Good news if you're sick of robocalls...

[Archae]

The FCC is cracking down on these con artists like "Heather from card services."

FCC urges landline phone companies to block robocalls

The Federal Communications Commission has adopted a proposal intended to help protect consumers against unwanted robocalls and spam texts. In a package of declaratory rulings, the Commission affirmed consumers' rights to control the calls they receive. As part of this package, the Commission also made clear that telephone companies face no legal barriers to allowing consumers to choose to use robocall-blocking technology. The rulings came in response to consumer complaints about robocalls, which totaled over 215,000 in 2014. [FCC strengthens consumer protections against unwanted calls and texts: Commission responds to requests from businesses and attorneys general for guidance on robocall blocking, autodialers, recycled phone numbers and more. FCC news release, June 18, 2015]

http://transition.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2015/db0619/DOC-333993A1.pdf

[dixiegrrrrl]

1. I swear I got half of those 215,000 calls. n/t

[Blue_In_AK]

3. I got the other half.

I get at least three or four calls a day from "unknown caller" or lately I've had a bunch from different places in New Jersey. I don't pick up and they never leave a message.

[BumRushDaShow]

2. "robocalls, which totaled over 215,000 in 2014."

I expect it was 10x that number. They may be able to get an estimate from what people report but probably the vast majority do not formally report. The past 2 years have been obnoxious - more notably from the sheer number of spam calls with spoofed Caller IDs.

[L0oniX]

4. I'm over 30 count for blocked numbers and my number is listed on the federal do not call list.

[tularetom]

5. 215,000 my ass

We kept a log for 2 months and wound up with over 240 calls. Thats 1440 per year, and at that rate it would only take 149 phone customers to make up the 215,000. Incidentally that's only the robocalls. The ones where a real person was on the other end were at least another 100.

So I call bullshit on that number.

[Initech]

6. I can't hang up on those damn robo dialers fast enough.

Oh and don't get me started on those damn mass market telemarketing calls where you can hear the fucking call center in the background.

[Historic NY]

7. When, because Verizion doesn't have call blocking...

now they need to do something about spoofed phone numbers.