So, what happened? Will those calls ever stop? 

Our NBC Bay Area Responds team has some yo-yo numbers to share. The feds are taking an unprecedented step to cut off robocalls. And we’ll share a California factoid that will help you hang up even faster on the most infamous robocallers. 

When the phone rings

When spammers call and call and call, apps like Robokiller block them.

“For better or worse, business is booming. That’s not necessarily, I would say, a good thing for consumers,” said Patrick Falzon of Robokiller. 

Falzon says blocking spam robocalls allows them to also track troubling trends.  

“Last year, we believe U.S. consumers got around 75 billion spam calls,” Falzon said.

A month-by-month chart from Robokiller shows a robocall rollercoaster. Tall peaks and deep valleys repeat. 

This past summer, robocalls dipped from a high of almost 8 billion a month. It turns out, the Federal Communications Commission took legal action targeting some companies that make bulk robocalls. 

“We immediately saw a drop-off,” Falzon explained. 

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The FCC says its steps resulted in an “88% month-to-month drop in student loan scam robocalls,” plus a “99% drop in auto warranty scam robocalls.”

And yet, as Kevin Brasler of Consumers’ Checkbook noted, “our phones keep ringing.”

Brasler says the FCC is in a tough spot. 

“It’s like Whack-A-Mole,” Brasler explained. “The crooks keep finding ways to circumvent the protections they put up.”  

For example, Robokiller says robocalls shot back up to about 6 billion in March – just a few months after the FCC’s victory lap.

The FCC did not answer our questions for this story. 

Its docket reveals the feds are now targeting a small communications company called One Eye, LLC and accusing it of a big role in making robocalls from overseas ring on your phone. The FCC just issued its “first ever” order to “block all [phone] traffic” from One Eye from connecting to your carrier. 

We reached out to One Eye for comment but did not hear back. 

Even if the FCC’s legal maneuver works, expectations are low for many.

“It’s generally just a matter of time until something pops up,” Falzon said. 

Falzon’s yo-yo robocall data backs that up.  

“They are far from decreasing and far from no longer being a problem for U.S. consumers,” Falzon said.

So, what can you do? 

Consumers can install a robocall blocker – for a fee. Robokiller is just one of many. 

“You can get a free 7-day trial to test it out, see if it makes a difference for you,” Falzon said. 

Or, you can check with your phone carrier. See if it offers a free blocker like T-Mobile’s “Scam Shield.”

“It identifies if a call is most likely to be a scam, and it’s 99% accurate,” explained Steve Carlson with T-Mobile.

T-Mobile says it’s intercepting tons of spam calls. 

“More than 40 billion spam calls on the T-Mobile network in 2022,” Carlson said. 

If an unknown call gets through, Kevin Brasler recommends self-restraint.  

“If you don’t recognize a number, don’t pick up,” Brasler said. 

“If you do pick up, and it’s not somebody you know, and you’re certain it’s not somebody you know, just hang up,” he added. 

Especially if it’s one of those extended warranty calls. Robokiller labeled car warranty robocalls “the most common phone scam in existence.”

The FCC says car warranty robocalls are the most complained about robocall.

Even if the FCC has, as it says, stopped 99% of extended warranty robocalls, the state has a warning about the other 1%. 

“Under California law, that’s illegal,” said Michael Soller with the California Department of Insurance. “You cannot sell a vehicle service contract over the phone. You cannot sell it online.” 

Soller says a new state law can help you get your money back if you fell for the robocall. 

You can file an official complaint with the state by calling 1-800-927-4357.

Have a consumer complaint? Let us know, so we can help.

It happened to San Francisco resident Diego Martinez.

On the Job Hunt

“If I had signed off on everything, my life would have been ruined,” he said.

Martinez was vulnerable and right where scammers wanted him: hunting for a new job and under pressure to quickly grab what he could. 

Martinez said he was, “targeting small to midsize companies, mainly because of what was happening over the course of the few months before with the layoffs and the shake-ups in the tech world.”

On an online job board, Martinez said he spotted a remote tech role at a company called isolved. Martinez said he applied and later did an interview by text (on a messaging website). 

The next day, the person claiming to be an HR rep said isolved was hiring him. 

