Technology

The Do Not Call list loophole: Why your phone still won't stop ringing

Published

6 months ago

July 28, 2024

The Do Not Call list loophole: Why your phone still won't stop ringing

If you’ve taken the time to read our tips here at CyberGuy to keep phone scammers at bay, good for you. One of these tips is to put your phone number on the national and state Do Not Call list.

However, you might find that you’re still getting calls from scammers. This is because the Do Not Call list primarily targets legitimate telemarketers and has limited effectiveness against scammers and illegal robocallers who often ignore the list.

This is what happened to one of our newsletter subscribers who told us that even though she took the time to put her number on that list, she still receives many annoying calls. “I repeatedly tell them to remove my number and stop calling, but they continue to call,” she said.

She noted that caller ID indicates that these phone calls are coming from spoofed phone numbers. Even though she blocked these numbers too (another tip to ward off scammers), they’d call back from another number. So, why is this permitted? And how come being on the Do Not Call list is not enough? Let’s thoroughly answer this once and for all.

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National Do Not Call Registry section of FTC website (FTC)

How scam calls get through the Do Not Call list

Receiving calls from scammers when you’ve gone out of your way to prevent them from calling you can be rather frustrating.

Unfortunately, despite being on the Do Not Call list, you may still receive unwanted calls due to a few reasons:

Some types of calls are exempt from the Do Not Call regulations. These include calls from political organizations, charities and companies with whom you have an existing business relationship. Of course, if the scammer spoofs a government phone number, they may appear to be exempt from the Do Not Call list, even though they are not actually a legitimate government entity.

WHAT IS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)?

Scammers often disregard the Do Not Call list and continue to make unsolicited calls. These individuals and organizations engage in illegal activities and are not bound by the regulations set forth by the FTC. After all, these scammers are not really likely to follow the rules.

Sometimes, telemarketing companies or organizations may inadvertently call numbers on the Do Not Call list due to data errors or technical issues. Though, this is less likely.

Additionally, scammers can purchase phone numbers on the dark web, allowing them to target a wide range of individuals regardless of their registration on the Do Not Call list.

Again, because scammers can spoof phone numbers to make any number appear on the caller ID (even if it belongs to someone else), it’s much easier for them to bypass the Do Not Call list loophole.

A woman frustrated by a robocall (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

HOW TO TRACE AND BLOCK ANONYMOUS CALLS

How to keep scammers from calling you at all costs

While we’d like to think it’s enough to put your number on the national and state Do Not Call list, as we learned from this subscriber, it’s not a foolproof method. They can still find ways to get to you. That being said, don’t neglect putting your number on this list. Keeping scammers from calling you requires a combination of different strategies, and each one helps reduce the number of scam calls you’ll get over time.

1. Invest in personal data removal services: While no service promises to remove all your data from the internet, having a removal service is great if you want to constantly monitor and automate the process of removing your information from hundreds of sites continuously over a longer period of time. Remove your personal data from the internet with my top picks here.

2. Check to see if any websites you have an account with may have had a data breach recently. Changing your passwords frequently can help prevent more damage from being done. Also consider using a password manager to generate and store complex passwords.

3. Don’t answer calls from unknown numbers. Let them go to voicemail.

4. Use your phone’s spam blocker features.

5. Notify your mobile service provider about the calls and see what they can help you do.

6. Never reply or call back a number you don’t recognize. If the area code is familiar to you but not the rest of the phone number, it could very well be a scammer who is intentionally phone spoofing someone’s number within the same area code for the sole purpose that you’ll recognize it and feel more inclined to answer it.

7. Block robocalls and unknown numbers.

8. Report the unwanted calls to the FTC and your state attorney general’s office, especially if it’s a repeated number or person claiming to be from the same organization.

9. If the calls are still coming, consider changing your phone number.

10. Consult a consumer protection attorney if the calls really don’t stop.

11. Remember never to provide your personal information over the phone. If anyone calls you to ask for your sensitive data, do not give it over, even as trusting the person might sound or as legitimate as the reason may seem. These days, because scams are so prevalent, there shouldn’t be any company calling you and asking you for this information over the phone. Always do your due diligence.

A woman frustrated by a robocall (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

HOW TO BLOCK THOSE UNWANTED AND ANNOYING SPAM EMAILS

Kurt’s key takeaways

Putting your phone number on the Do Not Call list is a great step in keeping scammers away. But it’s not the only way. It takes utilizing different strategies — and keeping up with those strategies — to send the scammers elsewhere.

If you could design a new feature for smartphones to prevent scam calls, what would it be? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact

For more of my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/Newsletter

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Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

Technology

Intel still dreams of modular PCs — it brought a tablet laptop gaming handheld to CES

Published

10 hours ago

January 11, 2025

Press Room

Intel still dreams of modular PCs — it brought a tablet laptop gaming handheld to CES

At CES 2025, Intel let journalists into its private “Innovation Showcase,” where we saw things like prototype next-gen laptops and giant stereo 3D handheld gaming PCs.

