"A New Weapon in the War on Robocall Scams"

A new weapon in the war against robocalls is an automated system capable of analyzing the content of these unsolicited bulk calls. It highlights the scope of the problem and the types of scams perpetrated by robocalls. SnorCall is a tool designed to help regulators, phone carriers, and other stakeholders better understand and monitor robocall trends, as well as take action against criminal activity related to robocalls. Although telephone service providers, regulators, and researchers have access to call metadata, such as the number being called and the length of the call, they lack the necessary tools to investigate what is being said on robocalls, according to Brad Reaves, an assistant professor of computer science at North Carolina State University. Providers do not want to eavesdrop on calls because it poses serious privacy concerns. However, robocalls are a problem and are typically used to commit fraud. It is essential to understand the scope of this problem and gain insight into these scams by knowing what is said on robocalls. Therefore, researchers developed the SnorCall tool to enable the characterization of robocalls' content without violating privacy. This article continues to discuss the SnorCall tool. 

North Carolina State University reports "A New Weapon in the War on Robocall Scams"