ROANOKE, Va. – We’ve all received calls from telemarketers or people trying to scam us. Now we might not have the option of ignoring the call or quickly hanging up.
There’s a new tactic out there: ringless voicemail. Calls can go straight to voicemail instead of causing your phone to ring.
Experts on scams say this could be more believable to some people because they might not be expecting it. It’s also dangerous because people might more easily believe a voicemail, and because they could fill up our voice mailboxes.
Julie Wheeler, president of the southwest Virginia-area Better Business Bureau, says the scam has been popping up in the last few months.
“It’s still in its infancy, which is always when it’s most dangerous," she said.
It’s also dangerous, she said, because people might more easily believe a voicemail that says a warranty is expiring or someone’s won a prize.
“So now, maybe you’re going to listen to it and think that it is something you need to take care of," she said.
Scammers and telemarketers are trying to circumvent a 1991 law that prevents people from using automatic dialing with prerecorded messages unless someone agrees to receive it.
“So this is getting around that, or they say it’s getting around it because they’re not actually calling your phone, they’re just leaving you a message," Wheeler said.
This voicemail tactic allows users to put out a lot of calls without breaking the law. The Federal Communications Commission hasn’t made a decision on whether this strategy is legal.
“I think it’ll be challenged," Wheeler said. "I think at this point maybe they’re investigating but haven’t made a ruling.”
Some experts think it’s an OK idea because a voicemail is less intrusive than a phone call while others say the worries over believability and voice mailboxes filling up mean the government should make it illegal.
Wheeler says these voice messages could become more and more common if the laws don't prevent them.