It can be a very frustrating experience when you run to answer your ringing phone, only to find out that it is a telemarketer, spam, or a robocall. Robocallers can mask their deception by using a random, local number to call you with. There are numerous reasons for being bombarded with intrusive calls. You might leave your personal information on unreliable websites, while trying to find your cellphone via free services, for example. In this case, the website owner can sell your data to advertisers. So, you’d better opt for trustworthy platforms such as Callmyphone.org to avoid this situation. There are several methods that you can try when it comes to stopping random numbers from calling you.
Contents
Block the Numbers
If you notice that it is the same number calling you repeatedly, you can manually block it. All you have to do is go to your recent calls and click on either the number itself or the information icon (depending on what type of phone you have). Then you can block and report the number as spam.
Invest in Spam Blocking Add-ons
Many mobile providers understand the battle that their customers face against random callers. For this reason, they offer services such as network improvements with the function of filtering out the local spam callers. The calls are likely coming to you from all over the world, but the person on the other end of the line can impersonate your area code.
Large US carriers tend to offer a basic level of blocking for free when you sign up with a plan. This is when you will notice the ‘scam likely’ message on your caller ID. If you want additional features such as reverse phone lookup capabilities, this is when the price will increase.
Utilize the National Do Not Call Registry
The Federal Trade Commission has a National Do Not Call Registry that you can add your phone number to. This will opt you out of the majority of telemarketing calls. After your number has been on the registry for one month (31 days), you will be able to report any further telemarketer sales calls to the FTC.
Keep in mind that calls from organizations such as charities and political groups will still be able to come through, and you cannot report them for contacting you.
Get a New Number
Using your cell phone for both work and personal activities can be difficult if you are constantly fielding spam calls. Check with your workplace to see if they will be willing to loan you a company phone or pay your monthly bills. Otherwise, you can do it on your own.
Once you get a new number, keep it as private as you can. Only give out the number to necessary individuals, and try to avoid posting it online in public places. Spam callers tend to purchase your information from third-party data providers. People will often offer up their phone number while filling out surveys, applying for credit, or entering a contest, among other things.
What to do if You Still Get Calls
If you are still receiving spam calls after exploring the options detailed above, here are some helpful hints to remember.
The number one rule of thumb is that you should not answer suspected spam or robocalls. If it is a robocall, it will be a pre-recorded call trying to convince you to push certain buttons for various services. By pressing a button, you may be locking yourself into an unwanted deal or situation. If it is a spam caller, there will be a real person with whom you are speaking. They typically have the goal of coercing any sort of personal information from you, such as your SSN, address, bank account number, etc. By ignoring the call or hanging up immediately, you are keeping yourself as safe as you can be.
Another point to remember is that you should regularly reconcile your monthly bank statements. The banking review is to ensure that no funds have gotten withdrawn without your permission. You should do the same for your elderly friends and relatives to protect them from falling victim to a phone scam.
