The Federal Communications Commission yesterday issued about $120 million worth of fines to two robocallers accused of spoofing real people's phone numbers. In one of the cases, the robocaller made 21 million calls overall and told the FCC that he spoofed real people's numbers in Caller ID in order to avoid angry call-backs to his own phone. In the other case, the FCC said the robocaller made 2.3 million calls including 48,349 that spoofed the number of a single person. That unlucky person ended up getting about five angry call-backs a day for two months, the FCC said. In the first case, the FCC fined telemarketer Philip Roesel and his companies more than $82 million. This is the same amount that the FCC proposed to fine Roesel a year ago—as is standard, the commission gave him a chance to respond before making the decision final. Roesel and his companies made more than 21 million robocalls from late 2016 to early 2017 attempting to sell health insurance, the FCC said. Roesel … [Read more...] about Robocaller spoofed real numbers to avoid angry call-backs to his own phone
Nuisance calls on cell phone
Kim Komando: 7 ways to finally end robocalls
Robocalls are the worst. That phony voice. The unstoppable message. At least you can get sassy with a telemarketer. Some robocalls are so convincing that you think you’re talking with an actual person, and they’re even programmed to respond to your voice.Thanks in large part to advancing technology, robocalls are easier than ever to make.According to an FTC report, here are the top six spam call types reported by consumers in 2017:• Reducing your debt (credit cards, mortgage, student loans)• Dropped call or no message• Vacation & timeshares• Warranties & protection plans• Calls pretending to be government, businesses, or family and friends• Medical & prescriptionsSo how do you shield yourself from these robocall and telemarketing scams?1. Block individual numbersBlocking numbers won’t stop every robocall and spammer number out there, but you can at least block the recurring ones.iPhone: On an iPhone, open your Phone app; … [Read more...] about Kim Komando: 7 ways to finally end robocalls
Ajit Pai celebrates after court strikes down Obama-era robocall rule
Federal judges have struck down an anti-robocall rule, saying that the Federal Communications Commission improperly treated every American who owns a smartphone as a potential robocaller. The FCC won't be appealing the court decision, as Chairman Ajit Pai opposed the rule changes when they were implemented by the commission's then-Democratic majority in 2015. Pai issued a statement praising the judges for the decision Friday, calling the now-vacated rule "yet another example of the prior FCC’s disregard for the law and regulatory overreach." The FCC's 2015 decision said that a device meets the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) definition of an "autodialer" if it can be modified to make robocalls, even if the smartphone user hasn't actually downloaded an autodialing app. That interpretation treats all smartphones as autodialers because any smartphone has the capability of downloading an autodialing app, judges ruled. Since any call made by an autodialer could … [Read more...] about Ajit Pai celebrates after court strikes down Obama-era robocall rule
San Francisco impounds electric scooters, execs called ‘spoiled brats’
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - APRIL 17: A Bird scooter sits parked on a street corner on April 17, 2018 in San Francisco, California. Three weeks after three companies started placing electric scooters on the streets for rental, San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera issued cease-and-desist notice to electric scooter rental companies Bird, LimeBike and Spin. The notice comes as the San Francisco board of supervisors considers a proposed ordinance to regulate the scooters to keep people from riding them on sidewalks, parking them in the middle of sidewalks and requiring riders to wear helmets and have a drivers license. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) SAN FRANCISCO, CA - APRIL 17: Bird and Spin scooters sit parked on a street corner on April 17, 2018 in San Francisco, California. Three weeks after three companies started placing electric scooters on the streets for rental, San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera issued cease-and-desist notice to electric scooter rental … [Read more...] about San Francisco impounds electric scooters, execs called ‘spoiled brats’
Motorola XOOM + Android 3.0 Review: Sweet As Honey
The Motorola XOOM: Ever since it was first teased at D: Dive Into Mobile, the Android community hasn't been able to take its eyes off the tablet's dual-core processor, gorgeous 10.1-inch display, and - last but certainly not least - Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) operating system. Well now the device has officially gone on sale, and I've been testing falling in love with a review unit for the last few days. Typically, I end up hating devices that I adore at first blush, but the XOOM is an entirely different story - the device is far from perfect (where are the tablet apps?), but I have yet to find anything truly upsetting about it. That said, I find it hard to recommend forking over $800 for a tablet which, despite being among the best in its class hardware- and software-wise, lacks the multimedia options of the competition. But don't let that stop you from reading on for our full review of the XOOM and - perhaps more importantly - Android 3.0!At a Glance They say specs aren't everything, but … [Read more...] about Motorola XOOM + Android 3.0 Review: Sweet As Honey