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FCC Chair Wants Carriers To Block Robocalls From Spoofed Numbers (arstechnica.com)
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: The FCC in 2015 made it clear that voice service providers can offer call blocking tools to customers, but commissioners said at the time that more needed to be done about Caller ID spoofing. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai has now scheduled a preliminary vote for March 23 on new rules designed to solve the problem. "One particularly pernicious category of robocalls is spoofed robocalls -- i.e., robocalls where the caller ID is faked, hiding the caller's true identity," the proposal says. "Fraudsters bombard consumers' phones at all hours of the day with spoofed robocalls, which in some cases lure consumers into scams (e.g., when a caller claims to be collecting money owed to the Internal Revenue Service) or lead to identity theft." The proposed rules would let providers "block spoofed robocalls when the spoofed Caller ID can't possibly be valid." Providers would be able to block numbers that aren't valid under the North American Numbering Plan and block valid numbers that haven't been allocated to any phone company. They'd also be able to block valid numbers that have been allocated to a phone company but haven't been assigned to a subscriber. The proposal would also codify the FCC's previous guidance that phone companies can block calls when requested by the spoofed number's subscriber. The upcoming vote on March 23 is for a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), which means the rules won't take effect immediately. The FCC uses NPRMs to seek comment on proposals before issuing final rules.
There's no reason for companies to mask or spoof their phone numbers. Yes, please, stop all that!
Sent as ripples into the electromagnetic field. No single photon has been harmed in the process.
Why the F would you want to block only robocalls from spoofed numbers? Let me make a better proposition:
1) Ban/block *ALL* robocalls, period.
2) Ban/block *ALL* spoofed numbers, period.
On this topic I actually feel like I can trust Ajit Pai.
After all, there is no big company making these robocalls, hence no big bribes for Ajit to collect.
Should Verizon or AT&T ever start the practise however, I suspect Ajit will turn the ship around on a penny like he did with net neutrality.
There is one thing to be said for Ajit, he represent predictability and stability.
User modifiability of Caller ID was put in as a convenience for businesses which want to have all their phone numbers identify as the same identity. But it's such an inconvenience to everyone else that we will have no choice but to freeze caller identities to prevent criminal spoofing.
When a call comes from a number I do not recognize, I just don't answer. Doesn't matter what it is. Once in a while if I am expecting a call I might answer an unrecognized number. Otherwise, let it go to voicemail.
If they leave a message and it is someone I want to talk to, I add them to my contacts and call them back
And if they robocall from the same number a few times, I add the number to the "ignore" list so I am not bothered by the sound of a ringing phone.
The call only sends the number. The name is added by a database lookup by your phone provider. If the lookup doesn't get a hit, it uses the area code and prefix to provide a location. I expect that often means it's a spoofed number that hadn't been assigned, which is exactly the sort of thing this will block.
As soon as they start blocking the obviously forged numbers, then all the spammers will switch to forging real numbers. Then they'll have to switch to routing-based blocking. If the number is assigned to a Verizon customer, and the call isn't being routed in a manner that Verizon uses, drop it.
Of course, this means Verizon customers couldn't use VoIP robo-callers with their own number, at least without registering it in some database first. Those customers wouldn't like the extra step, so they'll complain and block the rule.
What we really need is some unforgeable authentication system. This would require some trusted authority to give a public/private key pair for each phone number, so that each call would be accompanied by digitally signed Caller ID. For most customers, this would be handled transparently by their provider. Verizon and the like could even charge a fee for providing keys for use with VoIP dialers. Of course, this would be a major change in how calls are handled, so it would likely take many years and lots of equipment upgrades.
I use Ring Central for one of my businesses, and it does everything you're asking for (except maybe the whitelist, I haven't looked into that because I've never needed it - but people "in the know' can hit an extension number to get through immediately.) My personal extension forwards to an IP phone at my desk and my mobile phone simultaneously.
So the conditions that would be blocked would be;
--numbers that aren't valid under NANPA: foreign numbers and nonsensical numbers like 000-000-0000
--valid numbers that haven't been allocated to any phone company: in NANPA's reserve (like bogons)
--valid numbers that have been allocated to a phone company but haven't been assigned to a subscriber: in a carrier's reserve
which completely ignores all calls that spoof legit numbers that already belong to another entity, which is the most dangerous type of spoofing and the one that needs the most attention. "Hi, I'm from the IRS. See my number? I'm legit!"
Come on, grow some teeth
No! No! No! The only time I get a friendly call from a woman is when Heather, from Account Services, calls to offer me help on my credit card debt. I look forward to those calls every day. When I'm in a bad place, Heather calls and I say "Excuse me, I have to take this". And Heather is amazing. She really gets around. She calls from Maine one day and from Arizona the next. Once while talking to Heather on the office phone, she also called my cell. And a different number every time. Amazing woman, that Heather. Please don't take her away. Could it be I'm falling in love?
That just dis-incentivizes anyone from registering as republican or democrat. Don't register - no robocall onslaught.
So allow same origin spoofing. Any line the local pizza place or doctor's office owns can advertise any number assigned to them but no others.
Apply the rules at the border should a call be handed off for completion.
Note that this isn't a requirement to block ANYTHING - just an allowance. The free market will take care of that, with the good providers blocking bad robocalls and thereby gaining more subscribers through their positive customer service efforts.
