Your phone rings, the Caller ID shows an unfamiliar phone number but it appears to be a local number so you give in and answer. Your “Hello?” is met with a recorded message that lets you know you have either qualified for a loan, won a magical vacation, can save thousands on your home loan, etc. “Just press 1 to learn more.”
The preceding is an example of two telephone-related problems plaguing consumers – spoofing and robocalls.
Spoofing is where the callers are able to change the Caller ID to make it appear the call is from a local phone number. In some cases, the spoofer will use the actual phone number of a company or government agency to make them appear more legitimate.
Robocalls typically originate using automated systems able to make several calls simultaneously and play a recorded message when a call is answered. These are illegal in most cases. According to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), autodialed or prerecorded calls to wireless phones are prohibited without prior express consent, regardless of the call’s content, with a few exceptions such as emergency calls regarding danger to life or safety.
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Click for more informationLegal uses of robocalls include market research or polling calls to residential landline numbers and calls on behalf of tax-exempt non-profit groups. Informational messages such as school closings or flight information to your home phone are permissible without prior consent.
The FCC says unwanted calls, including illegal and spoofed robocalls, are their top consumer complaint and top consumer protection priority.
The FCC reports issuing hundreds of millions of dollars in enforcement actions against illegal robocallers and are working to empower phone companies to block certain types of calls that are likely to be unlawful before they even reach consumers.
According to the FCC, there are some steps consumers can take to help reduce robocalls:
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Click for more information- Don’t answer calls from blocked or unknown numbers.
- Don’t answer calls from numbers you don’t recognize.
- If someone calls and claims to be with XYZ company, hang up and call XYZ company yourself. Use the company’s website to find an official number.
- If you do answer a call and hear a recording such as “Hello, can you hear me?,” just hang up.
- The same goes for a call where you are asked to press a number before being connected to a representative.
When you answer a call and interact with the voice prompt or press a number, it lets the spammer know your phone number is real. They may then sell your number to another company or begin targeting your number more frequently.
Spam text messages are also on the upswing. FCC officials say that if you find yourself receiving a lot of spam text messages, forward the message to the 7726 (spells SPAM). It won’t block the number from texting you right away, but it will allow your carrier to look into where it came from and put an end to it.
The FCC is working to enable phone companies to be able to authenticate Caller IDs to reduce illegal spoofing.
Click here to file a complaint with the FCC if you believe you have received an illegal call or text.