What Can You Do to Stop Junk Faxes?

olddoc asks: "I am having a growing problem with junk faxes. Unlike email, it costs me money when I get a fax so junk faxes really tick me off. A while ago, I gave my number to a removal number and now I am getting more junk faxes than ever." What options are there for dealing with this? If you've also had this problem, what did you do and how effective was it in stopping unwanted faxes?

Comments

Get Rid of it.

[Drexus]

We had junk faxes to the amount that it represented 90% of what it was used for. Then we got rid of it. If they can't email it, mail it, or call us. Then we don't want their business.

I hope you don't pile on to those

[artifex2004]

Also, you could publish their phone/fax number on the Internet. I've seen forums that where this is done, and it becomes kind of a DOS attach against businesses who appear to ignore the DNC list in their telephone spaming.

How do you know the submitter is not a competitor or otherwise has malicious intent? Let the law handle it, don't do the same thing you're accusing them of doing. What's the difference between you? Intention means nothing when the actions are the same.

Nice urban legend

[zoikes]

Nice idea, but it never happened... i defy you to find a usable fax number on any of the junk faxes you receive.

Another story in a similar vein is slapping those business-reply-by-mail envelopes on a brick -- recepient pays ALL necessary postage. :)

Re:hit em back

[cskrat]

For all the suggestions that eating their toner is a nice way to retaliate.

I seriously doubt it. They are most likely using an auto-dialing script on a PC fax-modem so that they can cut out the cost and hassle associated with having a live person man the fax machine feeding it junk all day. And if you can actually get through to send a fax in the 1/2 second between numbers on the script, your fax will either be deleted, ignored or treated as a confirmation that your number works without ever going to paper.

You can bet these spammers have put more thought into what you can do to them than you have and have even experienced attempts at retaliation from other persons like minded to yourself. As such don't expect them to be vulnerable to such naive attempts at breaking their system. The best recourse is going to be either changing your number, setting up electronic reception of faxes or contacting relevant and credible legal authorities.

Re:Solution

[DarkFencer]

I'd imagine these Fax Spammers are using computers with modems to do the dialing so if a fax is 'sent' back to them (assuming they even receive faxes) they will probably go into the bit bucket - not cause an actual printout.