How to Get Rid of Robocalls
Are you tired of sketchy
companies, scammers, telemarketers and robocallers
constantly calling you? While there's no 100% effective solution,
you can get pretty close by keeping your phone number out of their hands. First, let's tackle the question of
how they got your number in the first place through data brokers.
Data
brokers collect, aggregate and sell your personal information, including your
phone number, with the intent to sell it to interested parties. They can get
your information in many ways, by accessing public information like government
records or gathering data from loyalty card programs, surveys and social media.
Mobile apps can also share your personal information with data brokers. Even
your online browsing habits are valuable to data brokers. Your data profile can
be sold to many different buyers, including targeted advertising and marketing
companies, as well as government agencies.
Some
data brokers offer personal profiles directly to consumers, and you might be
surprised by how much information they have about you. Have you ever tried
searching for someone on a "people search" website? These sites let
you enter a name and find out all sorts of information about that person. Try
searching for yourself or someone you know. You might find out who used to live at your current address, how much money you make and who your relatives
are.
People search sites get their information
from public records like court documents and voter registration forms. They
usually offer some basic information for free, but if you want more details,
you’ll have to sign up for a free trial. And when you do, they’ll probably ask
for even more information about you.
The
scary thing is that anyone with a computer can access this information,
including identity thieves. With just a few key pieces of
information, they can call your bank, reset your passcodes and take over your
financial accounts.
Even cyberstalkers
and blackmailers can use people search sites to find out more about you. Sure,
most sites make users promise not to use the information for illegal purposes,
but there’s no real way to enforce that. It’s all based on the honor system.
Don’t
worry though; there’s something you can do about it. You can request that data
brokers remove your information. But with hundreds of them in the U.S. alone, it can be a daunting task.
That’s where removal services come in.
While no service promises to remove all
your data from the internet, having a removal service is great if you want to
constantly monitor and automate the process of removing your information from
hundreds of sites continuously over a longer period of time.
See my
tips and best picks for removing your personal
information from
the internet by going to Cyberguy.com/Delete.
While
it’s important to take steps to protect your personal information, such as
removing it from data broker sites, there are still other threats to our privacy and security. For example, despite
efforts to crack down on robocalls, scammers are
constantly finding new ways to evade detection and continue their operations.
Furthermore, as technology improves, robocallers are
able to use more sophisticated methods, such as "spoofing" their
phone numbers to make it appear as though they are calling from a different
location or entity.
While some robocalls
can range from harmless reminders, most are malicious scams, leaving many
frustrated and vulnerable to fraud. There are steps you can take, however, to
put an end to these pesky calls for good.
First, add your number to the National Do
Not Call Registry. This is a free service that prevents telemarketers from
calling you. Once you register your phone number, telemarketers must stop
calling you within 31 days.
There are several ways to do this.
·
You
can call the Registry at 1-888-382-1222 from the phone number you wish to
include in the "do not call" list.
·
Alternatively,
visit donotcall.gov and click the "Register Your Phone" button.
·
Enter
the phone
number
you want to register.
You can register
up to three phone numbers at a time. Be sure to provide your email to
acknowledge the confirmation and begin eliminating robocalls.
Remember that the Do Not Call Registry does not stop all unwanted calls, such
as those from political organizations, charities and debt collectors.
·
To
block numbers directly from your recent calls list on your iPhone, go to your phone app
·
Select Recents
Select
Recents. ( )
·
Tap
the "i" icon next to the number and select Block this Caller
Tap
the "i" icon next to the number
and select Block this Caller. ( )
·
You
can also report robocallers to the Federal Trade
Commission (FTC) by visiting their website at ftc.gov. Look for the "Report to the FTC" tab.
You
can also report robocallers to the Federal Trade
Commission by visiting their website at ftc.gov. Look for the "Report to
the FTC" tab. ( )
·
Once
you click on that, you can select "Report Now"
Once
you click on that, you can select "Report Now." ( )
·
Then
choose "Report
an annoying call"
Then
choose "Report an annoying call." ( )
·
Then,
you'll need to fill out an online form with some basic information about the robocall, like the phone number it came from and when it
happened. It's helpful to provide as much information as possible, like what
the robocall said or what they were trying to sell.
Then,
you'll need to fill out an online form with some basic information about the robocall, like the phone number it came from and when it
happened. ( )
·
Once
you've filled out the form, you can submit it to the FTC. Alternatively, you
can also call their toll-free number at 1-888-382-1222 and follow the prompts
to report the robocall. This information can help
track down and prosecute those annoying and potentially damaging robocalls.
Settings may vary
depending on your Android phone’s manufacturer
To block unknown numbers, do the
following:
·
Open
your Phone app
·
Tap
the 3 vertical dots
·
Go
to Settings and select Blocked Numbers
·
Turn
on Block calls from unknown numbers
·
You
can also click Block spam and scam calls row > Toggle "On"
·
Then
below, turn on "Block spam and scam calls". This feature uses Hiya to
identify spam and scam callers as well as other callers who aren't in your
contacts.
You can also enable the "Silence
Unknown Callers" feature if you're still receiving robocalls.
This built-in feature on your iPhone allows your device to automatically
silence calls from unknown numbers, including robocalls.
