Nomorobo
(aka NoMoRobo)
(aka NoMoRobo)
(Feb. 23, 2017)
I used to get up to 10 junk calls per day till learning about the free Nomorobo service (short for "no more robo calls"). Having Nomorobo since then has made my life *much* more pleasant, and less constantly interrupted.
I used to get up to 10 junk calls per day till learning about the free Nomorobo service (short for "no more robo calls"). Having Nomorobo since then has made my life *much* more pleasant, and less constantly interrupted.
The service works for more than recorded robo calls. It also works for any telephone number that has made zillions of calls from one source, whether the caller is recorded or live person/telemarketer/etc, using "call frequency" information to screen the numbers (and also compares to its huge blacklist of numbers as well as to a whitelist).
It even works for most political calls if the user selects that option, and may work for more in the future (e.g., charity calls).
I'm also able to report any phone number that slips through or wouldn't have been caught because the caller hadn't phoned quite a zillion people (contractors or others looking for business, etc--must be those with whom you haven't done business though, or at least for some years). As long as an actual telephone number shows up on the Caller ID display (although Caller ID isn't required to use Nomorobo), it will then get investigated and likely blocked for the person reporting and everyone else using Nomorobo.
Calls from places like medical centers, schools, etc, always get through, and one can always whitelist certain numbers if desired.
UPDATE (didn't know this before):
Nomorobo now also seems to work on a few (smart) cell phones like iPhone 6 and up (but Android and more are to come); however there's a charge for those (e.g., $1.99 for one mobile phone).
Cell phone service providers themselves are *finally* beginning to try to offer this kind of blocking for mobile phones now as well though, in which case junk calls on cell phones should be severely curtailed just from their offerings.
(Btw, none of these things are the same as intentionally blocking a single phone number with one's carrier or on a cell phone. It's automatic once set up, and works for all junk calls.)
I'm also able to report any phone number that slips through or wouldn't have been caught because the caller hadn't phoned quite a zillion people (contractors or others looking for business, etc--must be those with whom you haven't done business though, or at least for some years). As long as an actual telephone number shows up on the Caller ID display (although Caller ID isn't required to use Nomorobo), it will then get investigated and likely blocked for the person reporting and everyone else using Nomorobo.
Calls from places like medical centers, schools, etc, always get through, and one can always whitelist certain numbers if desired.
Nomorobo was created in response to a challenge from the FTC to figure out a way to deal with these calls (it receives more complaints about junk calls than any other topic). Aaron Foss came up with Nomorobo and won the challenge. He allows anyone to use Nomorobo for free (except businesses--they pay a certain amount to keep Nomorobo functioning though it's not a for-profit business).
For most people, and for now, junk calls will ring aloud once, and then be cut off.
If there is a second ring, the call won't be a junk call and can be safely answered. (Some bad calls do get through, but seldom.)
It works by taking advantage of "simultaneous ring," which service providers have but don't use.
For most people, and for now, junk calls will ring aloud once, and then be cut off.
If there is a second ring, the call won't be a junk call and can be safely answered. (Some bad calls do get through, but seldom.)
It works by taking advantage of "simultaneous ring," which service providers have but don't use.
As of now (though may well change), Nomorobo works mostly on phones using VOIP (home phones with service provided by a company like Comcast Xfinity, AT&T U-verse, Verizon FiOS, Vonage, etc). It will not work on home phones using the older traditional copper cable method (the phone itself would look the same for both).
UPDATE (didn't know this before):
Nomorobo now also seems to work on a few (smart) cell phones like iPhone 6 and up (but Android and more are to come); however there's a charge for those (e.g., $1.99 for one mobile phone).
Cell phone service providers themselves are *finally* beginning to try to offer this kind of blocking for mobile phones now as well though, in which case junk calls on cell phones should be severely curtailed just from their offerings.
(Btw, none of these things are the same as intentionally blocking a single phone number with one's carrier or on a cell phone. It's automatic once set up, and works for all junk calls.)
more info on how Nomorobo works:
https://nomorobo.zendesk.com/hc/en-us
home page:
home page:
(old Gmail info--some overlap)
nomorobo (free)
more info/tutorials at a different site:
http://www.cnet.com/how-to/
info --links re history and more:
http://www.wired.com/2015/01/
http://www.bizjournals.com/
http://www.bizjournals.com/
Aaron Foss describing nomorobo at Reddit:
http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/
http://www.reddit.com/r/
2015?...Aaron Foss won A $25,000 cash prize from the Federal Trade Commission for figuring out how eliminate annoying robocalls that dial into your phone from a world of sleazy marketers.http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/
http://www.reddit.com/r/
The year was 2013. Using a little telephone hackery, Foss found a way of blocking spammers while still allowing the emergency alert service and other legitimate entities to call "in bulk."
Basically, he re-routed all calls through a service that would check them against a whitelist of legitimate operations** and a blacklist of spammers (and blacklist of crowd-sourced spam numbers).
**If you’re concerned that legitimate robocalls will be blocked, Foss says you can report those numbers directly to him so they can be “whitelisted.”
...political calls ...offers the option of blocking or not...charity calls... Aaron said "Right now (Feb 2015), they're all blocked....When we put in custom black/white lists, you'll be able to choose charities that you want to come through.")
