The FTC recently attended DEF CON 22, and challenged the tech-savvy to help us zap “Rachel from Cardholder Services” and her robocall buddies. How? The agency hosted a contest to see who could develop a cutting-edge robocall honeypot — an information system designed to attract robocallers, and help researchers and investigators understand and minimize illegal calls. Today, the FTC announced the winners, who will receive a combined total of $12,000 in prizes.

The Zap Rachel contest was the agency’s first DEF CON competition and its second robocall challenge.

The FTC continues to combat robocalls through law enforcement, policy discussions, and consumer education. Visit FTC.gov/robocalls and FTC.gov/ZapRachel for updates.

Comment Policy Privacy Act Statement