Of course, this would also allow providers to block numbers that have been issuied by non-phone companies, I suppose, like Google and VoIP providers, so we can get that riff raff out of the system and start making sure you pay a real telecom provider for your service. Capitalism doesn't run on freeloaders , you know, and if we can get those freeloaders into paying customers everyone will be happy and rich. Well, at least for the people who are already rich and own everything. Everyone else can go pound sand (but do it on your own damned time, because you need to go find a job you lazy sap - you've got bills to pay)
Is it just my observation, or are there way too many stupid people in the world?
The phone companies limit the number of phone numbers that you can block from the end-user side. Why not let customers block an unlimited number of calls? You would still get one call but after that the number would be blocked.
People still use phones?
Kidding aside, I have a cheapo ARM system with a caller ID modem and a DTMF decoder. If the number isn't one I've white listed, the DTMF board takes the call and asks for the 4 digit pin to be entered. If they give the correct one, the phone rings in the house. If they don't, they get a voice mail box which is really Dave Null.
My cell only rings for white listed numbers. Everything else goes to the voice mail box. Oh, yeah, I should probably delete some messages so folks can leave new ones.
The simple answer is:
0. Get rid of caller ID and institute out of band signaling for call originator such as ANI. Problem with CID is that it's so easy to spoof. Stop that.
1. Any one desiring to have more than 3 simultaneous outbound calls needs to have a permit - no exceptions allowed even if you are overseas and wish to terminate a call in the US. Get your permit revoked and you can't connect more than 3 outbound calls.
2. World wide blocking list of abusive/junk call sources. Pick one that suits you and use it.
Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves.
Let the answer machine pick it up if you don't know the number on the Caller Id.
I get that robocalls with spoofed numbers is adding insult to injury but is there in any* case where a machine making a voice call to a human is not an unwelcome intrusion?
*OK, a wakeup call setup by the intended recipient is one but, really, who uses or needs a wakeup call these days?
please please please finally omfg make this work
This doesn't go far enough and won't catch scammers spoofing using a real, valid phone number to display on your caller ID. We need some kind of trust/certificate system tied to IP and real physical address/person. Once we have that, we can systematically block all callers who spoof their caller ID or otherwise try to mask or confuse their identity over the phone networks, and we can pass a law making it a federal crime to try to do so...
If you disagree, please post your argument. (-1, Overrated) isn't your personal censorship tool for views you don't like
This should be changed from "let" to "require". There's no reason carriers should be putting these calls through. I'm already paying my provider a couple of fees for blocking things, and yet they still let shit through.
"The proposed rules would let providers "block spoofed robocalls when the spoofed Caller ID can't possibly be valid."
Just another day in Paradise
It's time to move on to more technical solutions. Specifically calls that are automatically encrypted and signed. Ones where you can be sure where they originated from. And I don't mean phones sharing private keys but rather a massive database like the DNS system where every phone is listed possibly multiple times.
It should be trivial to include not only a telephone number but also a pass key so that you can enable a person to call you but also be able to revoke that ability. Something like a 404 error code to tell them you don't want to talk to them anymore; that they are explicitly blocked.
That's the root of the problem that needs to be addressed and I think it's what most people mean by "spoofing" in this context. If your caller ID number isn't a number your company owns, we take you to a shallow grave and shoot you in the back of the head. Spoof numbers from within your company's phone number registry all you want. I don't care if the AT&T rep's desk phone caller ID shows up as AT&T's 800 number when they call me. I do care if a scammer in India's caller ID shows up as a number in my area code that has nothing to do with the call center he called me from. Eliminate that problem and you've pretty much solved everything.
An interesting anagram of "BANACH TARSKI" is "BANACH TARSKI BANACH TARSKI"
Allow you to set up any spoofed number you want, but you must register it with your phone company who are then legally liable to verify you are entitled to use it.
All I can say is: Thank goodness and it's way about time that now in 2017 this might get done.
I see ppl complaining about collateral damage, e.g. legit uses for spoofing but I say screw it. It's not worth it. If you need those features or whatever find another way to do it. Spoofing needs to be stopped completely once and for all.
I would also like to see more actual enforcement against spammers. Would be great to read about them being locked up which is where they belong.
sad. Kids these days can't even recognize "sarcasm". sarcasm != troll
Design a computer that picks up the phone and mimics a company. For sales press 1, for hardware press 2., etc. A computer can probably record the alpha-numeric number and block it if needed. Which a phone can't do!!! You friends can dial a special code to leave a message. And prospective friends and clients can be guided in another folder to leave a message with the "operator". To this day I can't figure out why some bright individual hasn't written code for this. Add to this: If the computer is down, have a backup phone pick up the message with more rings.
block sending the caller ID tones by the call originator, if detected disconnect. Require registration before allowing a trunkline of any sort to send a caller-ID that is not the one assigned to he trunkline. Covers ISDN PRI and T1 handily. Disallow calls from out of country to have a caller name other than International. Foreign call centers can deal with it. They want an exception, they apply to the FCC and register. Then they have to have the caller name for that trunk that matches their client.
The "Open Source" direction would be to provide ANS for free on every line.
- Tjp
I am in wallow with my inner money grubbing capitalistic pig. ... Oink!