2 edits | Telcos have no choice - can't block TRS »FCC Warns Of IP Relay (TRS) Fraud
Of course the abuse of this system has been going on for a long time (we mentioned it back in 2004), in part because major telecom companies are paid close to $1.50 per minute by the FCC (read: the taxpayer) to carry the traffic. You blame the telcos, but they have no real options here. Any attempt to control, limit, or modify the TRS system would result in SCREAMS from all the disabled advocacy groups and lawsuits galore from their lawyers. So, the telcos are stuck in the middle in a no win situation. If they do something they get sued and get a PR black eye. If they don't do anything they are accused of profiting from fraud and get a PR black eye.
P.S.> I see the news item from the Baltimore Sun and the FCC don't blame the telcos in this, but the end user businesses for not verifying identity. The anti-telco angle is your spin on the matter.
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| reply to fAcEtIOUs
It is rediculous what they are charging the govt isnt it, regardless of what your thoughts are (pro telocom). At any rate, cant the phone companys that provide the service do some sort of self policing for what they're charging to atleast report something that could possibly be criminal activity to a govt agency? I would think that would protect everyones best interest. The service would remain intact, they can bilk the govt for millions, and criminals have a harder time useing bs credit cards |
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| said by Megladon :
At any rate, cant the phone companys that provide the service do some sort of self policing for what they're charging to atleast report something that could possibly be criminal activity to a govt agency? I would think that would protect everyones best interest. The service would remain intact, they can bilk the govt for millions, and criminals have a harder time useing bs credit cards
The phone company can't police it because the person doing the translating is required by law to be basically nothing more than a "telephone line". This means that even if they are aware that fraud is occurring there is nothing they can do because it's a private conversation which they are forbidden from getting involved in. It's the privacy protections we are supposed to have, were it not for the Warantless Wiretapping that the President is so fond of.
I've personally dealt with these scam artists several times before. And they will call up a business and ask for something specific. Often times the business won't have it. These people will keep asking for similar stuff until they find something you have and then they'll want to buy several thousand dollars worth, often times on separate credit cards.
If you ever get a call at your place of business from this service make sure you are immediately suspicious of the person's intentions unless you know that person. |
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 gaforcesUnited We Stand, Divided We Fall
join:2002-04-07
Santa Cruz, CA | reply to fAcEtIOUs
If the gov't wanted to remedy the situation they would have done so already.
It's a TRAP!  |
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| reply to jdjbuffalo
I've had them here too. Nothing quite as funny as a person calling through an operator to order $5,000 worth of Logitech speakers. 
It seems to me like the telco's could atleast make the effort to setup a passthrough caller ID. Sure it wouldn't solve the problem, and it's easy enough to get around, but its a start.
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