![]() ![]() You pick up and immediately hear a distressing message, pressuring you to act fast: “Hello, we are calling from Windows and your computer looks like it is infected. Whether the intrusion starts out as just an annoying robocall pitch, or succeeds in its ploy to pass you on to a live scammer, you’re likely to encounter a variety of typical robocall-initiated scams, such as: What are the main types of robocall scams? So the effect is a nefarious bit of social engineering, making it more likely that you’ll pick up the call if you see what looks like a familiar number, say from a friend, co-worker, local dentist, or even a major business or government organization such as Microsoft or the local police department. And if that caller is a scammer, then they know caller ID is very easy to disguise, or “spoof.” In that way, no matter where in the world they are actually located, the scammers behind a robocall can make it appear as if it comes from a trusted business, or from your same local area code, complete with a familiar first three digits of your own contact number. ![]() The responsibility of caller ID lies with the originating call. VoIP calls are almost free, which is why they can do this 24/7, and why you can’t trust your caller ID to flag suspicious numbers. That’s because scammers like to use Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology to hide their actual number and location. ![]() We all rely on caller ID to screen our calls, but how effective is it as a measure against robocalls? The answer is, not very. “The volume of robocalls continues to grow, having reached an estimated 3.4 billion in April 2018.” How effective is caller ID against scammers? That’s an increase of almost 900 million a month compared with April a year ago. Even political robocalls to mobile phones are illegal without prior consent.ĭespite the legal restrictions, the volume of automated calls continues to grow, having reached an estimated 3.4 billion in April 2018, according to YouMail, which collects and analyzes calls through its robocall blocking service. With some exceptions (political messages, flight delays, et al.), the TCPA prohibits robocalls to consumers’ traditional landline numbers without prior written consent, to consumers’ Voice-over-Internet-Protocol (VoIP) landline numbers, and to all mobile numbers-both consumer and business (again, without written prior consent). Some robocalls use personalized audio messages to simulate an actual personal phone call. When the call is answered, the autodialer either connects the call to a live person or plays a prerecorded message. Just for good measure, here’s how The Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991 (TCPA) defines a robocall, also known as “voice broadcasting.” It is any telephone call that delivers a prerecorded message using an automatic (computerized) telephone dialing system, more commonly referred to as an automatic dialer or “autodialer. There is legislation that addresses robocalling and the scams they attempt to pull off. As such, they use scams, attempting to swindle you out of your contact number, your financial information, your identity, or anything else of value through dishonest means. Illegal robocalls generally contact recipients with the intention of stealing something from them. ![]() And as the name suggests, the calls are made by computers. There is usually no real human behind a robocall, only an automated, pre-recorded message. As we’ve reported in a previous Malwarebytes blog, what spam is to email, a robocall is to telecommunications devices, such as home phones, mobile phones, and VoIP landlines. ![]()
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