FBI, FCC investigating suspicious robocalls, texts that went to voters

Carewolf

Ars Legatus Legionis
10,401
I had one of those weird 'stay home' robocalls a month or so ago.

And I've been *inundated* with texts from the MI GOP trying to canvass my vote. Nada from the Dems. (Plot twist: I'm not a US citizen).
I get spam from the GOP every day every year. The democrats send spam too, but only the last few weeks before an election. At least my spam filter has learned to recognize both by now.
 
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36 (37 / -1)

King_V

Ars Tribunus Militum
2,882
I'm in New Jersey. I actually got three of these calls.

One today, one yesterday, and one on September 30th.

A weird, female robotic voice saying:

"Stay home. Stay safe, and stay home."

It sounded almost like my life might be going into surrealist-sci-fi-horror. But, while I can see it as a laughable attempt at voter suppression if it only happened yesterday and today, what the hell was the point of it on Sept 30?
 
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79 (79 / 0)

ZhanMing057

Ars Praefectus
4,640
Subscriptor
I had one of those weird 'stay home' robocalls a month or so ago.

And I've been *inundated* with texts from the MI GOP trying to canvass my vote. Nada from the Dems. (Plot twist: I'm not a US citizen).

Same here. Not a US citizen (unless you ask the IRS). Phone number is from NC. Absolutely craze amount of spam calls, all Republican, and texts which are about half and half. I don't mind the texts, but I actually use my phone for work and can't mute all incoming calls.
 
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40 (40 / 0)

Fatesrider

Ars Legatus Legionis
25,110
Subscriptor
I had one of those weird 'stay home' robocalls a month or so ago.

And I've been *inundated* with texts from the MI GOP trying to canvass my vote. Nada from the Dems. (Plot twist: I'm not a US citizen).

Heh, the Michigan GOP doesn't care about that, as long as you vote!
Well, they DO care - a LOT - if you don't vote for the GOP.

[Edit to add: I want to see all spam calls, including political calls, banned and made illegal unless there's explicit opt-in to get it. That might happen. Reuters is saying that the Democrats are favored to take the Senate.]
 
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29 (34 / -5)

Case

Ars Tribunus Angusticlavius
6,747
I'm in Michigan and just got a text on my phone informing me that they mixed up ballot reading machine calibration. If you vote for Biden your vote will be counted as a vote for Trump instead.

I really, really don't want to know how many people took that seriously.

No, don't tell me, I don't want to know.

Hopefully, just as many dumb Trump voters heard it as Biden ones, and figured they'd better vote for Biden since the machine is messed up (or stay home).
 
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61 (62 / -1)

Navalia Vigilate

Ars Praefectus
3,116
Subscriptor++
I had one of those weird 'stay home' robocalls a month or so ago.

And I've been *inundated* with texts from the MI GOP trying to canvass my vote. Nada from the Dems. (Plot twist: I'm not a US citizen).

Heh, the Michigan GOP doesn't care about that, as long as you vote!
Well, they DO care - a LOT - if you don't vote for the GOP.
Most often they want people to not vote. There seems to be this myopic view that stopping voting never hurts their side.
 
Upvote
28 (28 / 0)
I'm in New Jersey. I actually got three of these calls.

One today, one yesterday, and one on September 30th.

A weird, female robotic voice saying:

"Stay home. Stay safe, and stay home."

It sounded almost like my life might be going into surrealist-sci-fi-horror. But, while I can see it as a laughable attempt at voter suppression if it only happened yesterday and today, what the hell was the point of it on Sept 30?

Just get that living out west while while looking at the sky red from all the fires on your Weyland Yutani Amazon Echo and... welp.
 
Upvote
7 (9 / -2)

nickf

Ars Tribunus Militum
2,635
Subscriptor
I had one of those weird 'stay home' robocalls a month or so ago.

And I've been *inundated* with texts from the MI GOP trying to canvass my vote. Nada from the Dems. (Plot twist: I'm not a US citizen).

Same here. Not a US citizen (unless you ask the IRS). Phone number is from NC. Absolutely craze amount of spam calls, all Republican, and texts which are about half and half. I don't mind the texts, but I actually use my phone for work and can't mute all incoming calls.

