TRACNotes is distributed to TRAC members and those who have signed up on the TRAC website "Newscenter." If you do not want to receive TRACNotes, simply click here and let us know(i). You won't receive these in the future. We hope you choose to remain a part of our network, and that you find TRACNotes helpful. Our goal is to provide you useful information about what is happening in the telecommunications marketplace for consumers and to keep you up to date on TRAC's policy advocacy. If you like what you see, please consider becoming a member of TRAC by clicking here(ii). BUCKS WATCH
TeleZapper Does Not Stop All Telemarketers - The TeleZapper anti-telemarketing device has been marketed on television as a way to reduce, if not eliminate, calls from telemarketers. What the ads don't tell consumers is that the device only stops calls from telemarketers that use computers to dial consumers' numbers (so-called "predictive dialers"). Telemarketers who physically dial consumers' numbers will not be dissuaded by the TeleZapper. Additionally, telemarketers are increasingly using software that allows predictive dialers to circumvent the TeleZapper's technology. A good strategy consumers can use is to register on the National Do-Not Call Registry (www.donotcall.gov) first and see if that reduces telemarketing calls to an acceptable level. Then, if the number of calls from predictive dialers is not reduced, consumers may want to consider investing $39.99 in the TeleZapper.
WIRELESS WATCH
AT&T Wireless Evenings Now Start at 7pm, With a Catch - AT&T Wireless' unveiling of their new Early Evenings feature, which allows for unlimited night and weekend airtime starting at 7 P.M. instead of 9 P.M., comes with some important catches. First, the Early Evenings feature is only available to subscribers on plans costing $59.99 or more per month. Second, Early Evenings is only available to new customers who sign a two-year contract or existing customers who commit to a new two-year contract. Night and weekend airtime minutes continue to begin at 9pm for subscribers on plans costing less than $59.99 per month. With most subscribers opting for lower-priced plans, this feature is most useful for high-use customers on higher priced plans. Other carriers, such as Sprint PCS and Cingular Wireless offer similar "early evening" options on lower-priced plans, but with an additional monthly fee.
SCAM WATCH
Useful Tips For Reducing Spam - With spam continuing to be a major annoyance for most consumers, it is important for e-mail users to continue to use some simple techniques to cut down on spam. First, consumers should be sure to use a unique e-mail address. Spammer "dictionary" attacks send e-mails to millions of e-mail addresses using name combinations. Consumers should consider using e-mail address with a combination of letters (capitalized and lower-case) and numbers instead of common words. Second, when registering on a website or online forum, users should consider "masking" their e-mail addresses with characters that are obviously not part of their actual e-mail address. For example, a user with the e-mail address of "johndoe@yahoo.com" would register with the e-mail address "johndoe@banspam.yahoo.com." This helps fight against e-mail "harvesting," where spammers use programs to pick out thousands of e-mail address from popular chat rooms, bulletin boards, and other Internet meeting places. Finally, users may want to consider a "junk" e-mail account. This would be an account used when registering for various web services that require an e-mail address to be entered before content can be accessed (often, so that that address can later be used for spamming). While none of these tactics is guaranteed to eliminate spam completely, they may keep consumers' e-mail addresses out of the hands of spammers and reduce spam in the long run.
TRAC IN THE NEWS
Wireless Spam Potentially a Big Problem - TRAC Research Associate John Breyault commented recently(iii) in The Oregonian on the looming threat of wireless spam. "We haven't seen as big a problem over here yet, but there have been outbreaks of it," Breyault said. "It looks like it could be something that becomes more prevalent." Recently, thousands of Sprint PCS subscribers in cities in North Carolina and Texas were hit with wireless spam advertising dietary supplements.
CAN SPAM Act Seen to Be Ineffective So Far - TRAC was mentioned in a recent PC World article(iv) describing the effects of the CAN SPAM Act on spam 3 months since the legislation went in to effect. TRAC supported this legislation as a good first step in the fight against spam. "Burns and various CAN-SPAM supporters--among them Microsoft, Yahoo, and the telecom consumer advocacy group Telecommunications Research and Action Center--say that the law's steep fines and jail terms will, in time, weed out the worst offenders. They say that CAN-SPAM will make junk e-mail easier to spot and filter," said the article.
INTERESTING LINKS
FCC Main Page - http://www.fcc.gov
FCC Complaint Form - http://svartifoss2.fcc.gov/cib/fcc475.cfm
List of State Regulatory Commissions - http://www.naruc.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=15
What do you think? Got a tip you want to share? Nominate your "Scam of the Week" and your "Tip of the Week" - If we select your submission, we'll give you a one-year free membership in TRAC and acknowledge your contribution by name in TRACNotes. Send an e-mail to trac@trac.org to submit your ideas!
©2004 Telecommunications Research and Action Center. TRAC grants unlimited rights to reproduce TRACNotes or any information contained in it provided attribution is given as follows: "Source:Telecommunications Research and Action Center. http://www.trac.org"
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