#phonespam — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #phonespam, aggregated by home.social.
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Gizmodo: FCC Attempts to Solve Robocall Problem by Potentially Creating Even Bigger Privacy Problem. “Among other sweeping changes, the era of the burner phone could end with the rollout of new ‘Know Your Customer’ rules voted on by the FCC on April 30, as noted by the blog of the D.C. telecom law firm Wiley Rein. Customers would, according to the proposed rules, have to present a government […]
https://rbfirehose.com/2026/05/13/gizmodo-fcc-attempts-to-solve-robocall-problem-by-potentially-creating-even-bigger-privacy-problem/ -
Gizmodo: FCC Attempts to Solve Robocall Problem by Potentially Creating Even Bigger Privacy Problem. “Among other sweeping changes, the era of the burner phone could end with the rollout of new ‘Know Your Customer’ rules voted on by the FCC on April 30, as noted by the blog of the D.C. telecom law firm Wiley Rein. Customers would, according to the proposed rules, have to present a government […]
https://rbfirehose.com/2026/05/13/gizmodo-fcc-attempts-to-solve-robocall-problem-by-potentially-creating-even-bigger-privacy-problem/ -
Gizmodo: FCC Attempts to Solve Robocall Problem by Potentially Creating Even Bigger Privacy Problem. “Among other sweeping changes, the era of the burner phone could end with the rollout of new ‘Know Your Customer’ rules voted on by the FCC on April 30, as noted by the blog of the D.C. telecom law firm Wiley Rein. Customers would, according to the proposed rules, have to present a government […]
https://rbfirehose.com/2026/05/13/gizmodo-fcc-attempts-to-solve-robocall-problem-by-potentially-creating-even-bigger-privacy-problem/ -
Gizmodo: FCC Attempts to Solve Robocall Problem by Potentially Creating Even Bigger Privacy Problem. “Among other sweeping changes, the era of the burner phone could end with the rollout of new ‘Know Your Customer’ rules voted on by the FCC on April 30, as noted by the blog of the D.C. telecom law firm Wiley Rein. Customers would, according to the proposed rules, have to present a government […]
https://rbfirehose.com/2026/05/13/gizmodo-fcc-attempts-to-solve-robocall-problem-by-potentially-creating-even-bigger-privacy-problem/ -
Gizmodo: FCC Attempts to Solve Robocall Problem by Potentially Creating Even Bigger Privacy Problem. “Among other sweeping changes, the era of the burner phone could end with the rollout of new ‘Know Your Customer’ rules voted on by the FCC on April 30, as noted by the blog of the D.C. telecom law firm Wiley Rein. Customers would, according to the proposed rules, have to present a government […]
https://rbfirehose.com/2026/05/13/gizmodo-fcc-attempts-to-solve-robocall-problem-by-potentially-creating-even-bigger-privacy-problem/ -
Has anyone else here noticed a huge surge lately in spam phone calls involving home insulation scams?
Most of the numbers (apparently) have Scottish area codes but in the past couple of days I started getting the same nonsensical obviously recorded messages from (apparently) mobile numbers.
I assume that all these numbers are spoofed and that the calls actually originate outside the UK(?)
#UK #spam #PhoneSpam #scam #scams #HomeInsulationScam -
Has anyone else here noticed a huge surge lately in spam phone calls involving home insulation scams?
Most of the numbers (apparently) have Scottish area codes but in the past couple of days I started getting the same nonsensical obviously recorded messages from (apparently) mobile numbers.
I assume that all these numbers are spoofed and that the calls actually originate outside the UK(?)
#UK #spam #PhoneSpam #scam #scams #HomeInsulationScam -
Has anyone else here noticed a huge surge lately in spam phone calls involving home insulation scams?
Most of the numbers (apparently) have Scottish area codes but in the past couple of days I started getting the same nonsensical obviously recorded messages from (apparently) mobile numbers.
I assume that all these numbers are spoofed and that the calls actually originate outside the UK(?)
#UK #spam #PhoneSpam #scam #scams #HomeInsulationScam -
Has anyone else here noticed a huge surge lately in spam phone calls involving home insulation scams?
