Why no defense against spam calls, and robocalls??

NoMoRobo is obsolete.  It's only good if someone has already reported the number.

For example, a scammer spoofs a number while simultaneously dialing thousands of people.  In the perfect situation, someone would immediately report it to NoMoRobo.  If the scammer uses the number again, NoMoRobo would hopefully block the calls.  In this situation, only the first batch of subscribers would be affected.

How would scammers bypass NoMoRobo?  Spoof a different number for each batch of calls.  By the time someone reports it, the scammer has already stopped using it.  There are 10 billion numbers...choose another one.  Unfortunately, if the newly-blocked, spoofed number is assigned to a legitimate subscriber (Cox)...well, that subscriber now has the burden get his/her number released.

In the past 30 days, I’ve received 15 calls from one-time numbers.  No history on NoMoRobo, 800notes, Mr. Number or even Google.  To me, they're obviously spoofed numbers.  They’ve already hit-and-run.  NoMoRobo would just being blocking ghosts.

Selective Call Rejection is useless.  It will, again, increase your bill and is limited to a few numbers.  I understand I’d enter asterisks and codes from my telephone to add numbers to my list.  How archaic is that?  Am I to enter codes every day?  What if my list is maxed?  Which number do I remove?  Which number would be the least nuisance to remove?  Again, am I to determine the least-nuisance number(s) every day? 

What about fake numbers with fake area codes and exchanges?  Am I paying to block numbers that don’t even exist, such as (000) 000-0000, (123) 456-7890...my number?  That's not fair.

I’m blocking everybody except family, friends, coworkers and business contacts.  If I know of a legitimate number, I’ll add it.  If I missed a legitimate call, I’ll add it and call them back.   Auto-blocking is a lot easier than selectively blocking.

I agree with you 100%.  Its pretty lame that you cannot block unwanted calls with Cox. I block them left and right on my I-phone but am helpless in my home.  I'm seriously thinking of switching to Vonnage so that I will have the ability to block spam calls and its cheaper than Cox as well.

Truly Cox seems to want to charge top dollar for a service that offers almost nothing.... 

I too am seriously considering getting rid of the phone service, but I keep waiting to see if they will get it in gear.

Still, I understand that these spammers are using high tech means to avoid being blocked, so it is not so easy. You would assume though that Cox Cable, a true tech company, would have a defense against criminals. Otherwise they are NOT my friend in the digital age!! 

zlloyd1 said:

Truly Cox seems to want to charge top dollar for a service that offers almost nothing.... 

I too am seriously considering getting rid of the phone service, but I keep waiting to see if they will get it in gear.

Still, I understand that these spammers are using high tech means to avoid being blocked, so it is not so easy. You would assume though that Cox Cable, a true tech company, would have a defense against criminals. Otherwise they are NOT my friend in the digital age!! 

To be fair, as a business Cox's objective is to make money and the current market structure allows cable companies to enhance profits due to the lack of downward pressure on costs that real competition provides.

That being said (well, typed), most of the unwanted calls are against the law but providers like (but not only) Cox seem to regard them as profit opportunities.  The very tactic of spoofing numbers amounts to an admission on the part of the caller that the call is unwanted, so on top of whatever crime is being attempted, it is knowing and willful harassment... and the DNC specifically targets legitimate businesses and the FCC will decline to pursue- THAT became obvious to me last ffall when a complaint I filed about a non-spoofed call that the IRS had filed suit against me was promptly closed.

I looked into NOMOROBO a couple of years ago, before they won their FTC award.  At that time, as now, COX was one of the unsupported networks.  I learned that fundamentally the COX "digital" phone is just a PBX.  This goes back to the dial phone days.  Simultaneous ring, that NOMOROBO requires, is a VOIP feature.  So for COX to be compatible with NOMOROBO, they would have to jack the license plate up and drive a new car under it.  This is why COX uses "digital" to describe their antiquated phone network and prices their triple play so that it costs more to drop the phone service and do anything else.  They are desperate.  Other than the fact that they don't use fiber in the last mile of their service, this PBX is COX's Achilles heal.  Moderators that talk about Call Rejection and Do Not Call Lists are just drinking the Kool-Aid.  We all know that these things are a joke. I've tolerated robo calls for years, but as soon as Verizon offers real TV channel selection, vice channel packages, I'm history.

Dido, Come ON Cox get on board and help your customers or lose your customers.  Robo calls are so annoyinghere is an easy fix if you would just support the program. 

Blocking anonymous calls is insane. They are from doctors' offices and even Cox calling back to check on service. We need a really workable call blocking feature, COX, and not platitudes. I am 80 and this is really hard on folks like me who need and depend on phones. Even Panasonic phone with 300 call blocking ability isn't enough, I get 10 or more robocalls a day. DO NOT CALL doesn't work. None of your "solutions" work. Get with the program, COX.

I don't believe a lot of the legit calls are anonymous.  All legit telephone number, such as a doctor's office, have a caller name assigned...except, of course, Private numbers.

If you're paying for Caller ID and a legit number is routed through Cox, Cox has to add the Name Field.  There are 3rd-party databases hosting the up-to-date names; however, they'll charge Cox a fee for each lookup.  To avoid the fees, Cox will either report the name as Unavailable or the city/state of the exchange or whatever they have locally assigned.

For example, my Mom recently moved into a new house.  When she setup her landline service, the telephone company incorrectly spelled her name.  I told her of the misspelling and she had the telephone company correct it.  However, to this day, whenever she calls, Cox still assigns the misspelled name.

I could call Cox to force an update with a database, but why bother.  It just reminds me of how cheap Cox is.

@Bruce, thanks for the explanation of "unavailable".  In the last 20 years i have never received an "unavailable" call that was legitimate. 100% spammers.  20 years ago i had a friend who would call me from a "back line" at her work.  She had 30 lines to choose from.  If she chose any except the main line, her call would appear as "unavailable". 

When i see the caller ID "Blioxi, MS" instead of a name, it is 99% sure to be a spammer.  But 1% of the time, it is a real person. I often tell them to ask their phone provider to change the Caller ID to their correct name.  Verizon customers used to call an 800 number to have the name added.  Now they can do it online inside their account.  But you are saying that i will continue to see "Biloxi" even after they change unless Cox pays the 3rd party.  I didn't know that.