.>>
.>> THIS
.>> THIS MESSAGE IS FROM THE SOCIAL SECURITY ACT. NOW IS THE TIME TO ACT. I GET PROTOCALS
DAILY OH YOU JUST WANT TO STOP
THOSE CALLS, YOU KNOW? I MEAN
IT'S SO FRUSTRATING ONE AFTER
ANOTHER WE HEAR THOSE
RECORDINGS AND CERTAINLY ALL
OF US PROBABLY HAVE DREADED
PICKING UP THE PHONE. >> I MEAN
THESE ROBO CALLS THEY SEEM TO
EVER STOP. I MEAN WE'RE TALKING
ABOUT THOSE ANAPA AUTOMATED
CALLS TRYING TO SELL YOU
SOMETHING. OTHERS ARE JUST
TRYING TO GET YOUR PERSONAL
INFO. TURNS OUT THESE ROBO
CALLS ARE STILL THE NUMBER ONE
CONSUMER COMPLAINT TO SEVERAL
GOVERNMENT AGENCIES. SO OUR
SENIOR INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER
BOB SIEGEL IS DIGGING INTO WHY
THE PHONE JUST WON'T STOP
RINGING IF IT SEEMS YOUR
CONSTANT BOMBARDED WITH ROBO
CALLS. THAT'S BECAUSE YOU ARE
SO FAR THIS YEAR HOOSIERS ARE
GETTING ABOUT 30 MILLION ROBO
CALLS A MONTH. THEY'RE ANNOYING
AND MOST OF THEM ARE DOWNRIGHT
ILLEGAL. SOME OF THE CALLS ARE
ALLOWED LIKE FROM YOUR DOCTOR'S
OFFICE OR FROM YOUR KID'S
SCHOOL. BUT HERE IN INDIANA
COMPANIES THAT YOU DON'T DO
BUSINESS WITH ARE NOT ALLOWED
TO USE AN AUTOMATED SYSTEM TO
DIAL YOUR NUMBER AND TO DELIVER
PRERECORDED MESSAGES. YES, IT
HAPPENS ANYWAY ALL ACROSS THE
NATION. SO TO TACKLE THIS
PROBLEM WE'RE WORKING WITH
OTHER INVESTIGATIVE REPORTERS
AT OUR PARTNER TV STATIONS ALL
OVER THE U.S. AND THIS IS THE
FIRST IN A SERIES LOOKING AT
WHO'S MAKING THESE CALLS AND
WHETHER THERE'S ANYTHING YOU
CAN DO TO STOP
AT 1:00 P.M. WE
WILL MARCH TO THE CAPITOL
BUILDING WARNING WARNING THIS
IS YOUR CORONAVIRUS ALERT
SYSTEM. WHETHER YOU HAVE A
LANDLINE OR A MOBILE PHONE, IT
DOESN'T MATTER. THERE'S A CALL
THERE AND THEY'RE TRYING TO
SCAM YOU. ALL YOU NEED IS YOUR
LAPTOP AND A MOUSE AND A CREDIT
CARD AND YOU GO ONLINE AND
AFTER TWO HOURS OF GOOGLING
YOU'LL BE CALLING THOUSANDS,
TENS OF THOUSANDS OR EVEN
MILLIONS OF PEOPLE. >> OK,
LET'S STOP OUR STORY FOR A
MOMENT AND CONSIDER MARK HIGH
MARK MARK DON'T KNOW IT BUT IN
THIS GROUP HE'S THE MARK AND
PATSY. >> HI PATSY. SHE'S THE
PATSY. YOU MIGHT NOT FALL FOR
THAT ROBOCALLER BUT MARK AND
PATSY, THEY TEND TO LIVE UP TO
THEIR NAMES PROBLEM IS IN A
COUNTRY OF MILLIONS AND
MILLIONS OF PHONE NUMBERS,
THEIR NUMBERS AMOUNT TO A PAIR
OF NEEDLES IN A HAYSTACK
OF NEEDLES. OUCH. IT ALL MAKES
THE SEARCH FOR THEM A GAME A
GAME OF CHANCE NOT LONG. THE
RULES WERE SIMPLE ONE QUARTER
ONE PULL, ONE CALL. HELLO.
HELLO. SLOW, METHODICAL, NOT
TERRIBLY PRODUCTIVE WHICH MAKES
NOW THE PERFECT TIME TO TALK
ABOUT THE ROBO HALF OF THE
ROBOCALLER AUTOMATION TURNS ONE
PULL EVERY 10 SECONDS INTO TEN
THOUSAND CALLS EVERY SECOND. >>
YES THAT'S HAPPENED. IT IS
MILLIONS OF PEOPLE A DAY AND IF
YOU JUST GET A POINT ZERO ONE
PERCENT RATE OF PEOPLE THAT
START TO TAKE THAT MESSAGE
SERIOUSLY AND OF THOSE IF JUST
ONE PERCENT OF THOSE PROGRESSED
TO THE NEXT STEP, IT MIGHT BE
ONE IN A MILLION. BUT IF YOU
GET A COUPLE OF THOSE A DAY
YOU'VE SCORED PRETTY BIG AND
THE PHONE CALL FOR HUNDREDS
OF DOLLARS HUNDREDS FOR
MILLIONS OF ROLLS OF THE DICE
STACKING THE DECK AGAINST YOU
AND YOUR ODDS OF QUIET,
PEACEFUL AND ROBOCALLER FREE
NOT ALL WHILE TURNING EACH ONE
OF US INTO A MARK OR A PATSY OR
JUST A SUCKER IN A GAME WHERE
THE ODDS ARE NO LONGER IN OUR
FAVOR. PLUS TRY TO STEAL A
RESEARCH GROUP REPORTEDLY. HI,
THIS IS TOMMY BENNETT, ADVISOR
ON A RECORDED LINE
. THE COST
CAN BE STAGGERING. REPORTS
ESTIMATE AMERICANS LOSE
BILLIONS OF DOLLARS EVERY YEAR
TO PHONE SCAMS AND THE COST IS
NOT JUST FINANCIAL. TONIGHT AT
11:00 YOU'LL MEET A WOMAN WHO
SAYS ROBOCALLERS COST HER
GRANDMOTHER HER LIFE BETWEEN
NOW AND THEN WE HAVE A LOT
OF RESOURCES ONLINE YOU CAN
SEARCH BY CITY OR AREA CODE TO
SEE THE NUMBER AND TYPE OF ROBO
CALLS IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
YOU'LL FIND THAT AND ADVICE