Google goes after robocall scammers demanding business fees in its name
Scam robocallers tell victims: call us now or your Google business listing will labeled closed.
I hate robocalls. You hate robocalls. We all hate robocalls. We have good reason. According to Transaction Network Services (TNS), which manages data networks for such major telecoms as Sprint, US Cellular, and Verizon, a third of all cell calls are now spam. No wonder many of us have stopped answering our phones. But there are other ways to try to block the torrent of telephony terror.
There are also numerous third-party smartphone robocall killers. These all work in similar ways. Each service keeps a database of known spammers. When a call comes in, it checks the caller to see if they’re a bad actor. If it is, it will block the call.
Before even subscribing to any of these services, you should know that none of these are perfect. In my experience, they’ll spot a hostile caller about two times in three.
Most of these services offer at least a free week. I strongly suggest you try before you buy.
Nomorobo is one of the oldest call-blocking programs. When a call comes in you can let it be forwarded to voicemail or block it as spam. Nomorobo can also deal with spam text messages. Unlike most robocall killers, you can also use Nomorobo with VoIP landlines. If you’re still on copper, sorry, you can’t use it. Nomorobo is free on landlines and $1.99 a month on mobile.
Hiya Caller ID and Block only works on Android and iPhones. Its special feature is that it detects spoofed calls, which use a similar number to your own number. For example, I often get calls from “people” with the same area code and prefix. The prefix is the three numbers between your area code and the last four numbers, which make up your line number. Hiya spots these in case I don’t.
You may be already using Hiya and not known it. The company’s software powers robocall protection for AT&T, Samsung, and T-Mobile.
Hiya’s basic app won’t cost you a cent. The premium edition’s spam database is larger and is updated more often. It costs $2.99 a month or $14.99 a year.
The most amusing robocall killer is RoboKiller. Besides blocking spammers, it gives them sass back via its Answer Bots, which can waste their time with nonsense conversations. You can either use one of their selections or come up with one of your own. Robocall revenge can be sweet.
RoboKiller costs $19.99 a year.
I’m going to be frank with you. Even with a combination of services, you’re still going to get robocalls. But with the right mix you can cut them down considerably. It’s not perfect, but it’s better than doing without these services.
Related Stories:
TechRepublic: RoboKiller v. Nomorobo: Which robocall blocker should iOS users choose?CNET: Stop robocalls to your phone once and for allHouse passes bill to stop unwanted robocalls
Related Topics:
Mobility
Cloud
Internet of Things
Security
Data Centers