Swindlers Use Telephones, With Internet’s Tactics

[jsr]

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/20/technology/swindlers-use-telephones-with-internets-tactics.html

Swindlers Use Telephones, With Internet’s Tactics
By NICK WINGFIELD | JAN. 20, 2014

SEATTLE — Phone swindles are practically as old as the telephone itself. But new technology has led to an onslaught of Internet-inspired fraud tactics that try to use telephone calls to dupe millions of people or to overwhelm switchboards for essential public services, causing deep concern among law enforcement and other groups.

People, businesses and government agencies across the country are combating the new schemes, in which scammers use the Internet to send huge volumes of calls at the same time. Many of the attacks bombard individuals with automated requests for personal data, in a variation of their email-scam cousins. But others are more vicious, flooding entire phone systems when demands are not met, similar to some attacks against websites.

“You can blast out 100 million calls from the comfort of your keyboard,” said Kati Daffan, a lawyer in the bureau of consumer protection at the Federal Trade Commission.

Automatic dialing software and Internet phone services make it easy to place huge volumes of calls from anywhere in the world. Often, swindlers create messages in a synthesized voice and say they are from a financial institution. The call prompts the recipients to enter personal data through their phone keypads.

[Trillo]

1. This reminds me of what ATT did when it wanted customers to upgrade from DSL to UVERSE.

The damn phone was ringing all the damn time, and it was always an ATT computer/recording calling. It truly felt like being assaulted.

BTW, UVERSE sucks, don't upgrade from DSL. Can't watch some youtube videos now.

[durablend]

2. Hey now...not right to get mad at them

*Clearly* they're just people that are just trying to make a living over the phone and we shouldn't berate them that opportunity.

(so say people in another thread)

[Orrex]

3. Next we'll see a parade of self-congratulating phone-pesterers

telling us about how they plan to bankrupt these companies by keeping them on the line for 30 minutes.