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VoIP to Fuel Plague of 'Dialing for Dollars'/Spam

Posted by timothy on from the this-is-a-discourtesy-call dept.

Ant writes "Broadband Reports says Internet News is exploring how telemarketers world-wide are realizing they can dodge long-distance costs (and U.S. "Do Not Call" restraints) by voice spamming VoIP users. Different from SPIT (spam over internet telephony) because it's not automated, an analyst in the article predicts homes and businesses could see some 150 calls a day from overseas call centers."

3 of 396 comments (clear)

  1. The ring that keeps on ringing by erick99 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I am surprised that this hasn't happened sooner but I believe it will happen. I wonder what sort of culture shock we will have when our home telephones are rendered useless because they ring non-stop? I am getting just over 400 email spam a day so 100 to 150 phone calls a day (especially at a cost of only a penny or so each according to the article) seems believable. While spam filtering rids me of all but two or three email spam a day in my inbox, is there a technology that will do the same for my home phone. God, this sure will be interesting (and yes, I understand I have employed a bit of hyperbole).

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    1. Re:The ring that keeps on ringing by dsginter · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Here's what I don't get:

      There exist many methods for anti-spam authentication. Why hasn't someone implemented one of them in an "Email 2.0" style service with the single feature being "not compatible with existing email, including spam"? After the first service opened up for business, there would be more. And more. Until Spam was gone for good.

      We can see that people are getting to the point of ditching it entirely so why not move to something that fixes the problem at the expense of backward compatibility? This befuddles me to no end. I'd sign up in a heartbeat and so would everyone email user that I know.

      Can we just FUCK backward compatibility for once? Why is it so damn important?

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  2. Not automated. Hmm by wowbagger · · Score: 5, Interesting

    So, when one of these turkeys calls me, I can keep them on the line until I traceroute where his call is coming from, then go after him and his ISP with any number of legal charges as well as possible DDoSs.

    Yes, that sounds like a GREAT way to make money.

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    www.eFax.com are spammers