Like most people, you are probably sick and tired of all the spam and robocalls you receive almost daily. While you may try to ignore the constant ring of telemarketers, it often seems like they are never-ending, regardless of what you do.
While most people are aware of tactics like caller ID spoofing, and even though the Federal Communications Commission has improved existing policies, it is still up to you to stop these annoying calls.
Regardless of if you use an Android or iPhone, you can take steps to prevent robocalls and spam calls, once and for all.
The Research
According to a recent study conducted in February 2021, it was discovered that approximately 46% of people in the U.S. receive a spam call each day on their cellphone. This is almost half of the American population.
While this is quite annoying, knowing what options you have to stop these calls is helpful.
AVOID ANSWERING CALLS FROM AN UNKNOWN NUMBER
If you answer a robocall, it confirms to the spammer that they have found a real number. This is going to result in you receiving even more of these annoying calls.
In situations where you accidentally pick up, just make sure to hang up right away.
DON’T GIVE OUT PERSONAL INFORMATION
Even if a caller states they are from a trusted institution or government agency, never give personal information to them. This includes your passwords, bank account information, social security numbers, or anything else. Phone scammers are always trying to dupe people out of their money or valuable information.
BLOCK NUMBERS ON ANDROID DEVICES
You can easily block numbers on your Android phone if you have discovered they are coming from a spam caller. To do this, just tap and hold the number in the recent calls list.
Once a menu appears, select the block or report spam option.
If your phone has the Android 11 update, you also have more advanced identification for robocalls. This will help prevent the calls from even getting through.
BLOCK NUMBERS ON IPHONES
You can also block numbers on your iPhone. To do this, locate the robocall number on the recent call list on your phone. After that, select the “I” icon on the right of the number.
Once you do this, you will see an options list, including “block contact.” Choose this to block the number.
ACTIVE DO NOT DISTURB
Along with blocking specific numbers, users have another option. You can use the “do not disturb” mode.
When this is enabled, your phone will not ring, nor will it notify you of any incoming calls. The only ones you will receive are those that you have allowed.
To access this feature, find and activate “do not disturb” in the settings menu. Once that is done, in the “allow calls from” menu, you can select the “all contacts” option. This will eliminate any unknown number from getting through on your phone.
USE THE CARRIER’S ABILITY TO BLOCK SPAM CALLS
Today, most cell phone carriers offer low-cost or free tools to block robocalls and spam calls automatically. The goal is to help you avoid these calls altogether.
SIGN UP FOR THE DO NOT CALL REGISTRY
You can put your number on the Do Not Call Registry. Doing this will take your number of all public lists that modern telemarketers use to make these annoying calls.
Even though signing up for this will not block every unwanted call, it can reduce the number of spam calls you receive. Also, when you sign up, it allows you to report any unwanted spam calls to the FTC.
GETTING RID OF SPAM CALLS
As you can see from the information here, you do have options to prevent spam calls. It is up to you to take the necessary steps to do this. If you want to avoid the aggravation of these calls, be sure to keep the tips and information here in mind.