Most of the numbers (apparently) have Scottish area codes but in the past couple of days I started getting the same nonsensical obviously recorded messages from (apparently) mobile numbers.
I assume that all these numbers are spoofed and that the calls actually originate outside the UK(?)
#UK #spam #PhoneSpam #scam #scams #HomeInsulationScam -
Hmmm, May the 4th be with you. Real the Jedi mind trick is, and in the background of your phone it runs.
With screening on, answer the call first, we do, before your phone rings. Record a quick intro the caller must. For a "hello" auto-dialers wait, not for a prompt that asks them to identify themselves.
Silent intro → voicemail or hangup. Ring, your phone does not.
Honest caveat: empty voicemail sometimes lands. Swipe it away, you can.
'These aren't the droids you're looking for.'
Strong with the screening, your line is.
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Hmmm, May the 4th be with you. Real the Jedi mind trick is, and in the background of your phone it runs.
With screening on, answer the call first, we do, before your phone rings. Record a quick intro the caller must. For a "hello" auto-dialers wait, not for a prompt that asks them to identify themselves.
Silent intro → voicemail or hangup. Ring, your phone does not.
Honest caveat: empty voicemail sometimes lands. Swipe it away, you can.
'These aren't the droids you're looking for.'
Strong with the screening, your line is.
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"Don't answer unknown numbers" is a 1995 hack we keep passing around. It fails because your phone has no context to tell strangers from your plumber.
Anti-spam ships in every WIGGWIGG plan, no premium tier. A personal block list (encrypted on our side, hashes used for matching incoming calls) plus call screening (an announcement plays before the call connects; auto-dialers usually hang up rather than wait) handle the actual blocking.
Three more signals warn you when a call looks suspicious: STIR/SHAKEN attestation, a check on the caller's phone provider, and an opt-in community spam list (threshold-gated, hash-only). You see the warning before answering and decide.
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"Don't answer unknown numbers" is a 1995 hack we keep passing around. It fails because your phone has no context to tell strangers from your plumber.
Anti-spam ships in every WIGGWIGG plan, no premium tier. A personal block list (encrypted on our side, hashes used for matching incoming calls) plus call screening (an announcement plays before the call connects; auto-dialers usually hang up rather than wait) handle the actual blocking.
Three more signals warn you when a call looks suspicious: STIR/SHAKEN attestation, a check on the caller's phone provider, and an opt-in community spam list (threshold-gated, hash-only). You see the warning before answering and decide.
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CyberScoop: FCC removes 1,200 voice providers from telephone networks in major robocall crackdown. “The Federal Communications Commission announced Monday it has blocked more than 1,200 voice service providers from having access to the country’s phone network for failing to comply with anti-robocall regulations, marking the agency’s largest enforcement action against companies that […]
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CyberScoop: FCC removes 1,200 voice providers from telephone networks in major robocall crackdown. “The Federal Communications Commission announced Monday it has blocked more than 1,200 voice service providers from having access to the country’s phone network for failing to comply with anti-robocall regulations, marking the agency’s largest enforcement action against companies that […]
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Apparently, today is the day business loan scammers give my phone half a ring and then leave a voicemail. Two in the last 30 minutes.
Who actually listens to these unsolicited voicemails and then calls them back to take them up on a business loan?
I guess it must work, or they wouldn't do it, though. 🤷
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Apparently, today is the day business loan scammers give my phone half a ring and then leave a voicemail. Two in the last 30 minutes.
Who actually listens to these unsolicited voicemails and then calls them back to take them up on a business loan?
I guess it must work, or they wouldn't do it, though. 🤷
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Apparently, today is the day business loan scammers give my phone half a ring and then leave a voicemail. Two in the last 30 minutes.
Who actually listens to these unsolicited voicemails and then calls them back to take them up on a business loan?
I guess it must work, or they wouldn't do it, though. 🤷
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Apparently, today is the day business loan scammers give my phone half a ring and then leave a voicemail. Two in the last 30 minutes.
Who actually listens to these unsolicited voicemails and then calls them back to take them up on a business loan?
I guess it must work, or they wouldn't do it, though. 🤷
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Apparently, today is the day business loan scammers give my phone half a ring and then leave a voicemail. Two in the last 30 minutes.
