atcomsystems.ca/forum Forums General General Telephone & Systems Information Junk Fax Dilemma

Don't know how legal it is but a friend of mine that runs a voicemail service has 2 T1s at his place of business. He turned on the demon dialers to dial the 800 numbers 24 at a time for 15 minutes with a message saying "quit faxing me now" He then called and asked if they had enough. No more faxes.

Yes, I have thought of revenge

They have a trick for this too. I was sending fax tones to their 800 reservation lines. They can block my trunks from calling them. I called their 800 line each time they sent a fax which was multiple per day and can be multiple per hour. Guess what... suddenly, either their phone line either only rings or I get busy signals. They become unblocked eventually so I do it again but I don't think for my personal effort, it bothers them enough. I think maybe... it just makes them send more which may be how I got so inendated lately.

Trust me, they deserve full revenge and I've spent many of hours pondering what would work. I will stay within the legal boundries as I need the PSC and FCC fully on my side when I get really mad.

Since I first posted this question today, I've received 16 paper faxes, 9 fax calls on my switchboard and 11 complaining staff about fax tones bothering them. They'd love my chair. That's just one day of non-work related frustration!

I apprecite everyones help and suggestions. I'm not going to let the fax slime win. They're just one up on me right now. I'm just surprised this isn't more wide spread or am I the only switchboard/fax/PBX Adm. who is posting here. Thanks again.

Rhonda,
Go to www.junkfaxes.org. This is the info they list to file a complaint with the FCC. The FCC can fine the offending company $500 for each occurrance. There is also info on filing a complaint with the States Attorney General and private lawsuits.

" Send a COPY of the fax with a cover letter to:

Consumer Information Bureau
Federal Communications Commission
445 Twelfth St. SW
Washington, DC 20554
In your cover letter you must state:

Put near the top of the letter in bold print "TCPA COMPLAINT - UNSOLICITED FAX" this is very important to ensure it goes to the right office.
Your name and contact information on how to get in touch with you for further information.
Specify the date the fax was received, and the phone number it was received at.
You MUST be sure to include that you did not invite or give permission for the sender to send you the fax(es).
If you want the FCC to take action against the sender, you must also include a statement that you "request the Commission take appropriate action against the sender." Otherwise, it will just be filed for statistical and reporting purposes, but no action will be taken against the sender."

Hope this info helps.
Good luck.
Barb



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https://www.deanecom.com

What PBX are your using? I don't know if this would work or not but it's a theory anyway. If you could do fax detextion on your switch & have the switch transfer all fax calls to an extesion that has a SIT tone generator, then here's what would happen.
All fax calls being sent to your switchboard would get the doo-doo-doo "were sorry but the number you have dialed has been disconnected" Some fax servers will remove a number from their database after hearing the SIT tone.
If you can't do auto fax detection then you could still manually transfer calls to your SIT generator.
Of course you can't do this for lines that are designated fax lines.

aweaver
That's what I was thinking in a round about way. I was thinking about an auto attendant answering calls and making the caller dial say a 1 then have it ring to the console, and if it didn't dial anything it would hang up...because the machines won't dial anything. (just a thought)
It depends on what system it is as to what it will do.

This idea is even better. Since a fax would not generate a DTMF tone it would be stopped in the first routing box & with no human being bothered.
The answer is to fix the problem technically--not legally & you have two options discussed here already.
1) Use test-ok's idea which I think is the best.
2) Block calls based on caller id.

As you said "File complaints with the FCC" mainly for your switchboard lines, your Telco Provider can give you a list of the incoming numbers that are sending the faxes. I have a mortgage company that has 15 or so fax lines and they have had the same problems. The more info you can provide to the FCC the more they can assist you and the millons of other companies that are fighting this.

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Voice and Data Cabling in DFW, [email protected]
DnR Communications

I get a ton of junk faxes too. I am thinking about trying this site https://www.faxrecoverysystems.com/

I read an article about a guy who sent them some faxes he received and he got a check for $200. Then again who has the time to mail your junk faxes to someone.

It's almost amazing how techs nation wide think alike. A few months ago a local business had similar problems with the stack of junk faxes every morning. When his switch goes to night mode his fax goes off, lines go to the AA /VM, fax tones are detected and sent to an extension VM box with the SIT tone. In the mornig day mode brings the fax back. Works great.

Another customer had the fax problem on voice lines. A Viking unit sent fax tones to a 1004 hz tone generator. No fax tone it went to the switch.

With over 600 lines I doubt any of these small system cheap fixes would work. Your local servicing utility company should be able to assit you in tracking these people or diverting fax tones on voice lines.

Wish you the best of luck. It can be very frustrating. Just don't give up.

Try a tele zapper. I know it sounds to simple to be true. Most computerized auto dialing systems sense the tone provided think the number is disconnected and removes it from there active data base.I have done this at a few locations in a much smaller setting setting then yours and it reduced the fax calls alot. also when your number is removed its not transfered to the next guy they sell the list to. These people are like parasites and they dont mind bugging you at your toll free exspense.

[This message has been edited by frodo_35 (edited May 27, 2005).]