Yep, it's the card service scammers calling on another one of their phoney numbers trying to fool is into giving them our credit card numbers so they can use it for their own purposes.
As far as I can tell, the Do Not Call registry is a complete waste of time, because the credit card scammers keep changing numbers, and the numbers that appear on your caller ID aren't even theirs. In the early days, before I knew that they were spoofing caller ID, I called back one or two of the numbers of missed calls. Once, I got a Pizza place in Kansas City.
What To Do When You Get an Illegal Robocall; http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/robocalls
1. Hang Up. Do not press 1 or any other numbers to get off the list and NEVER call them back
2. Consider blocking the number or on a cell phone add it to a contact list and assign NO ring tone
3. Report it at http://www.fcc.gov/complaints
4. Report it at https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov
5. People should continually file complaints with their Attorney Generals office
6. Report any criminal activity to the FBI here: https://tips.fbi.gov
The FCC has temporarily halted 9 minor boiler rooms that will receive a slap on the wrist and be back at it within a few days. Civil action by the FTC against such criminals is totally ineffective. The FTC levies huge fines, then rescinds them based on inability to pay. The FTC settles for the minimal cash on hand, and enjoins them from future telemarketing. The criminals sign off, then go right back to business as usual. These same people under different companies have been sued in the past and have only paid a minimal fine. These criminals need to be charged with FEDERAL FELONIES and subjected to significant prison time. All of those involved know that they are violating FTC regulations. At the height of this telephone debacle it's been said that each call center was making 27 calls a second, which is 2.4 million calls per day.
The criminals behind this operation aren't going to pay attention to you asking to be removed from their list. Their calls cost them almost nothing and they make millions of them so they have no intention of ever removing someone. When you press a key to talk to them all that is accomplished is to verify that they have a working number.
Despite the best interagency enforcement efforts to combat mass marketing fraud, the FBI remains cognizant of the fact that the only enduring remedy for this crime problem lies in consumer education and fraud prevention programs. Toward this end, the FBI has not only produced its own mass marketing fraud prevention materials, but coordinates on other public information efforts with the DOJ, FTC, and the USPIS, among others. The FBI also supports a consumer fraud prevention website in conjunction with the USPIS which can be located on the web at: http://www.stopfraud.gov. Additionally, further information on mass marketing fraud schemes can be found at www.fbi.gov, www.ftc.gov, www.ic3.gov, and www.stopfraud.gov.
Robocalls are illegal unless you have given them prior permission in writing (not worded into some small print contract from a 3rd party) and are absolutely illegal to a cell phone. The Telephone Consumer Protection Act permits individuals who have received certain unlawful telemarketing, such as junk faxes or telemarketing calls, to sue the violator in state courts where they may be awarded up to $1500 for each violation.
EVERYONE should be reporting them everywhere that they can. It is important to keep up the pressure even though nothing seems to be getting done, or else the government will just sit back and claim they are doing a good job since there are fewer complaints.
Since this is an obvious attempt at identity theft and is interstate, the FBI should be forced to get involved. Charge them with a CRIMINAL offense and throw them in prison instead of the FCC saying 'Naughty - naughty, now go out and play nice'. (Prosecute them in criminal court instead of civil penalties).
Disclaimer: This post is an attempt at humor (or frustration), it is not meant to be taken seriously.
Why can't something be done about these calls?
Let us take a look at a few things that might influence the inability to stop these calls.
Caller ID:
1). Your phone company is charging you a fee for Caller ID. Your phone company pays the scammer for sending their Caller ID information. Your phone company pays only a fraction of a cent per call and you pay your phone company to have the Caller ID displayed. The scammers send out millions of calls which amounts to a significant amount of money however your phone company is charging a large amount to millions of customers.
Result: This generates more money for your phone company.
2). Many of the criminals behind this are using VOIP which gives them very cheap international calls (many of these calls are coming from India, Belize and Costa Rica). Your phone company makes little profit (if any) on a VOIP call. If they can get enough people angry at the calls then maybe something will be done about regulating the VOIP calls and allow the phone companies to once again become monopolies.
Result: This generates more money for your phone company.
Call blocking:
1). I personally use Verizon Wireless which allows me to block 5 numbers for 90 days, unless I pay them an additional premium fee which will allow blocking 10 numbers.
Result: This generates more money for your phone company.
2). Upgrade my simple non data flip phone to a smart phone and add in data, download an app that will block calls. Since they have called me using more than 160 unique numbers in the last year, this would seem to be the only option.
Result: This generates more money for your phone company.
This may have something to do with the phone companies inability to stop these calls.
The banking system:
1). The banking system is also at fault here, without merchant accounts and ACH processing these criminals could not collect the scammed funds. Though the criminals use obfuscation, layered corporations, multiple bank accounts and offshore stashing, patterns of obvious fraudulent activity become apparent after a short time.
Result: The fees generated means more money for the banks.
This may have something to do with the banks inability to stop these criminals.
The FCC, FTC and Do Not Call registry:
1). The FTC is only allowed to collect fines, not impose criminal penalties. These companies hide their money in overseas bank accounts and claim that they can't pay the fines.
Civil action by the FTC against such criminals is totally ineffective. These criminals need to be charged with Federal Felonies and subjected to significant prison time. All of those involved know that they are violating FTC regulations. The FTC levies huge fines, then rescinds them based on inability to pay. The FTC settles for the minimal cash on hand, and enjoins them from future telemarketing. The criminals sign off, then go right back to business as usual. These same people under different companies have been sued in the past and have only paid a minimal fine.
Result: The FTC and FCC basically are saying 'Naughty - naughty, now go out and play nice'.
Solution: Take away government funding for the FTC and FCC. If they want to impose fines then make them self sufficient and use the fines for their operating budget.
******Telemarketers, spam, scum suckers -- Righting a blog on these #’s help many people. I for one no longer answer calls from #’s I don’t know. Google the # first, you can always call back. If it’s important they will leave a message. Reporting these calls to the “ do not call “ is a waste of time. Call the FTC at 1-877-382-4357 there you can talk to a live person and report up to 5 numbers, Keep in mind these are Federal employees you will be talking too. Or you can go on line to ftc.gov ( federal trade commission) and file a written complaint, I do both…. If we ALL do this maybe the FTC will get the message and do something about these illegal calls.