Washblog

Few people know about automatic number verification (ANI).  This is the system that allows 911 emergency services to work, even if Caller ID is blocked. It's also available to toll-free number operators (e.g. 800, 888, 900) as a service. (Yes, the mail-order corporations know who you are even if you block your Caller ID.)

Robo-Calling

This is when a campaign makes automated calls. It's a dirty trick when the call is misleading, deceptive, or intrusive.

The only idea I have for this is to set up a honey trap. These would be phone numbers equipped with voice mail which also recorded Caller ID. Since Caller ID can be blocked, it'd be great if these systems could do call forwarding to a system which supports ANI.

Honey traps are set out where you think they'll catch bugs or bad guys. We'd have to profile who the GOP was targeting and set up numbers they'd be likely to call.

Even if we were unable to identify the perpetrator, it'd be nice to have recordings. Then we could publicize the dirty trick.

Phone Jamming

I spoke with someone working the Democratic voter hot line. They were getting harassing phone calls. If the volume was greater, it could have shut down the hotline. Like that New Hampshire scandal from 2002.

My idea is to have some special purpose call center support software in place. Since 800 numbers get to see the ANI, you know who's calling. Then just look them up in any number of databases (e.g. voter file, voter registration database, reverse phone number lookup).

Typical call centers track why someone called and how they were helped.

If someone's phone jamming, or an otherwise undesirable caller, you'd mark their record in a database. Then the system would know not to answer their calls. There may also be a way to shunt malicious callers out of the system. Like automatically call forwarding them to the GOP hotline. (Haha)