It’s been a busy month for the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC), as its declared war on phone scammers was stepped up. Business technology journalist Antony Savvas says its network cut-off tactics against miscreants should definitely be considered in other telco markets as a priority.
Online scams across the web and mobile devices continue in abundance, against the vulnerable, the too curious, and sometimes simply the greedy. The temptation for a bargain, to address money worries or to be part of a get-rich-quick scheme, will always appeal to a section of the population when delivered directly to them over the telecoms network.
The FCC is attempting to reduce that temptation by going after the source of it directly, through proactive investigations and heavy punishment. This has even led to some nuisance communications actors approaching the FCC to clarify whether their tactics are, in fact, illegal.
Ringless voicemail
The FCC this month said callers must obtain a consumer’s consent before delivering “ringless voicemail”, a message left in a consumer’s mailbox without ringing their cell phone.
The US Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), which protects consumers from unwanted “robocalls”, prohibits making any non-emergency call using an automatic telephone dialling system or an artificial or pre-recorded voice to a wireless telephone number, without the prior express consent of the called party.
The Commission confirmed that ringless voicemail is a…
