We dont need no stinkin' licenses!!!!

RFI-EMI-GUY · Aug 9, 2017

This just in the FCC is just another powerless impotent bureaucracy wasting Joe Taxpayers money:

I called the FCC "hot line" today about the continual spoofed telemarketing calls I receive despite being on the DNC list etc. After being prompted to "learn more about spoofed telemarketing calls" I pressed for an operator and the clueless young lady proceeded to educate me on "how they just make the rules", etc. I asked for the phone number of the enforcement bureau and was told "they don't take calls". So I asked for her manager and she said "they don't take complaint calls about spoofed calls". So I said, actually my complaint is about you. She said. hmmm ok and then after lots of clicking I was cut off.

Found this while looking for a number for the enforcement office and found this:

FCC head handcuffs his Enforcement Bureau chief in issuing settlements | Wireless Estimator

Never did find a way to contact the enforcement division so I am planning to set up a 100 watt FM station broadcasting the Jerky Boys prank calls 24/7. Maybe they will call me. Maybe not.

902 · Aug 9, 2017

My vote is for neither.

Remember, word in the Beltway is the Enforcement Bureau was emasculated in reprisal for net neutrality. The finger points squarely at Congress, not that the former EB was a peach, by any means.

Anyway, there is a vacuum here. And, where there's a vacuum, there's an opportunity, especially for a couple of guys with instrumentation who travel around identifying and mitigating interference. But that's stuff we can do things about. A Florida resident gets barraged by every kind of predatory telemarketing scheme. I don't even answer my phone anymore. Frankly, if I were a talented guy, I'd build a White List device out of one of a Raspberry Pi board so that I would only receive a handful of numbers I want to accept calls from. There's nothing that says I have to take calls from anyone who wants to call me, yet technology fails us.

If you really want to attract attention, you need to get some 30+ year-old air checks of Brooklyn's own WJPL and the Johnny Lightning show. He and his crew were a hoot!

RFI-EMI-GUY · Aug 9, 2017

902 said:
My vote is for neither.

Remember, word in the Beltway is the Enforcement Bureau was emasculated in reprisal for net neutrality. The finger points squarely at Congress, not that the former EB was a peach, by any means.

Anyway, there is a vacuum here. And, where there's a vacuum, there's an opportunity, especially for a couple of guys with instrumentation who travel around identifying and mitigating interference. But that's stuff we can do things about. A Florida resident gets barraged by every kind of predatory telemarketing scheme. I don't even answer my phone anymore. Frankly, if I were a talented guy, I'd build a White List device out of one of a Raspberry Pi board so that I would only receive a handful of numbers I want to accept calls from. There's nothing that says I have to take calls from anyone who wants to call me, yet technology fails us.

If you really want to attract attention, you need to get some 30+ year-old air checks of Brooklyn's own WJPL and the Johnny Lightning show. He and his crew were a hoot!

I actually have a call into the Enforcement Bureau and intend to interview the EB Chief Rosemary Harold on this subject if she calls me back

I have lived in Florida 31 years and have only encountered two Pirate Stations in that time. One was "Analog Ray" in Miami who had a very entertaining station the second when driving down to Ft Lauderdale a couple years ago, some HIP HOP Rap stations with swear words. And horrors, terrible modulation! So that is two pirate stations in 31 years affecting me, yet I get 12 or more robocalls from spoofed numbers every week, for at least the past 3-4 years, thousands of calls. Very annoying to say the least.

The EB has an interactive map depicting all the pirate stations, of all the hundreds, 392 or 20% in Florida. Where is the interactive map of Robo Spoof callers? There is none. Is it because of "free enterprise"? Does the government lack the means to trace these calls? If I were to spoof my number and call CENTCOM and ask them "Do you have Prince Edward in the Can" would they be wondering who just called?

(Moderator move to Tavern Rants if you wish, but I think it indicative of the industry)

RFI-EMI-GUY · Aug 9, 2017

Technically there isn't much you can do to filter the calls at your phone. The numbers just roll. I do see a pattern to some of the numbers, but it is not an exact science. If it is so easy to spoof a number and get away with it, why are we no longer hearing about crank callers? Apparently they are being thwarted somehow yet the robocalls get through.

Now the FCC is entertaining robo texts and robo voice mails as a "solution" talk about emasculated. I ask again is it because it is "commerce" that the FCC can't do something. Somehow the US economy is better if folks buy worthless extended warranties or timeshares they cannot afford?

