Scammers Are Targeting The 585 Area Code. Here's Why. - WHAM

Rochester, N.Y. (WHAM) - Think you're receiving a lot of spam and scam calls? You're right.

A 13WHAM investigation found that Monroe County's 585 area code is among the most targeted in the country. There are two reasons "Do Not Call" registries are not doing an effective job. For starters, no one has been in charge of investigating complaints about these calls here in New York State for over a year.

"This is my sole lifeline," said Bryan Maslin, a small business owner, while holding up his cell phone. "I don't want to be interrupted constantly."

The owner of Maslin Productions estimated he receives four to eight spam or scam calls every day. He picks up the phone because the numbers often spoof the 585 area code and he doesn't want to lose potential customers. He said the calls are annoying - and sometimes worse.

One recent call turned threatening.

"You will be taken into custody by the local cops. Contact us immediately," said the message left on his voicemail.

"It's predatory, and I wish that I could find a way to stop it," Maslin said.

More than 15 million spam and scam calls were placed to numbers in the 585 area code in the month of September alone. That's 32 calls per person per month. The U.S. average is 20.

"It means on an average day, your viewers are getting at least one. You have some viewers getting eight to ten a day," said Ethan Garr, Chief Product Officer of Robokiller - a company that researches these calls and has developed technology to intercept them.

"I'm on the New York State 'Do Not Call' registry and the national registry, and it doesn't seem to do any good," said Maslin.

13WHAM News has learned complaints to the state's registry more than doubled over a three-year period to roughly 450,000 complaints. Yet last year, the agency in charge of investigating the complaints referred just one of those complaints for prosecution.

An audit of the agency suggests a reason for the lack of response. Two key positions have been vacant, meaning no one has been in charge of the agency for 18 months and the attorney who refers the cases for prosecution went unfilled for a year.

"Frustrating is a good word," said Maslin after learning these details. "They absolutely need to enforce the registry more than they're doing now."

"Protecting all New Yorkers is the Division's number one priority, and we've already made improvements including hiring a seasonal telemarketing professional to oversee Do Not Call operations,"the Department of State said in a statement to 13WHAM News.

This brings up the second reason so many calls are getting through. State and federal registries are set up to curtail legitimate telemarketers, but those already operating illegally ignore the rules. They avoid detection by operating overseas and constantly changing or manipulating caller ID numbers.

According to Garr, these calls generate $9.5 billion a year in revenue.

"These guys aren't trying to follow a law or honor a list that the government puts out there," he said. "That's their goal: To reach into your pocket, steal your money and identity, then reach out to the next person to do the same."

For now, the Federal Communications Commission recommends to let all calls go to voicemail so the caller will eventually move on. "If you're tricked into answering the phone call, you can become a bigger target for more robocalls," said FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai.

The top position for investigating 'Do Not Call' complaints in New York was filled earlier this year.

A 13WHAM News report on Thursday at 6:00 p.m. will focus on a new app that lets you turn the tables on the scammers and annoy them for a change.