Who actually listens to these unsolicited voicemails and then calls them back to take them up on a business loan?
I guess it must work, or they wouldn't do it, though. 🤷
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In the past, calls from unknown numbers were mostly flagged by my carrier as "Scam Likely". Now the "Scam Likely" calls are rare, & every suspicious call is flagged "Charity Call".
The numbers don't seem to match any listed charities, so I don't think the scammers are simply spoofing known charities. Have they found a way to trick the carrier into tagging their number as a charity?
I don't answer & they don't leave a message, so I don't know what the scam is.
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In the past, calls from unknown numbers were mostly flagged by my carrier as "Scam Likely". Now the "Scam Likely" calls are rare, & every suspicious call is flagged "Charity Call".
The numbers don't seem to match any listed charities, so I don't think the scammers are simply spoofing known charities. Have they found a way to trick the carrier into tagging their number as a charity?
I don't answer & they don't leave a message, so I don't know what the scam is.
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In the past, calls from unknown numbers were mostly flagged by my carrier as "Scam Likely". Now the "Scam Likely" calls are rare, & every suspicious call is flagged "Charity Call".
The numbers don't seem to match any listed charities, so I don't think the scammers are simply spoofing known charities. Have they found a way to trick the carrier into tagging their number as a charity?
I don't answer & they don't leave a message, so I don't know what the scam is.
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In the past, calls from unknown numbers were mostly flagged by my carrier as "Scam Likely". Now the "Scam Likely" calls are rare, & every suspicious call is flagged "Charity Call".
The numbers don't seem to match any listed charities, so I don't think the scammers are simply spoofing known charities. Have they found a way to trick the carrier into tagging their number as a charity?
I don't answer & they don't leave a message, so I don't know what the scam is.
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In the past, calls from unknown numbers were mostly flagged by my carrier as "Scam Likely". Now the "Scam Likely" calls are rare, & every suspicious call is flagged "Charity Call".
The numbers don't seem to match any listed charities, so I don't think the scammers are simply spoofing known charities. Have they found a way to trick the carrier into tagging their number as a charity?
I don't answer & they don't leave a message, so I don't know what the scam is.
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Another solution to phone spam occurs:
The first time a call is made to a new number, the telco intercepts that call and requires a (random, 3--4 digit) code be entered.
Humans would be able to enter that code readily. Robocalls ... not so much.
But wait, there's more!
The connecting telco knows where that call comes from in terms of the connecting network. It's either a local origin (on the same network), or remote. Which means that the telco can monitor the acceptance rate for calls coming through.
The telco can, and should, also solicit feedback from the call recipient of whether or not the call was spam.
Networks which exceed some reasonable threshold for spam call volume would be denied access to the recipient's network for some period of time. I'm a fan of exponential backoff. So, for the first phone spam threshold reached, access is denied for 1 minute. If further spam is received within 4x that interval, it's doubled (2 minutes, 8 minute window), and again 4/16, 8/32, 16/64, 32/128, 64/256, 128/512; 256, 512, 1024. With 11 spams, the denial is > 1 day. 13x is a week, 15x is a year.
Originating networks would be strongly encouraged to clean up their acts.
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Another solution to phone spam occurs:
The first time a call is made to a new number, the telco intercepts that call and requires a (random, 3--4 digit) code be entered.
Humans would be able to enter that code readily. Robocalls ... not so much.
But wait, there's more!
The connecting telco knows where that call comes from in terms of the connecting network. It's either a local origin (on the same network), or remote. Which means that the telco can monitor the acceptance rate for calls coming through.
The telco can, and should, also solicit feedback from the call recipient of whether or not the call was spam.
Networks which exceed some reasonable threshold for spam call volume would be denied access to the recipient's network for some period of time. I'm a fan of exponential backoff. So, for the first phone spam threshold reached, access is denied for 1 minute. If further spam is received within 4x that interval, it's doubled (2 minutes, 8 minute window), and again 4/16, 8/32, 16/64, 32/128, 64/256, 128/512; 256, 512, 1024. With 11 spams, the denial is > 1 day. 13x is a week, 15x is a year.
Originating networks would be strongly encouraged to clean up their acts.
