Gizmodo: FCC Attempts to Solve Robocall Problem by Potentially Creating Even Bigger Privacy Problem. “Among other sweeping changes, the era of the burner phone could end with the rollout of new ‘Know Your Customer’ rules voted on by the FCC on April 30, as noted by the blog of the D.C. telecom law firm Wiley Rein. Customers would, according to the proposed rules, have to present a government […]

CyberScoop: FCC removes 1,200 voice providers from telephone networks in major robocall crackdown. “The Federal Communications Commission announced Monday it has blocked more than 1,200 voice service providers from having access to the country’s phone network for failing to comply with anti-robocall regulations, marking the agency’s largest enforcement action against companies that […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2025/08/26/cyberscoop-fcc-removes-1200-voice-providers-from-telephone-networks-in-major-robocall-crackdown/

Apparently, today is the day business loan scammers give my phone half a ring and then leave a voicemail. Two in the last 30 minutes.

Who actually listens to these unsolicited voicemails and then calls them back to take them up on a business loan?

I guess it must work, or they wouldn't do it, though. 🤷

#scammers #phonespam #spam

In the past, calls from unknown numbers were mostly flagged by my carrier as "Scam Likely". Now the "Scam Likely" calls are rare, & every suspicious call is flagged "Charity Call".

The numbers don't seem to match any listed charities, so I don't think the scammers are simply spoofing known charities. Have they found a way to trick the carrier into tagging their number as a charity?

I don't answer & they don't leave a message, so I don't know what the scam is.

#scams #phonespam

Does anybody like these kinds of calls? 😤📳📞😆

#coldcalls #phonespam #dadjokes

How would you suggest fighting robocalls and phone spam?

Friends in the US are reporting that over 45 of the past 50 calls they've received are robocalls, telemarketers, hang-ups, misleadingly-identified, or otherwise smell strongly of fraud.

STIR/SHAKEN was rolled out two years ago and has quite obviously failed. See: https://www.theverge.com/2021/6/30/22557539/t-mobile-verizon-carriers-fcc-stir-shaken-certification-deadline-spam-calls

I'm looking for systemic solutions here, not personal mitigations. "I've stopped using the phone and am now only communicating by Ansible" may suit you very well, but it doesn't address the billions of people who do have directly-addressable voice coms as mobile or landline service.

Examples of systemic solutions:

Think regulation, making global changes to software or hardware, changing switching and call handling systems, or market-based interventions, such as:

• Bonding callers and telcos. Spam calls would generate compensation from the telco to the subscriber. Telcos would bond for network interconnects, failure to maintain low-spam-call SLAs would forfeit bond.
• Direct reporting from all phone systems (mobile, VOIP, or landline) of spam calls.
• Expanded phone numbers. A sparsely-populated address space would make random war-dialing less viable, individuals might provide distinct numbers to each individual contact. (Organisations couldn't fully rely on this but might in part.)

Things of that nature.

NOT "I downloaded this app and use it on my pocket spy device."

Boosts very much welcomed.

#tobocalls #PhoneSpam #DeathOfTelephony #regulation

I just got a text from someone in Florida:

"Hey"

This is the entire text. Not "Hey, I'm [so and so we met when...]." Just "Hey"

Do they think I'm an idiot? I looked up the number, and it seems to be associated with an escort in Florida... but I'm ready to bet that the escort does not exist.

#spam #PhoneSpam #SMS #Florida

A scammer just called, and I waited until he got on the phone and then made "the most annoying sound in the world" (from Dumb and Dumber) into the microphone of the phone at high volume until he hung up.

#Scammer #Revenge #Funny #Annoying #PhoneSpam