While I was there, I also spotted a heavy metal handheld on a table that didn’t seem… fully attached… to its screen. When I lifted the screen, it came away easily.

It felt suspiciously light to be a real tablet, so I flipped it over and saw three connectors underneath:

Above it, on a shelf, was a laptop with a suspiciously sized chunk of plastic on the bottom that looked like a perfect match. A minute later, Intel gaming evangelist Colin Helms confirmed: I was looking at a concept modular PC.

That module contains a complete Intel Lunar Lake computer, the entire guts you’d need to make one work outside of peripherals and screen. It’s basically a reboot of Intel’s abandoned Compute Card idea, except it’s not all Intel’s doing and you probably shouldn’t ever expect it to ship.

It’s a concept from Quanta, a company whose name you don’t typically see on the laptops and tablets they create, because Quanta is an ODM (like Compal, Pegatron, Wistron, and Apple’s better known iPhone supplier Foxconn) that designs and manufactures hardware on behalf of brand names.

Quanta’s calling the whole modular system the “AI8A,” and the aforementioned module at its heart is the “Detachable AI Core.” Helms told me it plugs into other concept computers as well, including an all-in-one desktop that Intel didn’t have to show off. And presumably, like the Compute Card idea, you could upgrade your computer just by putting a new new module into it.

The modular laptop has lots of concept-y bells and whistles too, so many that Intel’s CES staff hadn’t even worked them all out yet.

For starts, the laptop has a motorized hinge, so you can tell it to open and close its own lid; it also claims to offer eye-tracking that lets you sling around multitasking windows just by looking at where you’d like them to be. It apparently comes with a mouse integrated into a ring that you could wear.

The most mundane: a built-in Qi wireless charging pad in the palmrest, with indicator lights to show your battery’s remaining capacity.

I couldn’t try any of it working, unfortunately, nor did I manage to ask what “AI8A” means, because I mistakenly thought it said Aiba until I checked my photos closely just now. Nor could we hotswap the module between the handheld and laptop, since the module apparently doesn’t have a battery inside.

Again, this is a cool computing concept car: it’s not likely that this computer will ever ship, even in a more practical / less gadgety form. Thankfully, we have begun to see some real, practical modularity in the laptop space since the death of Intel’s Compute Card. Framework just celebrated its fifth anniversary this week, and Dell took a smaller step forward at CES with its first modular repairable USB-C port.

Photos by Sean Hollister / The Verge

Technology

AI isn’t going anywhere: Prompts to make life easier

Published

10 hours ago

January 11, 2025

Press Room

AI isn’t going anywhere: Prompts to make life easier

I was having dinner with my husband in Paris. We got the wine menu and all the names, of course, were in French. Barry wanted something equivalent to a Napa cabernet, so I took a picture of the menu and asked ChatGPT. In seconds, it recommended a wine. I double-checked with the waiter, and he gave it a thumbs-up.

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You might think AI is just for businesses, programmers, or the ultra tech-savvy, but it’s not. It’s for anyone willing to give it a try.

AI EXPERT: CHATGPT PROMPTS YOU’LL WISH YOU KNEW SOONER

Instead of ignoring this powerful tool, make this the year you embrace AI. It’s easier and more helpful than you think.

Let’s start with the basics

“So, uh, where do I find ChatGPT?” I get that in my email every day. Use it on the web or download it for iPhone or Android.

The free tier works for most people. I pay $20 a month for ChatGPT Plus. It’s worth it to me for access to the better features and faster response times. Start with free. If you find yourself relying on your favorite AI tool regularly, consider upgrading. It is worth considering.

A man is pictured working on an airplane and using a cellphone. (iStock)

ChatGPT isn’t the only option, but it is my preference (at least for now) and the most popular. You can also try Google Gemini, Perplexity and Claude.

With all these, the workflow is the same. Think of it like Google, but instead of punching in one search term and scrolling through results, you have a “conversation” with the bot to get exactly the output you want.

Like any tool, you need to use AI wisely and triple-check its results. Trust me, you don’t want to end up like those lawyers who used AI to draft court documents, only to have the judge catch the glaring mistakes.

BIOMETRIC DATA: IS IT SAFE TO HAND IT OVER TO ANY COMPANY THAT ASKS?

You’ve heard of prompts, right?

This is what we call the text, question or command you provide an AI system to guide its response or action. It’s your instruction on what you want, so the better your prompt, the more useful and accurate the response will be.

“Priming” is the insider term for telling a chatbot exactly what you want from it. With ChatGPT or any other, the more constraints you give, the better your answer. Examples: “Limit your response to 250 words,” “Give me the list in bullet points,” “Format the results as a table,” “Use this data to create a bar chart.”