Occasionally I'll pick the phone up. Whoever I'm talking to is clearly not expecting a British accent, but they're professional, and it's fun to lead them on before explaining that I can't vote. You waste my time, I'll waste yours.
 
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54 (54 / 0)

ColdWetDog

Ars Legatus Legionis
14,402
I'm in Michigan and just got a text on my phone informing me that they mixed up ballot reading machine calibration. If you vote for Biden your vote will be counted as a vote for Trump instead. Make sure to vote for Trump to get the Biden vote.
Crazy, who believes that stuff.

People believe in Q-Anon, Trump, Gwyenth Paltrow and Santa Claus.

The costs to pull that stunt were minimal. The chance of getting prosecuted microscopic. The chance of changing a few votes - probably a bit higher than either of the previous scenarios.
 
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101 (101 / 0)

pvgnax5

Smack-Fu Master, in training
62
Subscriptor++
I'm in New Jersey. I actually got three of these calls.

One today, one yesterday, and one on September 30th.

A weird, female robotic voice saying:

"Stay home. Stay safe, and stay home."

It sounded almost like my life might be going into surrealist-sci-fi-horror. But, while I can see it as a laughable attempt at voter suppression if it only happened yesterday and today, what the hell was the point of it on Sept 30?

Possibly testing it on Sept 30th?
 
Upvote
32 (32 / 0)

CraigJ ✅

Ars Legatus Legionis
27,010
Subscriptor
I'm in Michigan and just got a text on my phone informing me that they mixed up ballot reading machine calibration. If you vote for Biden your vote will be counted as a vote for Trump instead. Make sure to vote for Trump to get the Biden vote.
Crazy, who believes that stuff.

People believe in Q-Anon, Trump, Gwyenth Paltrow and Santa Claus.

The costs to pull that stunt were minimal. The chance of getting prosecuted microscopic. The chance of changing a few votes - probably a bit higher than either of the previous scenarios.

Well, one of those is real...
 
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12 (12 / 0)

nononsense

Ars Tribunus Militum
2,499
Subscriptor++
If the FCC somehow "fixes" this it means all robocalls would be fixed.

So the answer is they'll never figure out who did this.

Well they certainly figured this one out as of last week;

https://www.cleveland.com/court-justice ... paign.html

"A grand jury in Cleveland on Tuesday indicted right-wing political hoaxers Jacob Wohl and Jack Burkman with felony charges connected to a multi-state robocall campaign that prosecutors say was meant to scare voters in urban areas with large minority populations out of voting by mail in the Nov. 3 presidential election."

I wouldn't be so sure they won't be caught.
 
Upvote
78 (78 / 0)

ZhanMing057

Ars Praefectus
4,640
Subscriptor
I had one of those weird 'stay home' robocalls a month or so ago.

And I've been *inundated* with texts from the MI GOP trying to canvass my vote. Nada from the Dems. (Plot twist: I'm not a US citizen).

Same here. Not a US citizen (unless you ask the IRS). Phone number is from NC. Absolutely craze amount of spam calls, all Republican, and texts which are about half and half. I don't mind the texts, but I actually use my phone for work and can't mute all incoming calls.

Occasionally I'll pick the phone up. Whoever I'm talking to is clearly not expecting a British accent, but they're professional, and it's fun to lead them on before explaining that I can't vote. You waste my time, I'll waste yours.

I feel like engaging would only embolden them, although it's not likely to make a difference either way.

I do wonder if they're exploiting some loophole in the FCC rules or is straight up calling people illegally. If it's the latter, maybe I should report some of them to the FCC.
 
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6 (6 / 0)
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entropy_wins

Ars Tribunus Militum
1,686
Subscriptor++
I have an auto attendant on out home phone - only a couple of sales calls get through a year - you have to listen to the message and dial the right number to get through. Dialing the wrong number gets you this and then disconnects.


That would be a *neat* Ars article - "How to setup your own honeypot for $SCAM_ARTIST"

;-)

S
 
Upvote
25 (26 / -1)
I'm just going to say it and accept the downvotes that come my way.

The people that perpetrate this kind of shit should be stood up in front of a first class firing squad, after a fair trial of course.

Firing squads are O.K., but as have recently learned, it's the prison shower jokes that will get you down-votes if you want them.
 
Upvote
8 (10 / -2)