SITs and robocallers

[DLester]

It is alleged that if you prepend your phone answer message with a "non-functional" SIT (Special Information Tone), robocallers will hear the tone, and automatically drop your number from their contact list. That's easily done. The question is whether it really works. Does it?

See http://www.yourhomenow.com/sit.html

It can be argued that for a truly non-functional phone number, a SIT is transmitted to the caller without ringing. (Sorta like you get a busy-signal if you call a number being used, without hearing a ring.) So if the robocaller hears a ring, followed by a SIT, it can consider the call "answered", and ignore the SIT. If that's the case, this trick won't repel robocallers.

Wisdom, anyone?

 

[DLester]

Hmmm. Not a lot of wisdom here.

Turns out, the FTC says that this strategy "may" help. See https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/media/video-0086-robocall-challenge-consumer-tips-tricks
"EXPERIMENT WITH SPECIAL INFORMATION TONES. YOU KNOW THOSE THREE-NOTE SPECIAL INFORMATION TONES THAT SIGNAL A NON-WORKING NUMBER? THEY SOUND LIKE THIS.
BEEP, BEEP, BEEP. SOME PEOPLE TOLD US THEY PUT THIS TONE AT THE BEGINNING OF THEIR VOICEMAIL OR ANSWERING MACHINE MESSAGE, AND IT RESULTED IN FEWER CALLS."

Some research uncovers comments where people say that this strategy has reduced, but not necessarily eliminated, the number of robocalls they get. Some systems are just smart enough to see through it.

 

[DLester]

Well, I'll make my own wisdom. I was getting one or two of these robocalls calls a day. I installed a SIT at the beginning of my voicemail message. The manic robocall continued for about a week and then, poof, they were gone. I've gotten ONE robocall in the last two weeks. I would recommend this.