Over the last few days I have been inundated with "You've overpaid your utility bills so press 1 if you're a sucker" robocalls. I report every one of them to Nomorobo. All the calls come in with unverified (naturally) caller-IDs. Is there some technical reason that Cox can't implement an option that blocks all calls with an unverified caller-ID? This is beyond annoying.
You may want to check out this link on blocking anonymous calls.
The OP isn't receiving anonymous calls. If OP is reporting the Caller ID data to Nomorobo, it's obviously not anonymous. Moreover, Anonymous Call Rejection only works if the Caller ID reads "Private" or there is no Caller ID data.
I think your Anonymous Call Rejection has run its course because...and I can't speak for everyone...I haven't received a private or anonymous call in over 3 years.
The calls aren't anonymous in the strict sense of the word. There's either a fake, unverified caller-ID name or a geographic location (e.g., "PROVIDENCE RI"). As they used to say in the TV commercials, "We can land a man on the moon but..."
I can't believe there's no technology solution to this.
I don't know if Cox is still implementing STIR/SHAKEN (verified calls) because I've recently received some legitimate, familiar calls and there was no "V" in front of the numbers. One call was from our Management Office with a Verizon landline-telephone number...no "V."
I also checked my Cox Call History for the past 120 days, and none of the logged calls had a "V." I've received V-calls before but nothing in the past 4 months.
The FCC got the flagging backwards. If a number is unverified, this unverified number should be appended with a flag...not the verified numbers.
For example, if an unverified number is preceded with a , you could block the number by its flag. Of course, you could only do this as a wildcard... 123-456-7890, 000-000-0000, etc. All numbers preceded with the get blocked.
If Cox offered this option, Cox would (naturally) charge you for the service. If you had a local call-blocking feature on your telephone or as a standalone device, which supports wildcarding, it'd be a cheaper option.
As with telemarketing crackdowns, the Do Not Call Registry, Nomo and this program (STIR/SHAKEN)...another gov't flop.
The problem is, MOST of these callers are spoofing the phone numbers, and changing their number on each call. Because the numbers themselves are legitimate, but they are used minimally, they aren't blocked. If it was a telemarketer, using the same number to call from, they could log it, with NOMOROBO, and block it. Even though the numbers are non working, the only way to determine that is to call the number, and find out. Again, because it's only used a couple of times, by the time Cox could determine it's a number not currently in service, they are using a different number to call from. The ONLY way this can be fixed, is for the FCC to have a database of numbers active 'in service', and ALL telephone providers to update and maintain in real time the numbers IN service. THEN all telephone providers to block telephone numbers not in the list as a valid in service number through their switch by verification of the number to the active database in real time. .
The North American Numbering Plan Administrator (NANPA) amasses a list of assigned numbers from the providers twice-a-year and submits biannual reports to the FCC as the Numbering Resource Utilization Forecasting (NRUF).
Due to the sensitivity of this report, the FCC would never release or allow anybody to access it. However, with your suggestion, I suppose Cox could send a caller's number to the "database" and receive an "in-service" or "not in-service" response.
However, as you noted, scammers are spoofing in-service numbers, so the reply from the "database" would be "in-service" and then allowed.
You cannot rely on a company or agency to police your calls. The gov't has been failing for 20 years, and Cox does not want to get into the business of deciding which calls to block. The only foolproof way is to install a call-blocker and maintain it with an Allow Only list of numbers.
I never heard of a call blocker but just found call-blocking phones on amazon.com. Time to check these out. Tonight I got a robocall at 8:15. It's getting out of hand.
