If you’ve been getting more spam calls this month, the government shutdown could be to blame.
Systems meant to thwart robocalls and other spam phone calls are down due to the government shutdown. This includes the Federal Trade Commission’s “do not call” registry and the online complaint system run by the Federal Communications Commission.
The FCC and the FTC, two government agencies, told MarketWatch they are unable to respond to request for comment due to the government shutdown.
The lapse comes as the robocall epidemic rages on in the U.S., with nearly 4.7 billion robocalls made in the month of December, equivalent to 150.9 million robocalls per day, according to data from YouMail, a robocall blocking service for mobile phones. This is a decline of 8% from the record number of 5.11 billion robocalls made in October, but experts say the number could increase once again due to the shutdown.
‘With robocallers, it is a game of whack-a-mole. The bad actors constantly change their methods as detection systems improve.’—Jim Tyrrell, senior director of product marketing at robocall solutions provider Transaction Network Services, Inc.
“With robocallers, it is a game of whack-a-mole,” said Jim Tyrrell, senior director of product marketing at robocall solutions provider Transaction Network Services, Inc. (TNS). “The bad actors constantly change their methods as detection systems improve.”
The “do not call” registry is a database run by the Federal Trade Commission where consumers can put their phone numbers to signify they do not want telemarketers to call them. The website is completely non-functional due to the government shutdown. The link goes to a blank holding page that says, due to the government shutdown, we are unable to offer this website service at this time.” It says it will resume normal operations “when the government is funded.”
Tyrrell said it is likely telemarketers can access existing numbers, but anyone who wants to add a new phone number cannot. This will have a larger effect on legitimate telemarketers than robocalls exclusively for scams, he said.
“Bad actors are not going to look at the ‘do not call’ list before they try to scam people out of their money,” he said. “But there will be a higher number of telemarketing calls, what we call ‘nuisance calls,’ from legitimate businesses.”
If your number is on the “do not call” registry and a telemarketer calls you anyway, you can report them to the Federal Communications Commission. However, that complaint line is shut down due to the lack of government funding. What’s more, the “file your complaint” button on the FCC website leads to a page featuring a notice on the lapse in funding and its effects on Commission operations.
Telemarketers make up about 17% of overall robocalls, according to data from YouMail, while scams make up 40%.
Telemarketers make up about 17% of overall robocalls, according to data from YouMail, while scams make up 40%. Tyrrell said the shutdown is particularly concerning given the number of fake Internal Revenue Service scams that generally arise as tax season approaches. Someone who is scammed by a robocall posing as the IRS will have trouble contacting the legitimate agency to clear it up, he said.
“There is going to be a backlog of complaints when the government finally does return from the shutdown,” Tyrrell predicted.
The IRS will only call people on rare occasions. According to the IRS, “There are special circumstances in which the IRS will call or come to a home or business, such as when a taxpayer has an overdue tax bill, to secure a delinquent tax return or a delinquent employment tax payment, or to tour a business as part of an audit or during criminal investigations.”
It does not call to demand immediate payment using a prepaid debit card, gift card or wire transfer, nor does it threaten to bring in local police or immigration officers. “The IRS also cannot revoke your driver’s license, business licenses, or immigration status. Threats like these are common tactics scam artists use to trick victims into buying into their schemes,” according to the IRS.
