{"id":18648,"date":"2019-01-02T18:11:25","date_gmt":"2019-01-03T02:11:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.spokeo.com\/compass\/?p=18648"},"modified":"2022-09-05T11:45:13","modified_gmt":"2022-09-05T19:45:13","slug":"5-ways-to-put-a-stop-to-robocalls","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.spokeo.com\/compass\/5-ways-to-put-a-stop-to-robocalls\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Ways to Put a Stop to Robocalls"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If you’re getting barraged with unwanted calls from unknown numbers, you\u2019re not alone<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Phone scammers and election season autodialers are running wild and it\u2019s driving millions of Americans crazy. Here are 5 ways you can begin to put an end to phone scams and robocalls, for good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Sign-Up for a Robocall Alert Service<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Multiple carriers such as AT&T and Verizon offer services that aim to protect their customers from unwanted robocalls. T-Mobile, for example, offers automatic scam protection<\/a> in the form of caller ID services that warn you if a call is coming from a suspicious source.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most of the services appear to be free, but carriers often will charge a few dollars to block the calls from even hitting your phone (so you don\u2019t have to be bothered in the first place).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Check with your carrier to see which options are available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Run a Reverse Phone Lookup<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The easiest way to identify who\u2019s calling you is to enter the mystery number into a people search engine<\/a> and to perform what\u2019s called a “reverse phone lookup.” You might be able to get a full name, age, address and more. If you still don\u2019t recognize the person, you can run a quick search on the name<\/a> itself to get a full report that should include more information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Along those same lines, you can download a reverse phone lookup app that combs through billions of white pages records and online telemarketer databases to identify unknown callers and block them for good. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also, be aware:\nrobocallers often can \u201cspoof\u201d their call location to match your area code. This\nis done to cover their tracks and make you think it\u2019s someone you know calling\nyou. Don\u2019t fall for it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Sign-Up for the Do Not Call Registry<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While the effectiveness of the Do-Not-Call Registry is hotly debated<\/a>, it\u2019s still not a bad idea to add your name to the list<\/a>. Doing so should certainly reduce the number of unwanted calls you\u2019re getting, but it likely won\u2019t put an end to them. After all, phone scammers and robocall spoofers are a clever bunch<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. File a Complaint<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This may seem somewhat pointless if you\u2019re getting harassed non-stop, but filing a complaint with the FCC<\/a> is a good way to add your name to the list of millions pushing the federal government to take more aggressive action to stop robocalling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Be sure to include all available information on the call, including the number, the content of the automated message and anything else that could help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Don\u2019t Answer!<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This may seem obvious,\nbut it\u2019s easy to forget that you should never answer a call from a number you\ndon\u2019t recognize, even if it does look legit. It\u2019s the fact that some people do\nanswer and respond that keeps the calls going. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you do happen to pick up, remember that you can easily avoid 99% of phone scams by following one simple rule: don\u2019t ever share sensitive information over the phone with a caller you don\u2019t know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If it is indeed a\nrobocall playing a pre-recorded message, hang up immediately and don\u2019t respond\nif they give you a menu of choices – even if they give you an \u201coption\u201d to\nprevent further calls (this is another trick to get your name and number on a\nmarketing list). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hopefully robocalls become a thing of the past sooner rather than later. In the meantime, you can rest a lot easier with help from a few apps and a little common sense.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If you’re getting barraged with unwanted calls from unknown numbers, you\u2019re not alone. Phone scammers and election season autodialers are running wild and it\u2019s driving millions of Americans crazy. Here…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":18652,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[630],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18648","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-product-usage"],"yoast_head":"\n5 Ways to Put a Stop to Robocalls - | The Compass - Spokeo<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"If you're getting barraged with unwanted calls from unknown numbers, you\u2019re not alone. Phone scammers and election season autodialers are running wild and Are you fed up with receiving robocalls at all hours of the day and night? We are too. 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