I may just disconnect entirely, move to Amish country.

n5ims · Aug 9, 2017

Try calling the correct agency. It isn't the FCC that handles robocalls, it's the FTC (Federal Trade Commission).

https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/media/video-0028-what-do-if-you-get-robocall

RFI-EMI-GUY · Aug 9, 2017

n5ims said:
Try calling the correct agency. It isn't the FCC that handles robocalls, it's the FTC (Federal Trade Commission).

https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/media/video-0028-what-do-if-you-get-robocall

Good luck with the FTC they can't do anything with the "spoofed" numbers I give them in their silly form

Its not so much the robo calls with numbers that are legit. It is the spoofed numbers that continually call and the FCC are the ones supposed to be doing something about that.

https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/spoofing-and-caller-id

How do I report suspected spoofing?

"If you receive a call and you suspect caller ID information has been falsified, or you think the rules for protecting the privacy of your telephone number have been violated, you can file a complaint with the FCC."

I get virtually no "legit telemarketing calls". Legitimate companies abide by the DNC list.

an39511 · Aug 9, 2017

A good part of the problem is in the design of the telephone switching equipment. There are still switches that are well over 20 years old out there. The entire telephone switching network is in need of a redesign. All of it takes time and money, of which carriers lobby and drag their feet. I run a business and our lines are bombarded every day. Call filtering helps but it only stops half of them. For the past year the trend is spoofing numbers from the same office exchange. Many of the numbers they spoof are active and belong to regular people. It would be nice if they forced equipment upgrades but it still will take decades to put everything in place.

RFI-EMI-GUY · Aug 9, 2017

an39511 said:
A good part of the problem is in the design of the telephone switching equipment. There are still switches that are well over 20 years old out there. The entire telephone switching network is in need of a redesign. All of it takes time and money, of which carriers lobby and drag their feet. I run a business and our lines are bombarded every day. Call filtering helps but it only stops half of them. For the past year the trend is spoofing numbers from the same office exchange. Many of the numbers they spoof are active and belong to regular people. It would be nice if they forced equipment upgrades but it still will take decades to put everything in place.

What I don't understand is why the FCC can't set up a "honeypot". These are all IP phones used to spoof.

Set up some equipment to receive calls (I will gladly give them my poisoned cellphone number) and identify the robocalls and track back the IP addresses to a location. This technology must exist because it is a domestic security issue if anyone can call anyone using a spoofed number. The people doing this are calling millions of phones per day. How hard could this possible be? I agree that some of the numbers spoofed "belong to real people" but the majority are bad numbers and violate the NANP so how hard would it be?

Somehow pornographers are getting IP traces, but not robo spoofers?

an39511 · Aug 9, 2017

Just out of curiosity I took a look at the log of the line filtering equipment that was installed in 2008 and since that time its logged just over 9000 calls. That figure is not necessarily saying each are unique numbers but a collective value of all spam calls. There are some numbers that have called over a 100 times. In the past year and a half looks to be many more use once numbers and many more reportedly from the local office exchange and the surrounding area. We can't block them because we can't tell if their active numbers or not. If we get multiple calls from the same number their blocked.

prcguy · Aug 9, 2017

On the robo call problem, I went to nomorobo.com, signed up for their free service, then went to my home phone account on line and pointed my home phone number to their system. What they do is compile huge and current lists of all known robo phone numbers and when your home phone rings, it also rings at nomorobo and their caller ID system compares the incoming number to the database and if there is a match it picks up then hangs up immediately so you get a one ringer.

This free service has eliminated the countless robo and sales calls I have been getting all day and night. Its a life saver.

Here are my recent dealings with the FCC but not necessarily phone related;

I had a chat with the local FCC field engineer about some guys who are using a commercial, non GMRS input on their GMRS repeater. The idiots even use their GMRS callsigns on the illegal input so its easy to figure out who they are. The owner of the repeater has also been in trouble with the FCC and is known to them.

The field engineer told me unless I am licensed on the business frequency they are using illegally for a GMRS input and being interfered with, the FCC will not take any action. The FCC guy believes me and agrees its an issue but he said because of funding the FCCs hands are tied.

The field engineer was going to try and contact the licenced user of the business frequency to see if they are receiving interference and if they would be willing to generate a complaint, but nothing has happened yet and I know others have contacted the FCC about this particular problem.

I asked the FCC field engineer point blank, if I were to set up a radio system on a business frequency and had no license and used it all the time, would he FCC do anything about it. He said no, not unless a licensed user complains. He also said if I didn't identify with a callsign he would never know if I belonged on that frequency and they would not spend any time or effort to find out if I was licensed. I have now completely lost all confidence and respect for the FCC at this point.
prcguy

RFI-EMI-GUY · Aug 9, 2017

prcguy said:
On the robo call problem, I went to nomorobo.com, signed up for their free service, then went to my home phone account on line and pointed my home phone number to their system. What they do is compile huge and current lists of all known robo phone numbers and when your home phone rings, it also rings at nomorobo and their caller ID system compares the incoming number to the database and if there is a match it picks up then hangs up immediately so you get a one ringer.

