Almost 50% of U.S. Mobile Traffic Will Be Scam Calls by 2019

cageymaru

cageymaru

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First Orion sells call protection solutions to tens of millions of mobile subscribers and the company has released their inaugural 2018 Scam Call Trends and Projections Report which analyzes over 50 billion calls made to their customers in the past 18 months. In 2017 3.7% of all calls made to First Orion customers constituted spam calls and this has grown to 29.2% in 2018. First Orion predicts that the percentage of spam calls will rise to 44.6% by early 2019. The rise of scammers using the "Neighborhood Spoofing" technique where the scammer disguises their number as an area code local to the victim on their Caller ID is increasing. Congress and the FCC have been working to stop these malicious, nuisance robocalls as they target the elderly, immigrants and more to request personal information to assist with identity theft and more crimes. First Orion suggests that new, adaptive technologies to combat the exponential increase in scam calls will be needed.

To combat this rapidly growing epidemic, First Orion will fully deploy its groundbreaking, in-network technology known as CallPrinting -- which quickly and accurately identifies new scam techniques and thwarts fraudulent calls -- into a Tier-One U.S. carrier's network this fall where the company projects it will significantly mitigate the volume of scam traffic beginning in the 4th quarter of 2018.
 
I don't know who I want to stab in the face more, these robocall scumbags or Ajit Pai. That screencap is awful.

I also don't know how we stop this. The punishments need to be far more severe, obviously the risk is worth it right now for these companies.
 
Honestly, if we could remove the phone number as a mandatory info point on forms, I think I could get along in life fine without traditional voice calling.
 
Frobozz said:
Honestly, if we could remove the phone number as a mandatory info point on forms, I think I could get along in life fine without traditional voice calling.
Click to expand...

This would be a good start, but it only takes one shady company in control of a phone number list to leak it to everyone, and your number will always be on some list.
 
jpm100 said:
I don't what it is, but my phone has been on fire with spam that past 3 wks.
Click to expand...

Same. Either more companies are jumping in on the bandwagon or they feel that the risks of dealing with Pai's weak FCC far outweigh the rewards. Could be column A, column B.
 
Should not be so hard to make a captcha like software for phones

Pones software picks up but to no alert phone owner
Phone: Hi you are an unregonized caller. please type in what {Random number} plus {random number} is and end with {pound or star}
Robocall: THank you for chossing marioan hotel.....
Phone: you have not solved the Mathpuzzel. goodnight *hangs up*.
Optinaelle Phones send number to database that when its get enough reported numbers its reports it for investigation or just blocks it.


I've been wanting to make this for years but know zero about phone programming
off cause it would need a constans upgrade with new puzzles forms but i think ts could be fairly cheap solutions
- Please type in which order the color RED appers on the following list: green blue purple red orange blue
- Which of the following items are an tranprotaion device: 1-table 2-bicycle 3-microwave 4-Speakers

etc etc
 
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I've been keeping track of my calls, and sending verbal warnings to the callers. On the AVERAGE - I get 12 calls per day. Only 2 of the 12 are not Scammers. That's an 83% rate.
 
Ajit, please learn to say scourge. Not... whatever it was you said at the end of that presentation. SCHOURGE?

Also please quit and turn this over to someone not looking to line the pocketbooks of their friends and family rather than represent the people of the united states and keep us from getting ripped off? K thanks.
 
Sadly, the simple easy solution is for all outgoing calls to incur a fixed cost, say 25 cents. Doesn't require high tech solutions. The average person doesn't make that many phone calls anymore and maybe the first 50 per month could be included in a cell/data plan. If a million spam calls start costing $250,000 to make, the numbers would go down a lot. Under the current anywhere for free calls are data setup, spam calls are essentially free to make as they consume very little data.
 
obs said:
This is super annoying. I basically know that any call coming from my area code that I moved out of 5 years ago is spam.
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Yeah, my cell number has an exchange that's about 20 miles from where I live, and I don't know anyone in that town. The nice thing about neighborhood spoofing for me is that it's, so far, a 100%-reliable indicator that the call is spam.

Yesterday "Visa Card Services" called while I was in the men's room. Lately I've taken to hitting 1 to speak to a person, then simply not answering when a person finally picks up. Sometimes they wait an entire minute before hanging up. I figure, you waste my time, I'll waste yours. When they called yesterday, I did that, and then flushed the toilet when a person finally connected. Crude, I know, but they're trying to scam me, so I don't feel bad about it.
 
It was bad a while back but seems Google been really good about just out right blocking spam calls from even reaching you. Once in a while one gets through but is still flagged as a spam call on screen.
 
Probably driven just as much by declining legitimate call levels (as people continue to do more and more via text messaging and third party VoIP) as it is by the growth in scam calls.
 
