Homeland Security Doesn't Extend To Telemarketing Calls

from the this-is-not-a-sales-call dept

Mon, Jun 19th 2006 11:30am — Carlo Longino

Telemarketers' dialing machines, which simply call one number after another or dial random numbers, are apparently calling security hotlines for state governors (via Boing Boing) set up by the Department of Homeland Security. According to the governor of Delaware, her hotline rings with timeshare offers and long-distance calling pitches. One would imagine that such a line might be something a little more, uh, secure than a simple phone line with an unpublished number, but apparently not. The DHS supposedly put the governor's numbers on the do not call list, but no avail. If this government agency -- tasked with things like, oh, securing the country and stuff -- can't figure that out, it doesn't engender much faith in its abilities. One more question: with the government's apparently limitless wiretapping capabilities, couldn't they pretty easily track down these telemarketers and get them to stop?

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Anonymous Coward, 19 Jun 2006 @ 12:01pm

first post
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Anonymous Coward, 19 Jun 2006 @ 12:09pm

2nd. Sighh...Tech dirt sucks
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Anonymous Coward, 19 Jun 2006 @ 12:13pm

3rd.. lets go for a record.
speaking records, for the record, you 1st posters have poop for brains
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JHO, 19 Jun 2006 @ 12:19pm

LETS GO U.S.
8th, damn im slow.

Bush does so much for us. Like passing awsome bills that stop telemarketers.

BUSH IS THE MAN.

umm... ('shoots self')
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Anonymous Coward, 19 Jun 2006 @ 12:41pm

Re: LETS GO U.S.
uh ... yeah...this is a Bush issue cause we all know that telemarketing only started during the Bush administration?

and the government should be regulating everything including calls that a company can make.

how about taking this into your own hands and using caller id. besides, this was about the government securing a line not regulating telemarketers.
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JHO, 19 Jun 2006 @ 12:52pm

Re: Re: LETS GO U.S.
Actually i was commen i was commenting on the fact that he tried to stop it with a bill, but thanks for your input.
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Andrew Pollack, 19 Jun 2006 @ 1:06pm

Shall we play a game?
War dialing is surely nothing new. Random autodialing telemarketing is insanely simple.

As the 2008 elections get close, consider the election calls you'll get.

If I were pushing for say, the DNC, I'd set up a cheap linux box at serverbeach running asterisk. Then, I'd sign up as many home users as were willing -- anywhere in the country -- and send them a little IAXY device. Each device would cost about $75 -- much less I assume if bought in bulk.

Each user willing to plug this device into his or her cable modem and phone line for a few hours a day -- perhaps while they were at work -- would give me the ability to auto-dial from their phone number to any local numbers all day long at virtually no further cost.

Talk about grass roots! figure about $100 worth of server for each 200 or so outbound concurrent calls, plus about $75 for the devices each. In terms of cost, this would be almost as low as spam rates when you figure how many thousands of calls per day could be autodialed with these little devices. The recording can easily be tailored to the area being called, no telemarketing people need be paid, and the devices are a tax deduction.

Oh, and the devices are reusable for campaign after campaign, year after year. Once owned, the only costs are shipping them to volunteers and the cost of the server. I'm willing to bet I'm low on the number of concurrent calls per server as well.

Hell, I could set the thing up in a matter of a day or two.
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Anonymous Coward, 19 Jun 2006 @ 1:48pm

tech dirt fucking sucks
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Adam, 19 Jun 2006 @ 1:52pm

Why the hell is this news?
How does this have anything to do with Homeland Security? Unlisted numbers can be called by brute-force dialers? What are the security implications here? A better headline would be "National Do Not Call Lists Are Completely Impotent."
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Pongidae, 19 Jun 2006 @ 2:07pm

Bagging on Tech Dirt
Why is it always the "Anonymous Coward" who makes the witty comment that "tech dirt sucks" or is so proud of being the first poster just to post?

1) If ya don't like the site then stop reading and save us all your tripe.
2) Get a real life where what you do really matters.

And yes Adam the headline reallt should have been "National Do Not Call Lists Are Completely Impotent." What a joke that is!
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C. O. Ward, 19 Jun 2006 @ 3:33pm

eleventh post yay!
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Anonymous AOLer, 19 Jun 2006 @ 3:49pm

Re: Bagging on Tech Dirt
Why is it always the "Anonymous Coward" who makes the witty comment that "tech dirt sucks" or is so proud of being the first poster just to post?
1) If ya don't like the site then stop reading and save us all your tripe.
2) Get a real life where what you do really matters.
Me, too.
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Cool Person, 19 Jun 2006 @ 5:24pm

i think i need to bite a dog, squirrell, cat, monkey, and last but not least a cop they need to know what it feels like to get bit because i have been bit by all of those and i dont think anyone cares
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