This free service has eliminated the countless robo and sales calls I have been getting all day and night. Its a life saver.

Here are my recent dealings with the FCC but not necessarily phone related;

I had a chat with the local FCC field engineer about some guys who are using a commercial, non GMRS input on their GMRS repeater. The idiots even use their GMRS callsigns on the illegal input so its easy to figure out who they are. The owner of the repeater has also been in trouble with the FCC and is known to them.

The field engineer told me unless I am licensed on the business frequency they are using illegally for a yGMRS input and being interfered with, the FCC will not take any action. The FCC guy believes me and agrees its an issue but he said because of funding the FCCs hands are tied.

The field engineer was going to try and contact the licenced user of the business frequency to see if the are receiving interference and if they would be willing to generate a complaint, but nothing has happened yet and I know others have contacted the FCC about this particular problem.

I asked the FCC field engineer point blank, if I were to set up a radio system on a business frequency and had no license and used it all the time, would he FCC do anything about it. He said no, not unless a licensed user complains. He also said if I didn't identify with a callsign he would never know if I belonged on that frequency and they would not spend any time or effort to find out if I was licensed. I have now completely lost all confidence and respect for the FCC at this point.
prcguy

I am guessing they are too short of people to be actively looking for "new business".

The FCC has been totally gutted and it will be getting worse. That said, they are hiring in a field office a state away. I wonder if they will take on an old seasoned semi retired guy or do they really want a young intern.

My phone problem is partly because I have a dumb cell phone (Razr V3M) and can't use a third party filter APP, though I seriously doubt they can deal with rolling spoofed numbers any better than I can. No I am not going to upgrade that phone, it works just great for me, and I am supporting two other phones both smartphones, so there is no shortage of high tech here.

I am thinking of somehow transferring the calls and or the number to Google voice and let their voice to text sort out the voice mails. I will only turn on the phone when I am out and about.

This spoofing is more than an annoyance, potentially a national security issue, it is shocking to me that they haven't put an end to it.

RFI-EMI-GUY · Aug 9, 2017

an39511 said:
Just out of curiosity I took a look at the log of the line filtering equipment that was installed in 2008 and since that time its logged just over 9000 calls. That figure is not necessarily saying each are unique numbers but a collective value of all spam calls. There are some numbers that have called over a 100 times. In the past year and a half looks to be many more use once numbers and many more reportedly from the local office exchange and the surrounding area. We can't block them because we can't tell if their active numbers or not. If we get multiple calls from the same number their blocked.

I am going to sift through my last years call logs and find all the spoofed numbers and flood the FCC (and FTC) complaint sites with all of them. It will do no good, but I can say it was done.

A month or so back, I got a notice of a class action suit against some Robo Caller titled: Patriot Payment Group Telemarketing Settlement Administration. At the time, I was ecstatic, they caught the people doing this! I even sent the card off to be a recipient of what might be an paltry $80 payment. There even seemed to be a sudden lull in calls for a week or two. Then reality set in, the settlement has them admitting no fault. No word on how they were caught or if the FCC or FTC were involved. Then the calls started again. grrr

cg · Aug 10, 2017

I recall reading a news story recently that talked about efforts to overcome the robocallers efforts to separate you from your money. After a search, I did find this document about the efforts:
https://www.federalregister.gov/doc...ds-to-target-and-eliminate-unlawful-robocalls
The comment time is passed but there is some interesting questions they are asking to have input on.

chris

UPMan · Aug 10, 2017

https://consumercomplaints.fcc.gov/hc/en-us/requests/new?ticket_form_id=39744

Form for reporting spoofing.

RFI-EMI-GUY · Aug 10, 2017

The problem with spoofing is that you cannot present an effective blocking mechanism. The FCC apparently hasn't devised a method of identifying a spoofed call in real time. It is necessary for then to do forensics on call logs to correlate the illegal spoofing. If they have a system user, like a paging company that has time stamped calls into their network, the perhaps they can reconstruct the origin of the calls. I can and will send them my log of calls, but doubt it will be of much use after the fact.

The FCC has an $82 million dollar fine against a dirt bag on North Carolina. Fine, but that's just one guy, he won't be paying $82 million. All we have is the face of a dirt bag, so we can call him that to his face. Meanwhile there are hundreds of dirt bags getting away with this.

The solution is to shut down the providers who provide the spoofing service. There are only a narrow range of valid reasons for phone number spoofing and none of them require rolling numbers. There is absolutely zero legitimate reason to be rolling through phony telephone ID's . Big fines make splashy headlines, but it hasn't deterred these companies who are still calling. The FCC isn't being very innovative in their approach to this problem. Making rules isn't working. They need to set up a honey pot and trap the callers as any IT security team would do.

mmckenna · Aug 10, 2017

I run a large PBX that has two prefixes in it (20,000 numbers) and this is a big issue.

