FCC Finally Cracking Down On “Spoofing Phone Calls"

The FCC reports that more than $3 billion a year could be saved by cracking down on robocalls, adding that fraudulent robocalls have cost Americans about $10 billion annually.  

"American consumers are sick and tired of unwanted robocalls, this consumer among them. Caller ID authentication will be a significant step toward ending the scourge of spoofed robocalls. It's time for carriers to implement robust caller ID authentication." – FCC Chairman Ajit Pai

The FCC ordered telephone companies earlier this year to introduce new technologies for caller ID authentication by June 2021. The FCC is now clarifying, stating that carriers should not charge surprise fees for caller ID features to customers. 

Modern technology, known as STIR / SHAKEN, enables phone companies to check that caller ID information actually matches the phone number of the caller. The principle is to curtail the use of "spoofing," where phone calls are concealed and made to appear like a credible or trustworthy source is coming from.

In order to be able to incorporate the STIR / SHAKEN technology, the FCC needs phone companies to update their networks if necessary. At the June 2021 deadline, the FCC will include some "tiny extensions" for small businesses that are unable to upgrade on time. 

STIR / SHAKEN 's widespread introduction would decrease the efficacy of illegal spoofing, make it easier for law enforcement to detect bad actors, and help telephone companies recognize and even block calls with illegal spoofed caller ID information until their customers enter those calls. Most importantly, when they answer the telephone, it will give consumers more peace of mind, ”FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said in a statement.

What Does STIR/SHAKEN Mean?

STIR/SHAKEN is a framework of interconnected standards. STIR/SHAKEN are acronyms for the Secure Telephone Identity Revisited (STIR) and Signature-based Handling of Asserted Information Using Tokens (SHAKEN) standards. This means that calls traveling through interconnected phone networks would have their caller ID "signed" as legitimate by originating carriers and validated by other carriers before reaching consumers. STIR/SHAKEN digitally validates the handoff of phone calls passing through the complex web of networks, allowing the phone company of the consumer to receive the call to verify that a call is in fact from the number displayed on Caller ID.

How to prevent spam phone calls on iPhone?

Read more articles related to Spoofing. 

Read more about FCC call spoofing.

How to Prevent Spam Phone Calls

Turn on Do Not Disturb

Turn on "Do Not Disturb" and then "Allow Call From" everyone, favorites on no one.  Hopefully, this will prevent unwanted phone calls.  Hope this helps.

We tried blocking calls for a while but this didn't seem to help.  

Are Spam Phone Calls Driving You Insane?

Scam Likely Phone Calls

Have you noticed a significant increase in "Scam Likely" phone calls in the last year?  What is causing this to happen?  Is there anyway to stop it?  I have tried blocking phone numbers but apparently these companies keep getting new phone numbers. 

I think we are getting to the point where fines and regulations need to crack down on these companies.  They are a menace to society and waste valuable time and energy for people.

As a result of these phone calls I don't answer the phone anymore unless I recognize the number in my contacts.  This is unfortunate because I actually might be missing phone calls that I would have wanted to take.

Can't the carrier prevent spam calls similar to how email companies prevent spam? 

Someone in congress or Trump needs to fix this business disgrace!! 

10 Reasons Why Text Messaging is a Scam

Have you ever sent a text to someone and its not received or delayed by a few hours?  Do you wonder why text messaging is so expensive when email is free?  Its one of the biggest scams in US history and the FTC and FCC can do nothing about it because there are very few alternatives.  

At current data plan rates mobile phone consumers are paying $1,300 per megabyte for this service.  Consumers are paying $5-$20 per month or hundreds of dollars per year in some cases with lots of overage charges.  We estimate that consumers are paying Verizon & AT&T $10 billion each per year for text messaging services.  AT&T and Verizon each generate $100+ billion per year and revenue and text messaging is a big chunk of it.   The money goes right to the bottom line and is sent directly to AT&T and Verizon shareholders as dividends.   Text messaging is the most profitable line of business for carriers with nearly 99% margins it seems.  

Carriers can charge you upwards of $20 for 1,500 text messages or even $5 for 200 messages.  Not only is this a ripoff but you get charged .35 to .50 cents per message that you go over your plan without any carryover.  Do you ever wonder why email is free and text messaging is not?  Free text messaging is a growing trend and will likely get even bigger as the carrier giants AT&T and Verizon continue to ripoff their customers. However, there are solutions out there to the problem including Google Voice free text message.  Free text mess

1) Delayed text messages without explanation
2) No confirmation if message was received
3) No confirmation if text message was read
4) No receipts or guarantee of delivery
5)  $5 - $20 for 200 to 2000 messages
6)  You are paying $1,300 per megabyte for text that is easy to move through the network
7)  No ways to prevent spam from reaching you
8) Spam still costs YOU money against your plan

9)  .25 cents to .50 cents for going over your text messaging plan

10)  No carryover for text messages not used

China Mobile Phone Text Virus is Spreading

Smartphone Wifi security and now viruses on cellphones are something new to worry about.  It looks like China has now been hit by a particularly difficult "zombie" virus.  Shanghai Daily, says a so-called "zombie" virus disguised as an anti-virus app has infected more than one million cellphone users in China. It has left mobile phone users vulnerable to the malicious hackers. The "zombie" virus is hidden in a fake anti-virus app. Once the app is installed, the virus sends all of the names and phone numbers on a user's SIM card to the hackers, who then automatically take control of the phone, sending spam texts out to recipients.

The texts include lots of links that infect other phones with the same virus. The texts are also sent to pay-to-text phones that suck those users dry of messaging fees. The virus has spread to 1 million users, and continues to run rampant on mobile networks. The government is having a difficult time finding the hackers, but the Chinese National Computer Network Emergency Response Technical Team Center is working to get to the bottom of it.

Its not clear which mobile phones or mobile operating systems are experiencing the virus problems but would appreciate any feedback from users who have some insight into this.