Dwight Watt - Newspaper Article #436 11/21/2018


Question: Is the FCC working on stopping calls with spoofed number?

Answer:

Yes, the FCC is in the process of requiring telecommunications companies to stop phone numbers being spoofed.

The FCC expects to require in 2019 that telecommunication companies must authenticate the phone number a call comes from. They want the companies to use the SHAKEN/STIR framework to make phone calls show on caller ID what number they are coming from.

This should stop the major problem that is occurring where we receive calls that appear to be from in our area or a number that we know (or could even be our own number, I got call from medical plan spam that said it was from me) as the real numbers would show. Studies I have seen say 42% of all phone calls currently are these spam/phishing calls trying to get us to give up information or buy strange things and it is expected to go over 50% next year.

This is a long overdue action by the government (FCC) and the telecommunications companies. If the telecommunications companies wanted us to think nice of them they would start implementing immediately and not wait to be required by the government.

Hopefully this will cut the number of these calls drastically and make everyone feel safer.