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Another solution to phone spam occurs:
The first time a call is made to a new number, the telco intercepts that call and requires a (random, 3--4 digit) code be entered.
Humans would be able to enter that code readily. Robocalls ... not so much.
But wait, there's more!
The connecting telco knows where that call comes from in terms of the connecting network. It's either a local origin (on the same network), or remote. Which means that the telco can monitor the acceptance rate for calls coming through.
The telco can, and should, also solicit feedback from the call recipient of whether or not the call was spam.
Networks which exceed some reasonable threshold for spam call volume would be denied access to the recipient's network for some period of time. I'm a fan of exponential backoff. So, for the first phone spam threshold reached, access is denied for 1 minute. If further spam is received within 4x that interval, it's doubled (2 minutes, 8 minute window), and again 4/16, 8/32, 16/64, 32/128, 64/256, 128/512; 256, 512, 1024. With 11 spams, the denial is > 1 day. 13x is a week, 15x is a year.
Originating networks would be strongly encouraged to clean up their acts.
-
Another solution to phone spam occurs:
The first time a call is made to a new number, the telco intercepts that call and requires a (random, 3--4 digit) code be entered.
Humans would be able to enter that code readily. Robocalls ... not so much.
But wait, there's more!
The connecting telco knows where that call comes from in terms of the connecting network. It's either a local origin (on the same network), or remote. Which means that the telco can monitor the acceptance rate for calls coming through.
The telco can, and should, also solicit feedback from the call recipient of whether or not the call was spam.
Networks which exceed some reasonable threshold for spam call volume would be denied access to the recipient's network for some period of time. I'm a fan of exponential backoff. So, for the first phone spam threshold reached, access is denied for 1 minute. If further spam is received within 4x that interval, it's doubled (2 minutes, 8 minute window), and again 4/16, 8/32, 16/64, 32/128, 64/256, 128/512; 256, 512, 1024. With 11 spams, the denial is > 1 day. 13x is a week, 15x is a year.
Originating networks would be strongly encouraged to clean up their acts.
-
Another solution to phone spam occurs:
The first time a call is made to a new number, the telco intercepts that call and requires a (random, 3--4 digit) code be entered.
Humans would be able to enter that code readily. Robocalls ... not so much.
But wait, there's more!
The connecting telco knows where that call comes from in terms of the connecting network. It's either a local origin (on the same network), or remote. Which means that the telco can monitor the acceptance rate for calls coming through.
The telco can, and should, also solicit feedback from the call recipient of whether or not the call was spam.
Networks which exceed some reasonable threshold for spam call volume would be denied access to the recipient's network for some period of time. I'm a fan of exponential backoff. So, for the first phone spam threshold reached, access is denied for 1 minute. If further spam is received within 4x that interval, it's doubled (2 minutes, 8 minute window), and again 4/16, 8/32, 16/64, 32/128, 64/256, 128/512; 256, 512, 1024. With 11 spams, the denial is > 1 day. 13x is a week, 15x is a year.
Originating networks would be strongly encouraged to clean up their acts.
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How would you suggest fighting robocalls and phone spam?
Friends in the US are reporting that over 45 of the past 50 calls they've received are robocalls, telemarketers, hang-ups, misleadingly-identified, or otherwise smell strongly of fraud.
STIR/SHAKEN was rolled out two years ago and has quite obviously failed. See: https://www.theverge.com/2021/6/30/22557539/t-mobile-verizon-carriers-fcc-stir-shaken-certification-deadline-spam-calls
I'm looking for systemic solutions here, not personal mitigations. "I've stopped using the phone and am now only communicating by Ansible" may suit you very well, but it doesn't address the billions of people who do have directly-addressable voice coms as mobile or landline service.
Examples of systemic solutions:
Think regulation, making global changes to software or hardware, changing switching and call handling systems, or market-based interventions, such as:
- Bonding callers and telcos. Spam calls would generate compensation from the telco to the subscriber. Telcos would bond for network interconnects, failure to maintain low-spam-call SLAs would forfeit bond.
- Direct reporting from all phone systems (mobile, VOIP, or landline) of spam calls.
- Expanded phone numbers. A sparsely-populated address space would make random war-dialing less viable, individuals might provide distinct numbers to each individual contact. (Organisations couldn't fully rely on this but might in part.)