“I was, obviously, really excited,” Martinez said.

He had already shared some personal information on his application. Now the recruiter wanted more: his bank account information for direct deposit of his paycheck plus a copy of his driver’s license. They also told him he’d need to buy a phone for isolved business. 

Here’s the hitch: “It was a fake isolved website,” said Amy Mosher, who oversees HR and recruiting at the real isolved. “They made it look nearly identical to our own site.”

Mosher confirmed Martinez was dealing with an HR impersonator. She said he is not alone in falling for a lookalike. 

“This happens very, very often, more often than certainly most people realize,” Mosher said. 

Job Scams on the Rise

94,129 people reported business and job opportunity scams to the Federal Trade Commission in 2022. In total that year, people reported losing $367 million to job scams. And it’s trending upward. Business and Job opportunity crooks stole 76% more money in 2022 than they did in 2021, according to the FTC. 

The FTC says scammers target people who want to work from home and that employees in the tech sector may be at risk. 

So, how do you protect yourself?

“I would say do your homework,” said Amber Clayton, Senior Director of Knowledge Operations at the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). She and Mosher, at isolved, recommend a few extra steps before you hand over any information to an online recruiter. 

How To Protect Yourself

First, do a search for the company name. See if the website the recruiter shared matches the authentic one. If not, beware. 

Also, be leery of recruiters who tell you to buy a phone or a laptop from them before you start a new job. 

“I would be cautious about purchasing any equipment,” Clayton said. 

It’s likely just a ploy to steal money from you. 

Make sure the recruiter’s email address matches the real company website. Figure out if the recruiter is who they say they are. 

“Never give your sensitive information to anyone who can’t validate their identity,” Mosher advised. 

Finally, insist on speaking to the recruiter and your future teammates, ideally by video or in person. 

In this case, Martinez only interviewed by text. Clayton saw trouble with that. 

“If they’re only doing a text interview and nothing more, I would say that’s definitely a red flag for a job scam,” she said.

Learning from a Close Call

“I felt embarrassed,” Martinez acknowledged.

So, what happened with him? He never shared his bank information, thanks to some savvy friends who smelled a rat. They encouraged him to ask the recruiter some questions. He did. 

Here’s what he said first: “‘I just don’t want to be scammed,’ and as soon as I said the word ‘scammed’ there was radio silence for two seconds…. And they hung up the phone.”

Martinez is glad he wised up and shut down the scam. He recommends all job seekers ask recruiters questions and demand answers. 

“I just think that everyone needs to be more aware, no matter how experienced you are looking for jobs,” he emphasized. 

We recommend that Martinez lock down his credit reports, just in case the scammers got any sensitive information from his “application” and “interview.”

isolved said it shut down the look-alike site and is buying up similar web addresses to prevent other impostors. If you spot a job scam, report it to the Federal Trade Commission.

You can also tell the NBC Bay Area Responds team, just like Martinez did. Have a consumer complaint? Let us know, so we can help.

You don’t necessarily have to battle your 1040 tax form yourself. Many families qualify for free help to figure and file their taxes– both federal and state. Here are a few links to help get you started.

IRS

The Internal Revenue Service has two programs, the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, and the Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE). Program. 

You can learn more about them via this link.

United Way Bay Area

Through the IRS VITA program, the United Way in the San Francisco Bay Area says it has lined up local volunteers who might be able to help you fill out and file your federal and state tax returns. Options include video sessions, an online portal or in-person assistance at about 50 Bay Area locations — sometimes by just walking up.  

You can learn more about how, when, and where via this link.

Free File

If you just want to file your federal return for free, you might qualify to use an online system that walks you through the process step by step. Several well-known tax preparation companies participate in this free federal program. Generally, your family’s adjusted gross income must be less than $73,000.  

You can learn more about which companies participate via this link.

MilTax

For members of the U.S. military, free tax help might be available. MilTax says it offers “personalized support that address the realities of military life,” such as deployments, combat and training pay, housing rentals, multistate filings, etc. 

You can learn more about it via this link.

Deadlines

In 2023, the IRS’ deadline to file your federal returns is April 18. However, because of the winter storms, most California residents have an automatic extension until October 16. October 16 is also the deadline for California state taxes too.

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