Raleigh barber shop owner reports 50 daily spam calls despite active filters

Businesses and residents in North Carolina report that standard phone filters and registry registrations are failing to stop high volumes of robocalls. Chuck Powell, owner of Total Hair in Raleigh, states the salon receives 40 to 50 unwanted calls per day. Answering these calls consumes nearly two hours of the workday.

The issue also affects individuals with time sensitive needs. Matt Hedgpeth, who is battling stage four cancer, receives calls in clusters between 7:30 a.m. and 9:15 a.m. He cannot ignore unknown numbers because medical providers may contact him regarding appointments or scans. Missing a call about an earlier opening for a brain MRI could delay his treatment.

Powell contacted his phone carrier multiple times to resolve the issue. The provider installed call blocking filters on both of the salon's phone lines. Powell says the measures have made little difference. He notes that some calls use spoofed numbers to appear legitimate. The caller ID has displayed the names of his own customers, even though those customers were not actually calling. Powell says the display is intended to trick him into picking up.

Hedgpeth is also listed on the Do Not Call Registry. He uses phone company call blocking features. Despite these steps, the calls continue. The carrier serving both Hedgpeth and Total Hair confirmed it is investigating both cases. The company cited customer privacy rules for not sharing specific details.

The carrier uses technology required by federal law to automatically block calls likely to be illegal. It also employs STIR/SHAKEN, an industry standard designed to authenticate phone numbers and combat spoofing. The complaints from Hedgpeth and Powell show these protections do not always prevent unwanted calls from reaching the recipient.

North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson is leading a coalition of 49 attorneys general. The group is urging the Federal Communications Commission to strengthen requirements for keeping illegal robocalls off the telephone network. Consumers in the state can report suspected illegal robocalls to the North Carolina Department of Justice.

The carrier stated its teams are actively working on the specific cases for Total Hair and Hedgpeth. No timeline for a resolution was provided in the company's response.