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Number of Robocalls Placed in the US Surged By 50 Percent in the First Half of This Year (nbcnews.com)
An anonymous reader has shared an NBC report, which explores the state of robocalls in the United States. The report, which shares several anecdotes, also cites data from YouMail, a company that provides voicemail and call-blocking services, according to which the number of robocalls placed nationwide increased by 50 percent from February to July this year. From the report: Robo-dialed and unwanted telemarketing calls were the top consumer complaint to the Federal Communications Commission last year, and they are again this year. This puts those complaints ahead of billing disputes, service availability and program indecency.
Not all robocalls are bad. Some, like appointment reminders and flight updates, are usually welcome. But robocall scams, such as the wave of calls that targeted Chinese communities this spring, can be harmful. According to news reports, more than 30 consumers in New York City were tricked out of an estimated $3 million by callers pretending to be from the Chinese consulate and demanding money to settle a criminal matter.
According to YouMail, scams made up about 40 percent of the 4.4 billion robocalls placed to Americans in September. Not all area codes are equal: Phone owners with a 404 area code (Atlanta) on average received 68 robocalls in September. That's much higher than the next-worst area code, 202 in Washington, D.C., which got an average of 49 robocalls the same month.
Not all robocalls are bad. Some, like appointment reminders and flight updates, are usually welcome. But robocall scams, such as the wave of calls that targeted Chinese communities this spring, can be harmful. According to news reports, more than 30 consumers in New York City were tricked out of an estimated $3 million by callers pretending to be from the Chinese consulate and demanding money to settle a criminal matter.
According to YouMail, scams made up about 40 percent of the 4.4 billion robocalls placed to Americans in September. Not all area codes are equal: Phone owners with a 404 area code (Atlanta) on average received 68 robocalls in September. That's much higher than the next-worst area code, 202 in Washington, D.C., which got an average of 49 robocalls the same month.
I don't even answer my land line anymore. it's just for calling out. It's always a robocall coming in.
Now my cell phone gets 5 a day. Since I do bussiness on my phone I sort of have to answer numbers I don't know. I loath this invasion because it's so disruptive.
What I want is an answering service that
1. asks the caller to press a specific digit if they are human and know me.
2. A single button on my iphone that reports the caller to the Feds or anyplace that could class-action these mofo.
I don't want to have to cobble that together. I want it built into the android or iphone as a universal feature. If it was universal we stand a chance of making a dent in their bussiness model.
Some drink at the fountain of knowledge. Others just gargle.
How would you report the caller? The number is spoofed.
You collect 5000 examples of this spoofing, then you sue Verizon for allowing spoofing.
Some drink at the fountain of knowledge. Others just gargle.
I sometimes answer these calls trying to keep them on the phone as long as possible.
You seem to be unfamiliar with the concept of robocalls. It's a recorded message. There is no one there to "keep on the phone as long as possible".
68 is barely over 2 calls a day. I get ONLY half a dozen A DAY if I'm lucky! A dozen or more A DAY is commonplace! It's reached the point where I'm blacklisting numbers whenever they are reused. I have to unplug my phone when I want to sleep!
I gotta say, the ones that leave voicemails, filling up my mailbox, are the worst! And I pay per minute on my cell plan to clean them out.