FCC proposes $10 Million fine for spoofed robocalls

Thu Dec 19 17:09:21 UTC 2019

On Thu, Dec 19, 2019 at 11:16:08AM -0500, Christopher Morrow wrote:
> How is it envisioned that this will work?

My prediction for 2020: it still won't work, like in 2019 and the years
before that. A call originated, transported and delivered equals revenue
for all involved parties, so it is in their best interest not to block
them, unless the fines are really magnitude(s) higher than the revenue.

> I mean, I'm all for less spam calling... and ideally there would be
> some form of 'source address verification' on the PSTN/phone
> network... but in today's world that really just doesn't exist and the
> motivations to suppress fake sources are 'just as good' as they are on
> the intertubes. (with crappier options in the gear - SHAKEN/STIR are
> really not even available in the majority of the switch 'gear' right?)

When I tried to pay my AT&T uverse VOIP "landline" bill this morning they
offered me a free "CallProtect App" but when I click on more info it's
in fact only a link to open their "control call forwarding and blocking"
part of the home phone features web site.  All their suggested controls
are enabled, still I am receiving only unwanted calls on this line.

In the call and voicemail history list for my number I have at least these 
examples for you to laugh at. Hint: look at the numbers. and I have also
been told that there is no equivalent of uRPF in the phone world.

Name 	Number 	When 	Length	Actions
Suspected Spam	888-194-1242	11-30-19, 10:56 AM	0:00	Add to Address Book

From	Number	When	Size	
NAME NOT FOUND	408-145-1341	08-12-19, 09:14 AM	29 Kb	
NAME NOT FOUND	213-141-5163	05-17-19, 10:22 AM	353 Kb

-andreas