Do you miss the good old days when telemarketers and bill collectors were the only unwanted calls we ever had to deal with?
Now that technology has moved forward leaps and bounds, so too have all the ways in which spammers and scammers have learned to annoy us.
6 Steps You Can Take To Stop Robo-Spam Calls
These days telemarketers and scammers are using high-tech tricks to try and grab our attention. Unfortunately for us, itโs not always easy to stop these companies from dumb-dialing our number and making us afraid to even answer our phone.
While itโs not possible to eliminate spammers completely, there are steps you can take to curb the number of unwanted calls you receive.
1. Add Yourself To โThe Listโ
The FTC has set up a National Do Not Call Registry to let sellers and telemarketers know that you are not to be contacted under any circumstance.
Unfortunately, it doesnโt always work. Unscrupulous companies will take a chance that they wonโt get caught, and if they do, the penalty is so small that it wonโt hurt them to just pony up and pay the fine.
Still, itโs the first place you should start if youโre tired of seeing your phone blow up with unwanted calls.
2. Thereโs An App For Blocking Spamers
Thereโs an app you can download for practically everything, including this. Download apps that help you identify and block spammers. Here are some popular ones to consider:
- Hiya โ free for both Android and iOS, but iOS users can upgrade to premium for $2.99/month or $14.99/year.
- RoboKiller โ Start with a free 7-day trial, then pay $2.99/month or $24.99/year.
- Nomorobo โ Try for 14-days free, then itโs only $1.99/month or $19.99/year
3. Contact Your Cell Phone Provider
Your cell phone carrier probably has an add-on service to keep spammers, fake IRS agents, and cruise ships vacations at bay. Take a closer look at a sampling of what the four major providers have to offer (not all devices may be supported).
- Verizon โ Postpaid customers have free access to Verizonโs all Filter app. You can also upgrade to Call Filter Plus, which has advanced features, for only $2.99/month per line.
- AT&T โ Their Call Protect app helps you identify and gives you the option to block the numbers of suspected spam callers. Itโs totally free for postpaid AT&T customers.
- T-Mobile โ Scam Block and Scam ID are services that T-Mobile offers for free to postpaid customers.
- Sprint โ For $2.99/month, you can opt in to Sprintโs Premium Caller ID service, which will display the name of callers that arenโt in your contact list. Itโll also assign a โthreat levelโ to spam and robocalls to let you know how suspect the call may be.
4. Have A Block Party
Blocking an unwanted phone number is the easiest way to make sure that you donโt see it pop up on your phone ever again. Your mileage may vary depending on which version of software your phone is running. Hereโs one way to do it:
- Android โ Pull up your recent calls list, then long press on the number you want to block. Find the option to โBlockโ the number.
- iPhone โ Access your recent calls list, then press the blue โinformation iconโ that you see next to the phone number you want to block. Scroll down, then tap โBlock this caller.โ
5. Stop Engaging Them In Conversation
As much as you want to tell them what they can go do with themselves, donโt. Just donโt!
Engaging with a spammer or robocaller flags your number as someone who is โinterestedโ and you may end up attracting even more of these unwanted ninnies in the future.
If you do answer a call from an unknown number, hang up as soon as you find out itโs not for you.
And donโt, under any circumstances, start pressing buttons to stop receiving calls. Itโs most likely a trick to identify you as a potential target.
6. Check To See If Theyโre Legit
If you answer a call from someone who claims to represent a well-known company or government agency such as the IRS, hang up immediately and call the company or agency directly.
If the call is legitimate, a customer service rep can verify if the call you received was actually authentic.
Keep in mind that itโs actually very difficult to get an IRS agent on the phone, and donโt even try during tax season!
Do you have any successful stories about how youโve thwarted unwanted phone calls? Comment below and let us know!
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Sources: One Good Thing by Jillee, Nobelbiz
