A Company That Uses Robot Voices to Thwart Phone Scammers Got Hung Up on Sunday Night on Shark Tank

Note: This story originally ran in May 2018. It's updated because the company founder appeared on the TV show Shark Tank on March 10, 2019.Roger Anderson, the owner of one of the more fun anti-phone spam tools on the market, almost snagged a big deal Sunday night on ABC's Shark Tank TV show.Anderson asked for $400,000 for a 10 percent equity in his Jolly Roger Telephone Company that allows subscribers to connect unwanted telemarketers to one of more than 30 robot voices designed to keep telemarketers on the phone and waste their time. The cost is $12 a year.You might think that investing in such a fun way to mess with the minds of those annoying telemarketers would be a natural for an investment. But after offering Jolly Roger money for a 50/50 partnership, which Anderson and a partner rejected, the sharks all pulled out.But before they did, they at least laughed heartily at this fun service.Who is Jolly Roger?Here's the back story on how this company helps you torture illegal telemarketers. Waste their time. Drive them crazy. Make them not want to call you ever again.No, this isn't a dream.The Watchdog has given up on government solving the onslaught of illegal phone calls we get every day. Do Not Call lists are a failure. Preventive technology has not caught up to call centers, often overseas, that invade our personal phones.Phone companies offer blocking services, as do many apps like nomorobo.com. Even then, these rats squeak trough.What if you're a robocall warrior and want to strike back? What if you want to pierce the heart of this crooked business? I'll show you how.This is for Nancy Johnson Kraushaar who asks on The Dallas Morning News Subscribers Facebook page, "Could you please do a story on robocalls? Some days I get 10 or 12 a day."  Continue reading...