NEWS FLASH $45M fine for robocalls

[kenn10]

FCC Proposes Largest Illegal Robocall Fine to Date - Telecompetitor

The largest robocall fine ever proposed by the FCC is for Interstate Brokers of America, a telemarketer that allegedly

www.telecompetitor.com

 

[KNERD]

Odd. I have never gotten a single healthcare call, but billions of vehicle warranty calls.

 

[kenn10]

I suspect the FCC is going hard on the few they can actually catch and prosecute. These were Florida based as opposed to a foreign country. The only defense against the ones outside the country is to penalize the VOIP provider who passes the calls into the USA. I got a call yesterday from someone with a heavy Indian or Pakistani accent wanting to sell me a Medicare policy.

Until the FCC can effectively close the loopholes, the calls are not going to stop.

 

[ostridge]

Wow - I doubt that Gregory Robbins is going to be personally liable to pay $45m fine - the company or companies will just fold and start again from somewhere else. The companies involved are hardly likely to keep their assets anywhere that they can be snaffled by the FCC.

 

[AndyInNYC]

snaffled - love it. Gotta start using that word.

 

[hawk#1]

FCC only proposes a large fine. By the time it actually gets to final settlement, Interstate Brokers of America won't even pay a fine.

 

[krzykat]

I hate these guys, and I guess it can be hard for a provider to know if they are shady or not. I had one client in Boca that did telemarketing for medical creams and when I was at their office and saw and heard them operate, I really didn't like the business or trust them. But they were a client. I was quite happy when they moved offices and I simply said we couldn't provide service at their new office space. these types really put a bad name on telecom

 

[Samot]

The one thing to keep in mind is that this will be a double edge sword. The FCC will put pressure on the LECs from the top down. Meaning they will put the pressure on the OCNs and to an extent 499A filers. They have already laid the groundwork for a Know Your Customer form that will be required in the future. BulkVS, a provider many here use, are requiring it already to have termination services activated. Providers are starting to require customers of certain types to provide proof they are registered in the RoboCalling Mitigation Database. The new E911 laws made CallWithUs stop offering new services in the US because they didn't want to comply with them. Technically due to being VoIP they really aren't grandfathered either, so they are probably operating out of compliance if they still have services in the US as of 2022.

As they try to combat things like robocalling and filtering out bad actors this could have an adverse impact on many in this and other VoIP communities. By that I mean those that either use bulk providers for their cheap rates for personal use or those that use them to offer voip as a part/spare time or side job. We've already seen some providers trimming low usage, personal users from their base. Part of that is because those are the users that are going to be a risk in the future. Either because they aren't 499A filers, they aren't in the RMD or other factors. I mean I'm not a 100% but I have a strong feeling that as they get tougher on filtering out bad actors, communities like this one will be collateral damage (in a sense).

 

[Halea]

... The new E911 laws made CallWithUs stop offering new services in the US because they didn't want to comply with them. Technically due to being VoIP they really aren't grandfathered either, so they are probably operating out of compliance if they still have services in the US as of 2022.
...

I'm very saddened about Sergei (CallWIthUs). The service that he offered was second to none. For a while I had quite a few DIDs with him as his upstream was the only provider (that I knew) offering DIDs in the 212 area code. Then he had to discontinue that service.

Since the E911 mandate came into effect he gave up on the US market altogether.
I know he was doing this as a no-pretension side business, but he was good at it and his termination picks were consistently good (except for a couple of bad apples) and quite competitive (not lately though). I still use it for overseas calls (just to burn up my deposits).

 

[dallas]

snaffled - love it. Gotta start using that word.

verb informal • British
past tense: snaffled; past participle: snaffled
take (something) for oneself, typically quickly or without permission.

A very British expression.

 

[kenn10]

Right along there with snogging, knackered, chuffed and cuppa. I especially like the term "knock you up in the morning" for a wakeup call.

 

[krzykat]

Right along there with snogging, knackered, chuffed and cuppa. I especially like the term "knock you up in the morning" for a wakeup call.

I think my favorite is when you have too much to drink and "get pissed" ... for drunk.

 

[ostridge]

verb informal • British
past tense: snaffled; past participle: snaffled
take (something) for oneself, typically quickly or without permission.

A very British expression.

Sorry should have used Google Translate

 

[KNERD]

Sorry should have used Google Translate

 

[rchalk]

don't forget "Keep a stiff pecker" (for a stiff upper-lip)

 

[dicko]

When the languages diverged, newer technologies developed individual names, there are probably cockney rhyming slang versions for all of them (septics probably wouldn't be able to decipher 'I'm going to climb the apples to don*$ld the trouble')

aeroplane == airplane
bonnet == hood
trunk == boot
windscreen == windshield
cupholder == no longer provided in Blighty