I have not really bothered with listening to them at all lately (just hang up on them, or don't answer). But before it was "your window's PC is infected", or they are an energy company that can reduce my costs, or detected fraud on my account (with a bank I don't use), or of course any number of "charities"...
So what is the most recent wave of scam calls that are coming through now. I am just curious. My parents still answer the phone and are polite to these people, I am always nervous they are going to talk to them too long (they are in their late 70's and get nervous that they start to let their guard down as they age).

Would be interesting to see what the latest scam call techniques are. At my work recently, all of our customers got a letter from "us" on our letterhead indicating we changed banks and they should pay a new account. It was more clever than the usual attacks because it was good letter head and no misspellings, etc. (the usual dead give aways). Always new challenges each day.
 
SvenBent said:
Should be so hard to make a captha like software for phones

Pones software picks up but to no alert phone owner
Phone: Hi you are an unregonized caller. please type in what {Random number} plus {random number} is and end with {pound or star}
Robocall: THank you for chossing marioan hotel.....
Phone: you have not solved the Mathpuzzel. goodnight *hangs up*.
Optinaelle Phones send number to database that when its get enough reported numbers its reports it for investigation or just blocks it.


I've been wanting to make this for years but know zero about phone programming
off cause it would need a constans upgrade with new puzzles forms but i think ts could be fairly cheap solutions
- Please type in which order the color RED appers on the following list: green blue purple red orange blue
- Which of the following items are an tranprotaion device: 1-table 2-bicycle 3-microwave 4-Speakers

etc etc
Click to expand...

I agree, I'm surprised Google has not worked something into Google Voice / Assistant / Android by now for this. It'd be better if it's done at the OS level and not the app layer as it could prevent the first ring, which can be an issue for add-on blocking apps (they'll ring once before the app takes over). Connection Made --> Check Contact List --> If on it, allow ring. If not, do voice assistant captcha.

Right now, the closest thing to it on Android is the Hiya app (free) which has the ability to do:

- Wildcard Blocks
- Reject (or send to VM) calls with no Caller ID ("Unknown")
- Reject calls not on your contact list AND auto-send them a text message prompting for a code.


Been using it.
 
This is never really going to go away unless there is some sort of Nationwide/Worldwide phone number registration and some gears put into place to keep you from making calls without a registered number.

It's way, way too simple to go online, create a fake number, and perform a call.
 
I get these calls all the time but they are labeled as Spam Likely. I am not going to answer a number I don't know anyway and will just silence the call immediately.
 
Frobozz said:
Honestly, if we could remove the phone number as a mandatory info point on forms, I think I could get along in life fine without traditional voice calling.
Click to expand...

Depending on the site I have been known to use a fake number like 999-999-9999. If that does not work they can talk to a fax machine.. Now if they need to send me a text then obviously this does not work.
 
Seems more like 85% of the phone calls I get are spam/scam calls. They're getting good too, most of mine show up in my area code and under somebody's name. I bet I've got well over 100 numbers blocked on my phone.
 
I spend so little of my call time actually talking to people that I may as well whitelist my phone because spam is getting fucking ridiculous.
 
Daum you guys have a problem with calls like that :eek:
The past 3 months my average for speech have been 35 minutes / mo and my data consumption average at 900 MB / mo, and last my preferred way of COM texts where my average have been 35 / mo.
My last phone call was 3 days ago, my friend talked for a whopping 10 minutes, making it a pretty bad call on my end at least cuz most of it was INFO that could have waited until i see him tomorrow.

On the other hand, if you have my number and have a problem i can help alleviate right now, then for god sake call me anytime day or night,,,,,though at night my phone are muted but at least i will see the call when i wake up.
 
1_rick said:
Yeah, my cell number has an exchange that's about 20 miles from where I live, and I don't know anyone in that town. The nice thing about neighborhood spoofing for me is that it's, so far, a 100%-reliable indicator that the call is spam.

Yesterday "Visa Card Services" called while I was in the men's room. Lately I've taken to hitting 1 to speak to a person, then simply not answering when a person finally picks up. Sometimes they wait an entire minute before hanging up. I figure, you waste my time, I'll waste yours. When they called yesterday, I did that, and then flushed the toilet when a person finally connected. Crude, I know, but they're trying to scam me, so I don't feel bad about it.
Click to expand...

You should have thrown in a few farts and grunting noises for good measure.
 
Sometimes I wonder if it's these "solutions" guys just trying to give their services value... Developing systems to make all those robocalls, then swooping in with a fix. XD
 
Number spoofing is nothing new around where I live. I would get calls sometimes 2-3 times a day from some call center in India (you can tell by the absolute butchery they do to English 100% of the time) where the guy on the phone would say "This is air duct cleaning". Most of the time I simply don't answer the phone and rare times I do hang up in their ear by the time they get to the "duct". Sometimes for shits & giggles I'll troll them and ask "Which air duct cleaning?" hoping for them to actually tell me so I can report them CRTC (Canada's FCC), Never get it though. They usually pick up pretty fast when they are being trolled.

