LONDON (AP) — Unsolicited phone calls have become rampant. Be it robo-calls peddling products or fraudulent messages aimed at scamming you, these incessant disturbances might leave you contemplating not picking up your phone at all. What steps can one take then to curb this issue?
Unwanted telephone calls have been labeled as an epidemic by various consumer organizations, with the Federal Communications Commission stating they receive more complaints about this issue than anything else. These intrusive calls annoy numerous individuals who often share their grievances with entities like The Associated Press.
A reader reached out via email stating, “I require assistance in stopping these spam calls.” Despite taking precautions, she still receives as many as 14 such calls daily.
Like the title suggests, robocalls refer to automated phone calls used for delivering pre-recorded messages en masse. According to U.S. rules, using robocalls simply to convey information or recover debts is permissible; however, the Federal Trade Commission states that employing such calls with a prerecorded voice attempting to market products requires prior explicit written consent from the recipient. The commission further cautions that numerous robocalls may be fraudulent schemes.
If unwanted calls are overwhelming you, here are several methods to combat them.
Phone settings
Users of smartphones can enable certain pre-installed features to tackle unfamiliar calls.
Apple recommends that iPhone users enable the Silence Unknown Callers feature.
feature
Navigate to your “Settings,” scroll down until you find “Apps,” and proceed to select “Phone.” Look for it within the “Calls” section. By enabling this feature, calls from unfamiliar numbers that aren’t listed in your contact book won’t disturb you; instead, these calls go directly to voicemail and appear in your call history.
Android has a similar
setting
that allows you to block calls from private or unidentified numbers, although you will still receive calls from numbers that aren’t stored in your contact list.
Once this article initially came out, a reader sent in a solution to that issue: Simply leave your Android phone powered on.
Do Not Disturb
However, set it up such that anybody on your Contact list is permitted to intrude.
Remember, you might miss crucial calls as well, often these are from unfamiliar phone numbers.
Should an unwelcome call manage to reach you, users of both Android and iPhones have the option to block the specific phone number by selecting it from their recent calls or call history list. Additionally, you can manually input these numbers into your device’s blocking list.
Do not call
Register with the national Do Not Call list.
registry
This is a compilation of telephone numbers that have chosen to block most telemarketing calls. The Federal Trade Commission manages this registry and states that it solely includes phone numbers without retaining any additional personal identifying details. Furthermore, the registry does not differentiate between landlines and cellphones.
The FTC indicates that certain exceptions apply, such as political calls, communications from nonprofit organizations and charitable entities, and genuine survey groups not involved in sales. Additionally, companies can contact you within an 18-month period following your interaction—or attempt at interaction—with them.
However, it cautions that even though listing your number on the registry will reduce unsolicited sales calls, it won’t prevent scammers from making unlawful contacts.
Other nations also maintain comparable registries. In Canada, they have their own Do Not Call list.
list
while the UK has the Telephone Preference Service
Service
.
Carrier filters
Verify if your mobile provider offers a call-blocking service.
Verizon
,
T-Mobile
and
AT&T
Three major U.S. networks each offer their own call filter systems for customers to block robocalls and flag spam. These usually come with both a free basic edition and an enhanced version that necessitates a paid subscription.
Try an app
If you find that your carrier’s filtering options aren’t sufficient, consider using standalone applications to block undesired calls.
A variety of smartphone applications claim to prevent spam calls, including options such as Nomorobo, YouMail, Hiya, RoboKiller, and TrueCaller among others. Several of these services require either a monthly or yearly payment, though certain ones provide limited features for free. Additionally, some of these call-blocking tools may be integrated into landlines provided they utilize VOIP rather than traditional copper wiring.
The Associated Press has not conducted tests on any of these applications and is not offering particular endorsements. We suggest that you review user feedback and perhaps test them personally.
Apple states that these applications function by cross-referencing a caller’s number against a database of recognized numbers, categorizing them as either spam or telemarketing, for instance. The app may also choose to automatically block such calls. Apple clarifies that “incoming calls are not forwarded to any third-party developers.”
Report calls
Did you know that you have the option to lodge a complaint with the FCC regarding particular spam calls? You can accomplish this conveniently through their website.
online form
It may not provide instant gratification, but according to the National Consumer Law Center, complaint data is the most effective resource federal agencies have for assessing the extent of the robocall issue.
Just say no
Even though businesses you have conducted transactions with may place automated calls to you, the National Consumer Law Center indicates this might be due to implied permission—often buried within small print details. However, you retain the right to withdraw your agreement for such communications whenever you choose.
Simply inform the company representative that you wish to “withdraw consent,” and if this does not halt their communications, reach out to customer service to state that you do not agree to receiving calls and request that your number be included in the company’s “do-not-call” registry, according to the center.
Hang up
You may consider interacting with the call hoping to remove your number from their list or speak to an actual person. However, the FTC advises against this approach and suggests simply disconnecting the call instead.
“The act of dialing numbers to connect with an operator or get removed from their list might likely result in receiving additional automated calls,” the authority states on its website.
advice page
“And the phone number you see might not actually be genuine. It’s simple for someone to manipulate what shows up on your caller ID,” it warns, emphasizing that this information shouldn’t be relied upon.
The cybersecurity firm Kaspersky recommends remaining silent when you suspect receiving a robocall. Many of us have gotten suspicious calls beginning with phrases such as “Hello, can you hear me?” to which we often unconsciously respond with a simple “yes.”
Kaspersky warns that scammers “can save the recording of your approval and utilize it for illicit purposes.” Therefore, it’s best to refrain from saying yes when you can help it.
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