Remember, AI can’t read your mind. It only knows what you tell it. Use “do” and “don’t” in your prompts to get the results you want. Say you’re cooking for friends, and some have allergies. Say, “Create a recipe for six people. Do include protein, fruits, vegetables and carbs. Don’t include dairy products, shellfish or nuts.”

ChatGPT app shown on a iPhone screen with many apps.

Close-up of the icon of the ChatGPT artificial intelligence chatbot app logo on a cellphone screen. (iStock)

7 prompts to make life easier

Make your goals actionable: “I have a goal for 2025 to [fill in the blank]. Can you help me make it SMART?” (SMART is an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Assignable, Realistic and Time-related.) Maybe you’re not there yet. Try this: “I want to [fill in the blank], but it feels overwhelming, and I don’t know where to start. Can you help me by breaking it down into more manageable tasks?”

“Give me 10 more examples”: That’s a prompt I use with ChatGPT all the time to make the chatbot a better brainstorming buddy. Some of its “ideas” are downright bad, but it might spark something creative in your brain, too.

“How can I make this better?” Add in anything you’ve written — a blog post, a travel plan, a resume or even a heartfelt email. This prompt works wonders for polishing your work and pointing out improvements, like a personal editor at your fingertips.

DO THIS WITH YOUR FAMILY VIDEOS BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE

Your very own free assistant: Say you have messy notes from a meeting. By hand, you’d spend 15 minutes turning those into an email fit for your boss or team. Instead, open a chatbot and say, “Turn these notes into a professional, friendly email to my team.” Paste your notes at the end and voila. Pro tip: Ask your bot of choice, “Is there anything that needs more details?” to fill in any missing info.

Shortcut your inbox: When you get a really long email, open your AI chatbot of choice, and type in the prompt, “Summarize this email for me. Tell me what I need to do, then write a thoughtful reply. Here is the email.” Paste in the email and let AI do its magic.

Wanna get in shape? Ask your AI to create a custom fitness plan. Try this: “Create a 30-day fitness plan for fat loss and muscle gain tailored to a [male/female] beginner at [your age].” Or get specific: “Create a four-week fitness plan to help me run a mile for the first time.” Don’t sweat it.

A 12-year-old boy types as he uses a laptop computer on December 19, 2023, in Bath, England. (Matt Cardy/Getty Images)

Spouse forgot to load the dishes again? Instead of firing off a rage-filled text, let AI step in. Ask your fave chatbot to reframe your frustration into something a bit more … constructive. I like this prompt: “Make this message sound more friendly.”

Don’t forget about privacy

It’s easy to think your bot is a trusted ally, especially when it’s pumping out helpful answers all day long. But it’s definitely not. It’s a data-collecting tool like any other.

Be smart about what you say. Never type in passwords, sensitive financial data, or confidential work or business information. My rule of thumb: Don’t tell a chatbot anything you wouldn’t want made public.

With a free ChatGPT or Perplexity account, you can turn off memory features in the app settings that remember everything you type in. For Google Gemini, you need a paid account to do this.

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Technology

Amazon is ‘winding down’ some of its DEI programs

Published

22 hours ago

January 10, 2025

Press Room

Amazon is ‘winding down’ some of its DEI programs

As we head toward the end of the year, I want to give another update on the work we’ve been doing around representation and inclusion.

As a large, global company that operates in different countries and industries, we serve hundreds of millions of customers from a range of backgrounds and globally diverse communities. To serve them effectively, we need millions of employees and partners that reflect our customers and communities. We strive to be representative of those customers and build a culture that’s inclusive for everyone.

In the last few years we took a new approach, reviewing hundreds of programs across the company, using science to evaluate their effectiveness, impact, and ROI – identifying the ones we believed should continue. Each one of these addresses a specific disparity, and is designed to end when that disparity is eliminated. In parallel, we worked to unify employee groups together under one umbrella, and build programs that are open to all. Rather than have individual groups build programs, we are focusing on programs with proven outcomes – and we also aim to foster a more truly inclusive culture. You can read more about this on our Together at Amazon page on A to Z.

This approach – where we move away from programs that were separate from our existing processes, and instead integrating our work into existing processes so they become durable— is the evolution to “built in” and “born inclusive,” instead of “bolted on.” As part of this evolution, we’ve been winding down outdated programs and materials, and we’re aiming to complete that by the end of 2024. We also know there will always be individuals or teams who continue to do well-intentioned things that don’t align with our company-wide approach, and we might not always see those right away. But we’ll keep at it.

We’ll continue to share ongoing updates, and appreciate your hard work in driving this progress. We believe this is important work, so we’ll keep investing in programs that help us reflect those audiences, help employees grow, thrive, and connect, and we remain dedicated to delivering inclusive experiences for customers, employees, and communities around the world.