Things of that nature.
NOT "I downloaded this app and use it on my pocket spy device."
Boosts very much welcomed.
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How would you suggest fighting robocalls and phone spam?
Friends in the US are reporting that over 45 of the past 50 calls they've received are robocalls, telemarketers, hang-ups, misleadingly-identified, or otherwise smell strongly of fraud.
STIR/SHAKEN was rolled out two years ago and has quite obviously failed. See: https://www.theverge.com/2021/6/30/22557539/t-mobile-verizon-carriers-fcc-stir-shaken-certification-deadline-spam-calls
I'm looking for systemic solutions here, not personal mitigations. "I've stopped using the phone and am now only communicating by Ansible" may suit you very well, but it doesn't address the billions of people who do have directly-addressable voice coms as mobile or landline service.
Examples of systemic solutions:
Think regulation, making global changes to software or hardware, changing switching and call handling systems, or market-based interventions, such as:
- Bonding callers and telcos. Spam calls would generate compensation from the telco to the subscriber. Telcos would bond for network interconnects, failure to maintain low-spam-call SLAs would forfeit bond.
- Direct reporting from all phone systems (mobile, VOIP, or landline) of spam calls.
- Expanded phone numbers. A sparsely-populated address space would make random war-dialing less viable, individuals might provide distinct numbers to each individual contact. (Organisations couldn't fully rely on this but might in part.)
Things of that nature.
NOT "I downloaded this app and use it on my pocket spy device."
Boosts very much welcomed.
-
How would you suggest fighting robocalls and phone spam?
Friends in the US are reporting that over 45 of the past 50 calls they've received are robocalls, telemarketers, hang-ups, misleadingly-identified, or otherwise smell strongly of fraud.
STIR/SHAKEN was rolled out two years ago and has quite obviously failed. See: https://www.theverge.com/2021/6/30/22557539/t-mobile-verizon-carriers-fcc-stir-shaken-certification-deadline-spam-calls
I'm looking for systemic solutions here, not personal mitigations. "I've stopped using the phone and am now only communicating by Ansible" may suit you very well, but it doesn't address the billions of people who do have directly-addressable voice coms as mobile or landline service.
Examples of systemic solutions:
Think regulation, making global changes to software or hardware, changing switching and call handling systems, or market-based interventions, such as:
- Bonding callers and telcos. Spam calls would generate compensation from the telco to the subscriber. Telcos would bond for network interconnects, failure to maintain low-spam-call SLAs would forfeit bond.
- Direct reporting from all phone systems (mobile, VOIP, or landline) of spam calls.
- Expanded phone numbers. A sparsely-populated address space would make random war-dialing less viable, individuals might provide distinct numbers to each individual contact. (Organisations couldn't fully rely on this but might in part.)
Things of that nature.
NOT "I downloaded this app and use it on my pocket spy device."
Boosts very much welcomed.
-
How would you suggest fighting robocalls and phone spam?
Friends in the US are reporting that over 45 of the past 50 calls they've received are robocalls, telemarketers, hang-ups, misleadingly-identified, or otherwise smell strongly of fraud.
STIR/SHAKEN was rolled out two years ago and has quite obviously failed. See: https://www.theverge.com/2021/6/30/22557539/t-mobile-verizon-carriers-fcc-stir-shaken-certification-deadline-spam-calls
I'm looking for systemic solutions here, not personal mitigations. "I've stopped using the phone and am now only communicating by Ansible" may suit you very well, but it doesn't address the billions of people who do have directly-addressable voice coms as mobile or landline service.
Examples of systemic solutions:
Think regulation, making global changes to software or hardware, changing switching and call handling systems, or market-based interventions, such as:
- Bonding callers and telcos. Spam calls would generate compensation from the telco to the subscriber. Telcos would bond for network interconnects, failure to maintain low-spam-call SLAs would forfeit bond.
- Direct reporting from all phone systems (mobile, VOIP, or landline) of spam calls.
- Expanded phone numbers. A sparsely-populated address space would make random war-dialing less viable, individuals might provide distinct numbers to each individual contact. (Organisations couldn't fully rely on this but might in part.)
Things of that nature.
