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FTC Announces $50k In Prizes For Robocaller Trap Software

Posted by timothy on from the looking-at-your-karen-from-the-service-department dept.

crazyhorse44 that the Federal Trade Commission announced this week that it is launching two new robocall contests challenging the public to develop a crowd-source honeypot and better analyze data from an existing honeypot. A honeypot is an information system that may be used by government, private and academic partners to lure and analyze robocalls. The challenges are part of the FTC's long-term multi-pronged effort to combat illegal robocallers and contestants of one of the challenges will compete for $25,000 in a top prize. As part of Robocalls: Humanity Strikes Back, the FTC is asking contestants to create a technical solution for consumers that will identify unwanted robocalls received on landlines or mobile phones, and block and forward those calls to a honeypot. A qualifying phase [launched Wednesday] and runs through June 15, 2015 at 10:00 p.m. ET; and a second and final phase concludes at DEF CON 23 on Aug. 9, 2015.

7 of 79 comments (clear)

  1. Dial *666 by Macdude · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Have the phone companies implement a *666 system. After receiving a robocall the recipient hangs, then picks up and dials *666. The phone company keeps a count and reports numbers with some large number of *666 reports to drone death-squads.

    That last bit might be a tad extreme...

    --
    "Grab them by the pussy" -- President of the United States of America
    1. Re:Dial *666 by germansausage · · Score: 4, Funny

      "That last bit might be a tad extreme..."- Saturation kinetic bombardment from orbit, followed by mop-up squads with flamethrowers and nerve gas. It might cost a little more, but it sends a message.

    2. Re:Dial *666 by wiredlogic · · Score: 4, Insightful

      It would also help to have mandatory, accurate caller ID that can't be spoofed or monkeyed with.

      --
      I am becoming gerund, destroyer of verbs.
  2. simple solutions are always the least popular. by nimbius · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The FTC's best solution is to investigate these robocalls with their own system of honeypots. order a product from the caller, set up a sting, and sentence a CEO and a few managers to some hard time in prison. but thats punishing success and in americas land of the fee and home of the paid, we're all about the invisible hand of the market.

    --
    Good people go to bed earlier.
  3. my solution by slashmydots · · Score: 4, Funny

    Way ahead of you there. My spam call trap is called me. When I answer, suddenly I go from Wisconsin suburban turbo-white computer repair to solomente hablamos en espanol. Then when they apologize and transfer me to their spanish department, suddenly, I only speak english.

    1. Re:my solution by Checkered+Daemon · · Score: 5, Interesting

      My solution is also me. I answer all robocalls (even the pre-recorded ones) with "Hello. This call is being recorded". I've quickly gone from around 3 or 4 a day to almost zero. Guess they're scared of the fines, and it looks like they share information on who's after them.

  4. Fix Caller ID and monitor exchanges by buckfeta2014 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    First off, fix Caller ID so people can't spoof their phone numbers. Even if people use the private number feature, the phone company knows who made the call. Secondly, monitor exchanges for both high outgoing volume and high incoming volume (and especially sequential dialing) to find potential robocallers and telemarketers. Problem solved.

    --
    Buck Feta. You know what to do.