Despite total robocalls to US consumers decreasing slightly from 50.5 billion in 2021 to 50.3 billion in 2022^[1], these enormous numbers are a clear indication that robocalls are still a major problem. Given the widespread enforcement efforts by government regulations, and the fact that numbers are still this high, there is obviously still a lot of work to be done. The FCC (Federal Communications Commission) says the most common complaint they receive still pertains to robocalls.

According to the FTC (Federal Trade Commission), this is generally what the robocall cycle looks like:

1. A spammer finds your number online or through other nefarious means.
2. The spammer calls your number to make sure it's real and/or active.
3. The spammer calls your number again with one of many possible scams: selling you a fake product, pretending to be a government official, or manipulating you to share personal/financial information.
4. If the spammer is unsuccessful in their attempts, your number will be flagged as "try again."
5. The spammer calls your number again.

This is clearly a vicious cycle that demands government intervention. One of the key strategies to regulate, and ultimately prevent, robocalls put in place by the FTC is the National Do Not Call Registry.

What is the Do Not Call Registry?

Established in 2003, the Do Not Call Registry is a database maintained by the United States government, which consists of telephone numbers that telemarketers are not permitted to call. You can add your own number to the list by visiting donotcall.gov or by calling 1-888-382-1222 from the number you want to register.

Does the Do No Call Registry Totally Prevent Robocalls?

Unfortunately not. While there will certainly be a decrease in the number of robocalls you receive, registering your number will not eliminate them altogether. There are a number of reasons for this.

1. Domestic vs. Overseas Callers

Domestic telemarketing companies must comply with FTC regulations by refraining from calling numbers on the Do Not Call Registry, and although the FTC has no power to actually block calls, most current domestic telemarketers do follow the list. If they were caught violating the registry, they would face significant fines and could even lose their licenses.

Overseas scammers, however, are not required to follow these same restrictions, and since they are commonly mimicking phone numbers and making thousands of calls per second with computers, the Do Not Call Registry is unfortunately not much of a threat to them. The registry does not currently have the technology or enforcement that allows them to identify and/or block certain spam calls.

2. Permissible Calls

You may be registered with the Do Not Call List and notice you are still receiving unsolicited domestic calls. That's because there are some types of calls that are still legal. These include:

• Political calls
• Charitable calls
• Informational calls
• Survey calls

3. Most Scammers Don't Mind Breaking the Law

The Do Not Call Registry is a valiant effort made by the government to legally regulate robocalls and is all well and good for legitimate telemarketers who wish to abide by the law. The vast majority of unwanted calls, however, are illegal and unfortunately made by people who do not mind breaking the rules. The sad reality is that these scammers pretend to be charities, take advantage of the holidays, and full on manipulate senior citizens. Does this sound like the kind of scrupulous bunch who will be influenced by the law?

4. Technological Loopholes

Technological advancements have made it easy for scammers to persist with tactics like caller ID spoofing. This enables them to use thousands of different phone numbers to make their calls and easily jump from one number to the next to avoid getting caught.

Using internet calling services, outgoing calls that cost next to nothing can potentially return thousands of dollars in stolen profits, and cheap autodialing technology enables scammers to make thousands of calls at once.

Unfortunately, this kind of technology allows for robocalls to remain a low cost and highly lucrative endeavour that the government has very limited control over.

What Can You Do to Reduce the Amount of Robocalls You Receive?

Although the government is doing their best to prevent robocalls with the Do Not Call List and STIR/SHAKEN, their limitations are clear. However, there are ways to take matters into your own hands to help minimize the amount of spam calls you receive. Here are some tips:

• As mentioned, adding your number to the Do Not Call Registry is a good place to start and is totally free for both your home and mobile phone numbers.
• In stark contrast to the Do Not Call Registry, there also exists something called the "Call List". This is a list that legitimate companies sell to other companies for marketing and cold calling purposes. Try to find out if you're on this list, as although it's technically legal, there are regulations put in place by the FTC that companies must comply with or else risk facing fines.
• Check if your phone number is publicly available on Google or other search engines. We recommend removing your number from your Facebook, Twitter, and other social media platforms.
• Use Whois by SIPSTACK to verify whether or not an unknown phone number is safe to answer a call from.

How SIPSTACK Fights Fraud

Using the latest technology and machine learning, SIPSTACK's systems authenticate all activity in real time against variables that affect your security. When a carrier implements SIPSTACK's Smart CNAM, they are able to customize a threshold for calls to pass through, based on their specific needs. At SIPSTACK we take an active role in ensuring we are building a secure and connected tomorrow. Contact us today to learn how you can protect yourself from spam.

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