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Fed up with robocalls? App lets you automatically sue spammers
After years of struggle against the robocall menace, we’ve made startlingly little progress. Some legislation has been passed and some carrier solutions developed, but ultimately we are still bombarded with annoying phone calls.
So what is anybody to do about robocalls? Well, when the authorities fail to solve the crisis, leave it to the private sector to develop other tools to aid in the fight. Tap or click to download an app that can block robocalls with a fake phone number.
As much promise as these apps seem to show, none can give the people what they really want: a shot at revenge. Thankfully, a new app is available that not only blocks robocalls, but also gives you a chance to sue them for cold hard cash. Developers, you have our attention.
Throw the book at ’em: Robo Revenge brings the heat
A new app was developed by veteran software designers that finally gives the people a chance to take the robocall problem into their own hands.
Dubbed “Robo Revenge,” this app automatically registers your phone number on a Do-Not-Call list, gives scammers a fake credit card number so they leave you alone then walks you through the steps of contacting a lawyer and suing the scammers for money.
Robo Revenge is the brainchild of Joshua Browder and his company DoNotPay, which originally designed its eponymous app to help people get out of unfair parking and free-trial scams. He has experience working with lawyers and end-users alike, so the move to fight against robocalls was a natural one.
According to reports from Vice, Robo Revenge users may be able to sue for up to $3,000 per call under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. This is a pre-existing law meant to protect consumers from aggressive marketers that call numbers listed on the Do Not Call Registry.
The app even goes a step further by automatically generating legal paperwork and court filing documents for users, which can streamline some of the more lengthy parts of litigation.
All of this is possible thanks to the magic of the “burner credit card” the app generates for you. By automatically providing payment information to the scammer, the app is able to capture transaction information about them that can be used for your lawsuit.
This is similar to how black hat hackers get their hands on consumer contact information when they access transactional data. Tap or click to see how the Wawa point of sale glitch may have affected your data.
They say revenge is a dish best served cold. But we couldn’t have dreamed up an icier app than Robo Revenge to deal with robocallers.
How do I get my hands on Robo Revenge?
The app is now available to download here.
Millions of folks across the country would like to stick it to these terrible offenders, which is why Browder and company believe they’ve picked a good product niche.
Their hope, as well as ours at The Kim Komando Show, is that enough people will start using the app to make robocallers think twice before calling Americans again. But, as we see with hackers, cybercriminals and malware, they might just end up changing their tactics.
Even still, it’ll be cool to nab $3,000 from an annoying call in a best-case scenario. And even if you didn’t claim that entire amount, you’d probably still end up with more than what the Equifax settlement paid out. Tap or click to see why the $125 payout was never going to happen.
Tags: apps, cybercriminals, DoNotPay, hackers, lawsuit, legislation, malware, robocalls, scammers
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