Sep 2013:
Nomorobo is currently available to people who have VoiP service from their phone companies (their phone calls go through the internet with VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) ---e.g., AT&T U-verse, Cablevision Optimum, SureWest, Verizon FiOS and Vonage (and Comcast Xfinity** and others). Foss started with these companies because they made it easy for people to get the simultaneous ring feature.
Nomorobo is currently available to people who have VoiP service from their phone companies (their phone calls go through the internet with VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) ---e.g., AT&T U-verse, Cablevision Optimum, SureWest, Verizon FiOS and Vonage (and Comcast Xfinity** and others). Foss started with these companies because they made it easy for people to get the simultaneous ring feature.
... If your phone service provider doesn't support Nomorobo (which you will find out when signing up), the software prompts you to call your phone provider to get them to provide the simultaneous ringing service to their customers.
***if you really get hung up while signing up using Xfinity, Comcast can guide you through it, but most will be able to install alone.
***if you really get hung up while signing up using Xfinity, Comcast can guide you through it, but most will be able to install alone.
(still true??) ...and an antivirus system or corporate firewall might block it.
Nomorobo still does not work with any traditional landline phone service because they don't offer the simultaneous ring feature it requires. (The landline companies say they support Foss, but are limited by their older technology.)
(Caller ID is not required for Nomorobo to work, but is required for reporting junk calls that slip through.)
Free for individuals, but not free for businesses. ...NoMoRobo’s business model is to serve consumers free in order to collect the data about the bad actors. NoMoRobo will then charge businesses for the service using the data provided by the large base of consumers being served for free.
cell phones (NOTE 2017... this has now changed for some smartphones)
Nomorobo does not work for wireless phones, but there are a number of robocall-blocking apps are available for Android devices such as NumberCop, Call Control, PrivacyStar, mrnumber, and Blacklist Plus.... (2015) Apple prevents apps from intercepting calls, so robocall blocking on iPhones is impossible right now....but do any of those really work well and without hassle?
Nomorobo does not work for wireless phones, but there are a number of robocall-blocking apps are available for Android devices such as NumberCop, Call Control, PrivacyStar, mrnumber, and Blacklist Plus.... (2015) Apple prevents apps from intercepting calls, so robocall blocking on iPhones is impossible right now....but do any of those really work well and without hassle?
...Call-screening apps, such as Truecaller, PrivacyStar
how it works:
how it works:
Nomorobo uses a service called "simultaneous ring" that is provided by most VoIP phone companies. This feature gives customers an option of having one or more phone numbers ring at the same time when an incoming call arrives. But simultaneous ringing can also offer the option of routing your incoming calls to Nomorobo as well as to your phone.
Nomorobo makes sure the incoming call isn't from an automatic dialer, being dialed hundreds of times, etc, (or isn't from its blacklist of known robocallers).
If it is, Nomorobo blocks it by answering it, holding for a half second or so then hangs up again. Once the call has passed through the Nomorobo screening, Nomorobo hangs up so there's no possibility of eavesdropping.
If it isn't (and/or is on a whitelist), Nomorobo lets the call go through to your phone.
If it is, Nomorobo blocks it by answering it, holding for a half second or so then hangs up again. Once the call has passed through the Nomorobo screening, Nomorobo hangs up so there's no possibility of eavesdropping.
If it isn't (and/or is on a whitelist), Nomorobo lets the call go through to your phone.
...........If your phone company offers simultaneous ring and you sign up for Nomorobo, all of your calls will also go to Nomorobo's computers.
The company uses caller ID and call frequency information to screen them. (and compares them to its huge blacklist of numbers as well as to a whitelist).
When Nomorobo decides a call is a robocall, it hangs up after the first ring. ...Many people report hearing no rings at all though when calls are being blocked.
(however, if the FCC will clarify to the carriers that it's ok to provide robocall blocking services if consumers want themt, then carriers can build robocall blocking directly into the systems (Xfinity/etc already?). Then all garbage calls will disappear and no longer even one ring.
The company uses caller ID and call frequency information to screen them. (and compares them to its huge blacklist of numbers as well as to a whitelist).
When Nomorobo decides a call is a robocall, it hangs up after the first ring. ...Many people report hearing no rings at all though when calls are being blocked.
(however, if the FCC will clarify to the carriers that it's ok to provide robocall blocking services if consumers want themt, then carriers can build robocall blocking directly into the systems (Xfinity/etc already?). Then all garbage calls will disappear and no longer even one ring.
For any robocalls that slip through, the numbers can be easily reported (by you) so they can be added to Nomorobo's blacklist...it's "crowd-sourcing" to stop illegal telemarketing.
(still true???) ...There is a backup in case a genuine call accidentally gets rerouted to Nomorobo. A recording says, “you have been identified as a robocaller” and asks the caller to type in a two-digit number to verify he/she is human. If done correctly, the caller is put through.
You can review these periodically to see if anything is getting blocked that should not be.
(still the method?)...For any problems whether it was a call that should not have been blocked or a call that should not have gotten through, it is very easy to report a problem. Simply log on, fill in the details, and press submit."