I've had people spoof my numbers, both when they call into my system, and when they are calling others. I've had to trace a few of these calls to see where they are coming from. One of them was using my own DID number. It's difficult to explain to an angry person why it looked like I was calling them with marketing calls, even though I wasn't.

The issue is that a few unscrupulous VoIP carriers are allowing the customers to use whatever caller ID they want.

On the flip side, my outgoing carrier restricts us to sending out only the DID numbers we are actually paying for. Any incorrect caller ID sent out from my system gets stripped off by the carrier.

VoIP isn't the issue, it's the carriers that will do anything for a buck. And this isn't the divested Ma Bell companies, this is the little CLEC's that have popped up that are allowing it.

What it takes is the FTC/FCC/US Government to put their feet down and make a stand. It's also going to require the end users to report issues, not just assume that nothing will happen. These telemarketers do occasionally get busted/fined. As with most things, patience is key, however this problem is not going to go away.

As for telemarketer calls, I've done the do-not-call registry, asked to be taken off lists, etc. but none of it works 100%. What works best is to just not answer if the call is coming from a number you don't recognize. I just let them roll to my voice mail and deal with it afterwards.

N4GIX · Aug 10, 2017

prcguy said:
I asked the FCC field engineer point blank, if I were to set up a radio system on a business frequency and had no license and used it all the time, would he FCC do anything about it. He said no, not unless a licensed user complains. He also said if I didn't identify with a callsign he would never know if I belonged on that frequency and they would not spend any time or effort to find out if I was licensed. I have now completely lost all confidence and respect for the FCC at this point.
prcguy

I have a local acquaintance who has had his "private repeater" set up in the trailer park he owns for the past few years. It is on commercial frequencies and he has never had a license, nor does he see any reason to get licensed.

"Hey, I don't call the FCC and they don't call me!" is his rationale. At least he had the good manners to make certain no one else within a 100 mile radius is using those frequencies. :roll:

RFI-EMI-GUY · Aug 10, 2017

N4GIX said:
I have a local acquaintance who has had his "private repeater" set up in the trailer park he owns for the past few years. It is on commercial frequencies and he has never had a license, nor does he see any reason to get licensed.

"Hey, I don't call the FCC and they don't call me!" is his rationale. At least he had the good manners to make certain no one else within a 100 mile radius is using those frequencies. :roll:

If he is running wide band, his chances of getting a complaint have just increased by two adjacent channels.

To be honest, my experience that in heavy urban areas like south Florida, a lot of stations are unlicensed, or operating outside their license. I had a client operating that way, the system was large, and it was a huge mess from a licensing and operations standpoint and I suggested a design to simplify his situation. Unfortunately they listened to a vendor and are still operating a jury rigged and non compliant system.

Sent from my SM-T350 using Tapatalk

cmdrwill · Aug 10, 2017

PRC Guy, the input to Sniffels' GMRS repeater has NO effect on the actual Part 90 licensee, and does not interfere with their repeater operation. Dumb Sniffels has no clue..

But the FCC could hang each of the GMRS users, for transmitting on a frequency they, the "GMRSers" are NOT licensed for. Maybe dumb FCC so-called engineers.

Does Sniffels even care......

prcguy · Aug 11, 2017

If any of the scrotless dirt bags that used the Part 90 input frequency were anywhere near the "mall" when using it, then they would interfere with the mall repeater. Why else would Sniffels put that input on his repeater and invite people (he has no actual friends) to use it? Basically he is still jamming the mall via other users. Its actually quite genius in a twisted way.

BTW, if the FCC chooses to enforce anything to do with that system, the repeater owner will be in for some more fines from his equipment cross repeating part 90 traffic. The FCC was much more interested in the repeater and its owner than the dirt bag users.

BTW, is, or was that repeater at the post office on Mt. Wilson? Gee, how do you get a repeater up there? Are they paying CA or US forrest fees? Does the Postmaster General know about this? Is the guy at the post office pocketing $$ to put friends equipment up there? The whole thing is just as fishy as its owner from what I hear.
prcguy

cmdrwill said:
PRC Guy, the input to Sniffels' GMRS repeater has NO effect on the actual Part 90 licensee, and does not interfere with their repeater operation. Dumb Sniffels has no clue..

But the FCC could hang each of the GMRS users, for transmitting on a frequency they, the "GMRSers" are NOT licensed for. Maybe dumb FCC so-called engineers.

Does Sniffels even care......

We dont need no stinkin' licenses!!!!

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