We’ve all gotten those annoying scam phone calls that use fake caller ID information to make it look like the call is from a local area code or coming from someone you might actually want to speak to. These types of calls account for about 50% of all calls received in the U.S.
Now, T-Mobile is the first phone company to implement a “Caller-Verified” system that will let users know if they’ve confirmed that the call is actually coming from where it claims. This technology blocks what’s called ‘spoofing.” Scammers temporarily hijack phone numbers in order to trick people into picking up the phone.
It’s all part of the new STIR and SHAKEN standards that the telecom industry developed in response to a request from the FCC. STIR (Secure Telephony Identity Revisited) and SHAKEN (Secure Handling of Asserted information using toKENs) use digital certificates to help verify that a caller is who they say they are.
So far, this technology is only available to T-Mobile users with a Galaxy Note9, but you can expect to see this technology implemented by more phone companies soon.
Most of the calls I receive are from either telemarketers or scammers. I have a really simple solution, which, I realize, may not be suitable for everyone. I don’t answer the phone, ever. On my landline, if I’m near the phone, I use the “prescreen” feature to hear who is really calling and answer if it’s someone I with whom I am willing to speak. Otherwise, if it’s a “real person” calling about something that matters, a message will be left and I will return the call if it matters to me. IMHO, too many people are slaves to their phones. I pay the bills. I’m the boss, not the phones, not the callers.
When you do get a ‘robo call’ give it a few minutes and into it will be an option to opt out of their calls. No guarantee it will but it’s worth the try if it does. Unfortunately you only opt out of their calls, but eventually you might get opted out of all of them. Trish