How To Avoid The RoboCall Scams

Who has not received those annoying RoboCalls? I've signed up for the donotcall.gov list but it didn't matter. I did find a perfect solution to end these for myself, which I'll talk about later. Here is the problem - Text to speech technology has improved leaps and bounds from the early days. The "bad guys" are using this technology for a new scam called the "Can You Hear Me Now".  Do not answer, "yes"! I'm a Cyber Security consultant and they got me. I read that they also got one of my IT colleagues, David Lazarus of the Los Angeles Times. 

Here's how it works...  You get a phone call from what sounds like a man or woman. They may cough, or laugh to make it sound like a real person. They will then ask you a question. The "woman" who got me called and told me "she dropped her headset and asked if I could I hear her". I would have sworn it was a real person. Normally, most of the robocalls I get are trying to sell me Google ads. 

Last month after become certified by RingCentral, I ported my office number over to a RingCentral Virtual Cloud PBX system. You know, those annoying, but professional sounding phone systems that ask "if you know the extension of the party, you may enter it at anytime, to hear the company directory, press...".  What most people don't realize is these systems no longer cost thousands of dollars. They don't require on site equipment, expensive service contracts or an IT guy. The reason is Unified Communications As A Service (UCAAS). Think cable TV. You get this service from your provider. You can buy your own router or rent one from them. If there is a problem, it is their problem and obligation to correct it, not yours. Any how, I personally implemented a RingCentral Virtual Cloud System which you can hear by dialing my office number, 310-540-6480. The beauty of this system is that the Robocallers don't know what to do when they have to input an extension. I set my system up so that if no extension is selected, the call hangs up. This is one unintended consequence that I love. It is now impossible to get ambushed. I don't even need to use the call screening feature.  For more details on how you can get your own Virtual Cloud Based Phone System for under $50 per month, contact me.