NOT "I downloaded this app and use it on my pocket spy device."
Boosts very much welcomed.
-
How would you suggest fighting robocalls and phone spam?
Friends in the US are reporting that over 45 of the past 50 calls they've received are robocalls, telemarketers, hang-ups, misleadingly-identified, or otherwise smell strongly of fraud.
STIR/SHAKEN was rolled out two years ago and has quite obviously failed. See: https://www.theverge.com/2021/6/30/22557539/t-mobile-verizon-carriers-fcc-stir-shaken-certification-deadline-spam-calls
I'm looking for systemic solutions here, not personal mitigations. "I've stopped using the phone and am now only communicating by Ansible" may suit you very well, but it doesn't address the billions of people who do have directly-addressable voice coms as mobile or landline service.
Examples of systemic solutions:
Think regulation, making global changes to software or hardware, changing switching and call handling systems, or market-based interventions, such as:
- Bonding callers and telcos. Spam calls would generate compensation from the telco to the subscriber. Telcos would bond for network interconnects, failure to maintain low-spam-call SLAs would forfeit bond.
- Direct reporting from all phone systems (mobile, VOIP, or landline) of spam calls.
- Expanded phone numbers. A sparsely-populated address space would make random war-dialing less viable, individuals might provide distinct numbers to each individual contact. (Organisations couldn't fully rely on this but might in part.)
Things of that nature.
NOT "I downloaded this app and use it on my pocket spy device."
Boosts very much welcomed.
-
I just got a text from someone in Florida:
"Hey"
This is the entire text. Not "Hey, I'm [so and so we met when...]." Just "Hey"
Do they think I'm an idiot? I looked up the number, and it seems to be associated with an escort in Florida... but I'm ready to bet that the escort does not exist.
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I just got a text from someone in Florida:
"Hey"
This is the entire text. Not "Hey, I'm [so and so we met when...]." Just "Hey"
Do they think I'm an idiot? I looked up the number, and it seems to be associated with an escort in Florida... but I'm ready to bet that the escort does not exist.
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I just got a text from someone in Florida:
"Hey"
This is the entire text. Not "Hey, I'm [so and so we met when...]." Just "Hey"
Do they think I'm an idiot? I looked up the number, and it seems to be associated with an escort in Florida... but I'm ready to bet that the escort does not exist.
-
I just got a text from someone in Florida:
"Hey"
This is the entire text. Not "Hey, I'm [so and so we met when...]." Just "Hey"
Do they think I'm an idiot? I looked up the number, and it seems to be associated with an escort in Florida... but I'm ready to bet that the escort does not exist.
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A scammer just called, and I waited until he got on the phone and then made "the most annoying sound in the world" (from Dumb and Dumber) into the microphone of the phone at high volume until he hung up.
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A scammer just called, and I waited until he got on the phone and then made "the most annoying sound in the world" (from Dumb and Dumber) into the microphone of the phone at high volume until he hung up.
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A scammer just called, and I waited until he got on the phone and then made "the most annoying sound in the world" (from Dumb and Dumber) into the microphone of the phone at high volume until he hung up.
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A scammer just called, and I waited until he got on the phone and then made "the most annoying sound in the world" (from Dumb and Dumber) into the microphone of the phone at high volume until he hung up.
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A scammer just called, and I waited until he got on the phone and then made "the most annoying sound in the world" (from Dumb and Dumber) into the microphone of the phone at high volume until he hung up.
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The FCC is trying to reach you about your car’s extended warranty.
#PhoneSpam #spam #robocalls https://www.engadget.com/fcc-issues-record-300-million-fine-for-auto-warranty-robocallers-171431348.html?src=rss
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If you ever wondered who was trying to reach you about your car’s extended warranty, it sounds like it was probably these guys.
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If you ever wondered who was trying to reach you about your car’s extended warranty, it sounds like it was probably these guys.
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If you ever wondered who was trying to reach you about your car’s extended warranty, it sounds like it was probably these guys.
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If you ever wondered who was trying to reach you about your car’s extended warranty, it sounds like it was probably these guys.
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If I could disable phone calls on my phone, I would.
For each legitimate call I get five spam calls.
My block list is a kilometre long.