And just how do you propose to track the IP (Internet Protocol) based calls from who knows where? Russia, China, etc. and the FCC has no authority overseas.

Complete waste of $2.99. It made it worse. Rather than seeing a suspect phone number, all unknown numbers would show up as WIRELESS CALLER or worse yet they would wrongly guess the caller to make me think I should answer only to get the standard “Thanks for being a loyal Marriott customer...”

Six calls and three voicemails from 267-756-xxxx today. All different numbers. This is nuts. Is there no way to stop them?

This is what I do, but I understand those who use phones for business don't have that luxury. I've also found out over time the number of nuisance calls and hang ups after the answering machine message stops have gone down drastically to maybe a couple a month at most.

If in business I guess one has no choice. However, if the caller doesn't speak right after "hello" then I hang up and call back. I can always tell a real caller my phone dropped the call which it does a lot. If not in business, who do you need to talk to that you don't know? You give your number to the pharmacy, doctor or whatever, you enter their no. in your contacts. My phone will talk to me telling me who's calling if in the contacts. I don't have to look at it.

The only thing that bothers me and doesn't work with this system is when a caller uses an inside number to call out on that I don't have. I enter that number as soon as I find out it's legit.

I installed a Magic Jack and it has call screening. Haven't had a robo call since it was installed - going on two weeks now. Very tranquil around here.....

Strangely enough, I am having a slow spell right now. I got one on Friday, and remember thinking that it may have been the only one all week.
I wonder if they pound certain area codes for a period of time, then move on . They'll be back .

How does it work? Does it consult a database of known bad actors or ????

It works on robocalls only. All incoming non-magic jack calls are instructed to dial a random 1 digit number and if not done within 12 secs., the call is disconnected and does not ring through to the owner's phone. Since nearly all robo call devices cannot perform that function, they are never received.

L.J. did a good job of explaining it, Patrick.

From the Magic Jack website:

For those with AT&T, this is good news.

AT&T becomes first major wireless company to automatically block spam calls

https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/10/tech/att-spam-call-blocking/index.html

AT&T customers could soon be free of having to deal with annoying spam calls — or at least that's AT&T's plan.
On Tuesday, AT&T (T) became the first major US wireless company to automatically block robocalls for its customers. The free service comes after a June Federal Communications Commission ruling that allows phone service providers to offer call-blocking on an opt-out basis. AT&T owns WarnerMedia, the parent company of CNN.
"The Commission's recent action builds on a years-long effort to enable broader adoption of call-blocking tools and allow providers to better protect their customers and networks," AT&T said in a statement. "AT&T remains committed to working with our government and industry partners in the ongoing battle against unwanted and illegal robocalls."
Spam calls are an annoyance for just about everyone with a cell phone. At times, they are illegal scams. They can be difficult to detect because they often come from the receiver's own area code. More than 4.3 billion robocalls, both legal and illegal, were placed last month, according to industry data.

Robocall blocking uses algorithms and network scanning to identify unwanted calls, similar to how email providers scan for spam messages.
AT&T's service will attempt to block fraudulent calls and alert customers when a call may be spam. It will be available on all new lines and added in the coming months to existing customer lines. Those customers will be notified by text when the service is active.

The company already provided call blocking to mobile customers who downloaded the AT&T Call Protect app or opted in via their account settings. Landline customers had also been able to opt in. Now, AT&T customers will only have to opt out via their account settings if they don't wish to have calls blocked.
Other carriers offer similar options, though AT&T is so far the only to automatically block calls. T-Mobile provides automatic scam call alerts, and customers can opt-in to block those calls for free. Verizon's service works essentially the same way. Sprint offers a caller ID service, which it says may identify spam calls, for $2.99 per month.

I started getting them for my google listing.
"Press 1 to confirm. Press 2 to not receive in the future"

Instead I called the number back about 15 times. Might tie up their server slightly if everyone did that.

Just a datapoint...I recall seeing that T-Mobile was really on the leading edge....quite some time ago. My phone (Consumer Cellular) had an AT&T sim for years (had reception problems at my house during peak traffic), so I switched to a T-Mobile sim (same phone) to address this....problem solved. Seems as if the number of calls I ignore has gone down too....mebbe a combination of both. I'm gonna throw my phone in a pond for 2020...if that schit starts up like before ;)!

Mebbe the R party (in DC) reads PARF....decided there's no point in calling me eleventy-dozen times a week....Area code 202 :(

I sure hope that works like it should.

The next step, make spoofing a number impossible. If the number calling does not match the real number, block it.

I lived the Internet, Intranets, VOIP, and all the majik stuff in between....

Good luck with that ;)!

Got a call from AT&T internet a few days ago.
(I asked to be taken off the list.)

Got a call from AT&T internet this morning.
(I asked to be taken off the list.)
She said "Okay" and hung up.

Then I got another call from DirectTV this morning.
It was the same woman's voice as the AT&T call.
'She' interrupted me..and repeated the same greeting...the exact same way. She was AI obviously.
(I asked to be taken off the call list.)
She said "Um, no."
LMFAO.

Weird how that only happens in the US
we don't have such phone stalking abuse over here..

I might get 1 or 2 unsolicited calls a year..

For the last few weeks , the Social Security administration has been calling me in a very heavy mid eastern voice, saying that I have committed fraud, and that I will be arrested tomorrow morning .
They are willing to accept 5k on a gift card, to make it all go away .
Think it is legit ?

Of course not. If the feds want you they first send several registered letters. Then they come over and seize everything.

And the feds don't accept a gift card. They will just take the money right from your bank accounts.

I had that same call and they said armed agents would arrest me if I did not buy gift cards. I told them I was going to make the Branch Dravidians look like beginners, so bring the Army.

Of course they are just pure scammers.

Not 3 minutes after I made this post, I got another call, dude in heavy accent, wanted to talk about penis . then talked about my mother, and told me to gfy. I love these guys . I told him to call back tomorrow .