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Comment by asow92 | Hacker News Reader

Would you support phones having an optional answering captcha system for untrusted numbers? Something like:

"answer the following question to complete your call: if Sally has two eggs and Michael has one, how many do they both have?"

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My Dad's landline makes you press a digit before completing the call. So that exists already, and wish more would add this as a feature. I'm sure like anything, it could be defeated, if they had a system listening for the key to press. But it works for now.

Oh definitely, and and it will always be a game of cat and mouse.

That feature on your Dad's phone sounds like a decent step in the right direction.

I use google's call screening and it works wonders. https://youtu.be/V2IyttWHJfs?si=AW6fZQMl85w4srBM&t=48

To check the balance on a prepaid credit card I found on the ground (the modern equivalent of finding a $20 bill lol) I had to go through a prompt that said “press the number of the first digit of the following: eight, four, two”

So it works in some way for the CC companies at least.

Isn't that the sort of task that's easier for an AI than a human with other stuff on their minds?

I agree that it wouldn't catch all spam, but it might help reduce the amount of recorded robocalls waiting for someone naive enough to engage.

I have a better suggestion - every phone call will involve a microtransaction (e.g. $0.01) from the caller to the recipient, even if not picked up. I want to see anyone make robocalls then.

I'd be open to that (hell, I'd pay even more) if it meant I received 99% less spam calls

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