One time they called me with my own number in the call display. When they say their bit. I go "you guys spoof my own number back at me? lolololol" then hang up.

To be honest I can't see how they actually get any business. After all they are not actually identifying themselves. I mean, would you invite these kind of jokers into your house?

Here's a tip. You can tell a robo dialler if they don't answer you within 4 seconds. That is the time it takes for their call router to send the fall to a call center agent or a "silicon sally". If it is someone calling for you specifically they usually respond within 1-2 seconds.
 
Dead Parrot said:
Sadly, the simple easy solution is for all outgoing calls to incur a fixed cost, say 25 cents. Doesn't require high tech solutions. The average person doesn't make that many phone calls anymore and maybe the first 50 per month could be included in a cell/data plan. If a million spam calls start costing $250,000 to make, the numbers would go down a lot. Under the current anywhere for free calls are data setup, spam calls are essentially free to make as they consume very little data.
Click to expand...

Um.. yeah.. no.

You think spam calls come from cell phones?

They come from call centers, most of them being in India and other similar places.

The phone carriers don't care what kinds of calls are being originated from their network as long as they are getting paid.

Current VOIP systems have the ability to spoof whatever number you want to show up as the caller ID on the receiver's end. It is a simple setting and very easy to change.

In fact, you could even use the phone system's API and have it randomize the caller ID being sent out.. and even have each different phone hooked up to the phone system send out different caller ID numbers.

This right here is the biggest problem and the carriers should absolutely limit the number of caller IDs to:
1. The main number associated with the account
2. The exact extensions on the trunks that are being paid for.

If these two things were implemented, you could stop scam calls in their tracks. Right now it is too easy for these scammers to be able to hide behind spoofed numbers.


Now the ones that call you and have you call back the same exact number.. those should be really easy to track and shut down.
 
cyclone3d said:
Um.. yeah.. no.

You think spam calls come from cell phones?

They come from call centers, most of them being in India and other similar places.

The phone carriers don't care what kinds of calls are being originated from their network as long as they are getting paid.

Current VOIP systems have the ability to spoof whatever number you want to show up as the caller ID on the receiver's end. It is a simple setting and very easy to change.

In fact, you could even use the phone system's API and have it randomize the caller ID being sent out.. and even have each different phone hooked up to the phone system send out different caller ID numbers.

This right here is the biggest problem and the carriers should absolutely limit the number of caller IDs to:
1. The main number associated with the account
2. The exact extensions on the trunks that are being paid for.

If these two things were implemented, you could stop scam calls in their tracks. Right now it is too easy for these scammers to be able to hide behind spoofed numbers.


Now the ones that call you and have you call back the same exact number.. those should be really easy to track and shut down.
Click to expand...
You got it exactly right - stop the spoofing and most of the spam calls will stop.
 
Frobozz said:
Honestly, if we could remove the phone number as a mandatory info point on forms, I think I could get along in life fine without traditional voice calling.
Click to expand...

This won't help at all as they simply auto dial ALL numbers. I highly doubt they follow some list, I'm sure they build one when someone picks up but initial calls are likely just random or incremental across all numbers.
 
cageymaru said:
First Orion suggests that new, adaptive technologies to combat the exponential increase in scam calls will be needed.
Click to expand...

You don't need new, adaptive technologies. You just need a decent record of call paths, and a reporting mechanism (dial *SPAM after you get a spam call --- not that, because it *77 conflicts with something, but you get the idea). The carrier then tracks the call back as far as they can on their network, and reports it to the upstream.

Require carriers to keep a subpoenable record for reported calls, and allow for call recipients to sue for damages on spam calls. It will still be a big pain in the ass to go through the courts for all this though.

Empower carriers to track call reporting rates by customer and by carrier when accepting calls from other carriers. Phase in acceptable spam rates. In the first year, allow them to cut off callers that are reported at 10%, and carriers reported at 50%. Drop the rates down to allowing cutting off after 1% rate over a few years. I'm open to considering rate exceptions or different acceptable spam rates, but I think this is a good start -- if one out of 100 calls you make convince someone to make a report, maybe you should write them letters instead.

Pay per call helps a bit, but it really depends on how much these ****ers are making scamming my mother in law.
 
I just don’t answer the phone or ignore the call. TrueCaller also does a descent job but really unless your in my contacts I’m not answering, you need to leave a message.
 
My job is doing real time captioning for phone calls and 50% of my calls are already scams. Its enough to make me want to bomb India sometimes
 
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