What's untraceable about it? The carriers know the original phone number and know when it doesn't match the caller ID field.

There is no technical limitation. It is allowed behavior and that must change.

I don't understand the technicalities behind how they do it, but SPAM calls in the US can spoof their phone numbers. I'm not sure if it's pre or post carrier connection.

Spam spoofs the caller ID field. The calls are routed by the ISP so the ISP sees everything (including that the source address and caller ID address are differ, ie spoofed) and allow it. It would be trivial to flip the switch on spam.

Sounds like a product you could sell if it's trivial.

They already have the power to stop spam. Stopping spam lowers profits. They wouldn't pay someone for an ability they already have that they actively don't want to use.

Wait, what? Can you cite the statute?

Are you confusing cold calling with spamming? Here, for example, is the SEC page describing rules that cold callers need to follow: https://www.sec.gov/fast-answers/answerscoldhtm.html

I think the post you were replying to was saying cold calling in Germany is illegal full stop. I don't think that is the case in be US.

The big one though is the Do Not Call Registry. Over 240 million Americans are on it and it is severely inforced.

The problem is chasing companies not in US jurisdiction.

Yes, that's fair. But the reason that list exists is because it is legal to cold call. Having an opt-out is much weaker than an opt-in. It sounds like the German system is opt-in (per company).

For real, I'm not sure why people haven't thrown the book at the "car's extended warranty" people yet. I mean, they should have an entity in the US no?

Not necessarily. They can call you from (almost?) any country and put whatever number they want in their caller ID, and your phone company will just blindly show you that number.

What I mean is, if they want to sell you a service (as BS as it is) they have a legal entity in the US

Fair, not familiar with that, maybe they have a way to get cash out of the country?

Regardless, there are a lot of fraudulent and misleading companies US-based companies that should probably be shut down.

Is there a difference between Germany and US in regards to the phone system?

> It's illegal in the US

No. It most certainly is not. It may be illegal in your locality, but it is certainly legal in most of the US. The federal Do Not Call list would be useless if it were illegal.