How to stop robocalls on iPhone, Android: These apps fight spammers
Remember back in the day when your phone rang, and you would answer it? Robocallers have ruined that. Now we stare suspiciously at every call and send unknown numbers, even when it looks local, straight to voicemail. And for good reason!
So far, in 2021, scammers have made 22 billion calls nationwide. That’s roughly 67 calls to every man, woman, and child in America. Answering calls from an unknown number invites a scammer – and in many cases, actual criminals – into your life.
Here are the five most straightforward ways to block robocalls and eventually get them to – mostly, hopefully, fingers crossed – stop calling us for good.
The FTC says robocalling – which it defines as calls meant to sell your something without your express permission – is illegal, period. Full stop.
1. Don’t answer. Ever.
Every time you engage with a scam caller, you’re encouraging a criminal industry to continue harassing us all.
I know it’s tempting to “try to mess around with the scammers.” I’ve heard from hundreds of people throughout the years who think they’ve found the exact right way to annoy the annoy-ers – and oh, isn’t that great fun?
But the truth is, every single time you engage, even a little, it paints a giant red target on your head and means you will get more calls, period.
According to the FTC, robocalls trying to sell you something are illegal unless the company trying to sell you something got written permission, directly from you, to call you that way.
The FTC says robocalling – which it defines as calls meant to sell your something without your express permission – is illegal, period. Full stop.
Of course, there are a few exceptions, including political calls about candidates running for office, charities asking for donations, reminders from a pharmacy to refill a prescription or automated calls about a flight getting canceled, along with a few specific other cases.
But all those calls about your car warranty running out, owing money to the IRS, or even that text message about a package you need to pick up? Those are more than likely big old spammy scammers – the whole lot of them.
Pro Tips:
- If you see a call coming in from a number you don’t know,…
