfuscate it. Instant block.

TheCatt wrote:

GORDON wrote: I'd like a "never accept a call originating overseas" option. Send it right to VM.

I want "this number is really the number that called you"

That would kill the majority of business calls. Almost no business calls originate from the main number of the business they're coming from. They're all spoofed. Which I think is what makes it so hard to regulate this. They're annoying as hell, though.

I say too bad for that business. This problem is threatening to make voice technology unusable, if it hasnt already

GORDON wrote: I say too bad for that business. This problem is threatening to make voice technology unusable, if it hasnt already

Most, if not all of us here have worked at some level of tech support. I know I'm not the only one here that didn't give users my direct line except in very rare circumstances. This change would prevent help desks from calling the end user. They would only take incoming calls.

Vince wrote:

GORDON wrote: I say too bad for that business. This problem is threatening to make voice technology unusable, if it hasnt already

Most, if not all of us here have worked at some level of tech support. I know I'm not the only one here that didn't give users my direct line except in very rare circumstances. This change would prevent help desks from calling the end user. They would only take incoming calls.

I still feel like there'd be some way to validate that the own the trunk/whatever # on the call-back/call-out, rather than some random #, even with those systems.

TheCatt wrote: I still feel like there'd be some way to validate that the own the trunk/whatever # on the call-back/call-out, rather than some random #, even with those systems.

They probably could do that, but I'm not sure they can do it without replacing a crap ton of equipment at every facility (even the little brick building in every neighborhood). And I'm sure there are other legit applications of spoofing I'm not thinking of, but the Help Desk one I'm familiar with.

TheCatt wrote:

GORDON wrote: I'd like a "never accept a call originating overseas" option. Send it right to VM.

I want "this number is really the number that called you"

Yes! And I would take Gordo’s suggestion, but I can’t block international calls due to my job.

For the rest of the stuff...why not an exemption list for companies that file with the government? The lines you register cannot be used for marketing with heavy fines if you break this rule.

Cracking down on robocalls. A bullet in every head.

They're charging offenders, which will work exactly as well as the war on drugs.

GORDON wrote: They're charging offenders, which will work exactly as well as the war on drugs.

My cellphone gets very few. Maybe 1 in the past week? I've been using the google phone screen since it became available. Our house probably gets 1 a day. Which is still too many.