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IP Relay Abuse Out Of Hand
from the your-tax-dollars-at-work dept
A few people have written in pointing to Broadband Reports' short article outlining how a variety of people are abusing the IP Relay service, designed to help hearing impaired people communicate over the phone by providing text messages over the internet, which are then read by operators to the designated phone number. Because it helps the hearing impaired, the FCC has ordered that carriers get reimbursed for IP Relay calls. However, this has obviously opened up quite a loophole, and rather than being used by the hearing impaired to make calls, it's being abused by some to make free calls, by kids getting operators to read out whatever message they want, and (of course) by Nigerian scammers. As Broadband Reports notes, there's little incentive for the companies providing IP Relay services to crack down on the abuse, because they're getting reimbursed by the FCC on each call. Someone even suggests that nearly 90% of IP Relay calls has to do with frauds or scams -- all paid for with your tax dollars.
Reader Comments
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ip relay abusive calls
it's true that 90 % of the calls are either abusive or fraudulent calls. we feel a certain pride whenever we help the hard of hearing people but whenever stupid kids or nigerians use the service, we just want to kill ourselves for even assisting such calls. we have no choice but to process the call because we can't interject. we now have disconnect procedures but some nigerians are getting smart and probably are aware of the criteria we are looking for in order to disconnect the call.
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ip relay abusive calls
it's true that 90 % of the calls are either abusive or fraudulent calls. we feel a certain pride whenever we help the hard of hearing people but whenever stupid kids or nigerians use the service, we just want to kill ourselves for even assisting such calls. we have no choice but to process the call because we can't interject. we now have disconnect procedures but some nigerians are getting smart and probably are aware of the criteria we are looking for in order to disconnect the call.
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possible fraud
I was contacted by an IP relay, in response to an ad placed in NC publication for the sale of furniture. The instructions were that the cost of shuipping would be included in the money order and I, the seller, was to pay the shipping company by writing it directly.
I have asked the woman (Eri Smith) for her personal contact info and told her I cannot comply, but that SHE would have to pay the shipping company herself.
How do I know if this is a bona fide person and a legitimate, non-fraudulent request?
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