\n<\/p>\n
Your phone buzzes. You glance at the screen and sigh. It’s another call from a mystery number, so you let it go to voicemail.<\/p>\n
Robocalls are a pain in the you know what. Stay with us, and you\u2019ll have a better chance of stopping robocalls from breaking your focus.<\/p>\n
According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)<\/a>, robocall scammers dial millions of numbers per day. Sometimes, these scammers use nothing more than a laptop and cheap software<\/a> to do it. Their goal is to con you out of your personal and financial information.<\/p>\n It\u2019s annoying and costly. According to Security Magazine<\/a>, Americans lost an estimated $10.5 billion from phone scams in 2018.<\/p>\n These telemarketers harass you and say you:<\/b><\/p>\n The FTC is finding and prosecuting criminal callers, though litigation doesn\u2019t seem to slow them down. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC)<\/a> continues to update their rules to fight spam calls.<\/p>\n In 2019, the telecommunications industry was supposed to roll out technology to identify potential spoofed calls. That didn\u2019t happen, so now the FCC is working on a proposal that could force carriers to implement the technology by June 2021.<\/p>\n You might wonder how to stop robocalls without help from government agencies or huge companies. We\u2019re glad you asked!<\/p>\n The best rule of thumb is this FCC recommendation: Never, and we mean NEVER, answer calls from unknown numbers.<\/b><\/p>\n When you answer bogus calls, you let scam artists know that:<\/b><\/p>\n You also need to look out for a text-based scheme called smishing<\/a>. With this scam, someone sends you a message and poses as your bank, Google, the IRS, or someone else. They ask you to respond to the text or follow a link.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t do either of these things! You could allow a criminal to install information-collecting malware on your phone. Delete the message and report it to your cell phone carrier.<\/p>\n Not all robocalls or confirmation texts come from criminal schemes. You could still get robocall reminders or texts from your doctor, dentist, or any business that confirms appointments.<\/p>\n If you don\u2019t want unsolicited calls or texts, the FTC encourages you to put your phone number on the National Do Not Call Registry<\/a>. This might reduce the scam calls you get, but criminals don\u2019t care much for legalities.<\/p>\n There\u2019s a good chance they\u2019ll continue doing what they do.<\/p>\n After you put your name on the National Do Not Call Registry, you could receive perfectly legal calls from:<\/b> Your wireless carrier probably offers a service to help you manage robocalls and block numbers. You have a limited amount of numbers to block, though.<\/p>\n Prices and features vary, but Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint offer expanded call-screening services for their customers. These services could change if the FTC follows through with forcing carriers to offer free call screening.<\/p>\n You can get lost in all the call-blocking apps out there.<\/p>\n Start your search with these call-blocking and security apps that appear on several \u201cbest of\u201d lists:<\/p>\n Telemarketers prey on the elderly, but they don\u2019t stop there. They call you and say they\u2019ve kidnapped your kids<\/a>.<\/p>\n These scammers don\u2019t care about the mental and financial harm they cause. Your kids might not have any money to steal, but they could still get robocalls.<\/p>\n\n
Don’t Answer<\/h3>\n
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Do Not Call Registry<\/h3>\n
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Contact Your Service Provider<\/h3>\n
Turn to Call-Blocking Apps<\/h3>\n
Talk to Your Parents and Kids<\/h3>\n