Practical advice for combating robocalling

Robocall scams have exploded worldwide during the past several years, and the Covid-19 pandemic threatens to spur many new schemes. Governments are taking action to punish perpetrators, yet the problem persists because it is profitable for scammers. Fines, elimination of warnings prior to issuing penalties, and caller-ID authentication requirements aside, robocalling will persist if consumers continue to fall for its tactics and aren’t offered simple ways to report when they receive unwanted robocalls.

Other than large scale data theft, such as the well-publicized Equifax data breach, robocalling is a major vector for identity theft. Thieves bombard nearly everyone with automated calls using spoofed caller IDs that look like legitimate numbers. Once robocallers engage their marks, they aim to bring their victims “under the ether” to gain personal information, as Frank Abagnale Jr., author, lecturer and consultant with Abagnale and Associates describes in his recent book Scam Me If You Can.

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