GREENSBORO, N.C. — Congress has approved the TRACED act. That's the telephone robocall abuse criminal enforcement act. And it is needed. As of November, U.S Phone users had gotten 54 billion robocalls. There were only 48 billion calls in all of 2018.
The law requires telecom carriers to activate a free number-authentication system for customers to identify who's calling. The technology is called the STIR/SHAKEN system. The goal is to target those scams where they look like they're coming from a different number than what they are. It would also increase the penalties for robocallers once they're identified.
But before you assume that all the robocalls will disappear, there are still legal robocalls. For example, companies you do business with can robocall you. You likely agreed to this in your terms of service. Charities and candidates running for office can also use robocalls.
To ward off all the calls you can do the following:
- Make sure your number is listed with the do not call registry.
- It will remove you from the call list from legitimate telemarketing companies.
- If you get a non-legitimate call file a complaint with the FTC and the FCC.
- If you're being bombarded with calls consider additional protection from companies like Youmail or Nomorobo for about $2 a month.
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