When this feature is turned on, your phone will only ring for calls from
numbers that are in your contacts list or have been recently called or texted.
·
To
turn on this feature, you need to go to the Settings app on your iPhone
To turn on this feature,
you need to go to the Settings app on your iPhone. ( )
·
Scroll
down, tap Phone, and then tap Silence Unknown Callers
Scroll down, tap Phone,
and then tap Silence Unknown Callers. ( )
Once
you enable this feature, you should notice a decrease in the number of unwanted
calls you receive, including robocalls. However,
remember that this feature may also block calls from legitimate sources, such as businesses or people you still need to
add to your contacts. So, ensure you still check your voicemail and missed
calls regularly.
Several wireless carriers provide their
own free robocall scanning and blocking services.
Among them:
iPhone: 4.4 stars (at time of publishing)
Android: 2.9 stars (at time of
publishing)
AT&T ActiveArmor app includes a range of security features, such
as fraud call blocking, anti-phishing protection, and mobile security software
to help protect against malware and viruses. ( )
AT&T ActiveArmor app includes
a range of security features, such as fraud call blocking, anti-phishing
protection, and mobile security software to help protect against malware and
viruses. Additionally, ActiveArmor includes identity
theft protection and alerts, as well as a secure Wi-Fi VPN service to help keep
user data and privacy safe.
iPhone: 4.7 stars (at time of publishing)
Android: 4.6 stars (at time of publishing)
The Scam Shield app
labels all potentially dangerous calls as "Scam likely" and opens
free controls for several anti-scam protections, including Scam ID, Scam Block,
and Caller ID. ( )
The
Scam Shield app labels all potentially dangerous calls as "Scam likely"
and opens free controls for several anti-scam protections, including Scam ID,
Scam Block, and Caller ID. Additionally, the app also provides you with a
second phone number for use instead of your private one, ideal for online shopping and helping you avoid
calls from scammers as well as telemarketers
HOW TO GET A FREE SECOND PHONE NUMBER AND STOP ANNOYING
CALLS
iPhone: 4.3 stars (at time of publishing)
Android: 4.6 stars (at time of
publishing)
The Call Filter app
helps protect you from unwanted calls and lets you decide who can reach you.
Call Filter also detects spam and blocks high-risk spam calls by forwarding
them to voicemail. ( )
The Call Filter app helps protect you
from unwanted calls and lets you decide who can reach you. Call Filter also
detects spam and blocks high-risk spam calls by forwarding them to voicemail.
HOW TO SEND SPAM CALLS DIRECTLY TO VOICEMAIL ON YOUR PHONE
Google
Voice provides another way to block pesky spam calls and prevent them from
going to voicemail. The trick is you need to switch to Google Voice as your
main number and stop giving out your old carrier number. ( )
Google
Voice provides another way to block pesky spam calls and prevent them from
going to voicemail. The trick is you need to switch to Google Voice as your
main number and stop giving out your old carrier number. With Voice, you can block known spam calls in three ways: by
sending calls to voicemail, by treating the call as spam (letting the caller
leave voicemail but tagged as spam), or by call blocking (in which case the caller
will hear a "Number not in service" message and will not be able to
leave voice mail).
The big drawback here is that your Google
Voice number now becomes your main number, which you forward to the number from
your carrier, and you need to use the Google Voice app as the main calling app
on your phone. And there’s still no guarantee that spam callers won’t call your
carrier number directly, either because it’s already out there or simply
because the robodialers are going through every
number combination.
Several third-party apps can help protect
you from scam artists. Among our most recommended include:
iPhone: 4.5 stars (at time of publishing)
Android: 4.3 (at time of publishing)
RoboKiller is an app that
claims to reduce 99% of unwanted calls or texts. ( )
RoboKiller is an app
that claims to reduce 99% of unwanted calls or texts. The app is not free for iPhone and Android users. However,
it comes with a 7-day free trial, which might be worth checking out before
investing.
iPhone: 4.4 stars (at time of
publishing)
Android:4.3 stars (at time of publishing)
Call Control is an
app available to Android and iPhone users. The app provides users with tools to
block unwanted calls, identify and screen incoming calls, and manage call
settings such as call forwarding and voicemail. ( )
Call Control is an app available to
Android and iPhone users. The app provides users with tools to block unwanted
calls, identify and screen incoming calls, and manage call settings such as
call forwarding and voicemail. The app helps you filter out unwanted callers by
manually adding them to a blacklist.
iPhone: 4.5 stars (at time of publishing)
Android: 2.2 stars (at time of publishing)
Nomorobo is a spam call blocker
and robocall blocker app designed to protect you from
unwanted calls. ( )
Nomorobo is a spam call
blocker and robocall blocker app designed to protect
you from unwanted calls. It uses a powerful algorithm that analyzes incoming
calls and compares them to a constantly-updated database of known spam numbers.
If a call is flagged as spam or robocall, Nomorobo will automatically block it before it reaches your
phone.
Pro tip: Do not
answer calls from numbers you don't recognize, especially if they're from
out-of-state or foreign countries. If you answer a robocall,
don't engage with the caller or press any buttons, which may lead to more
calls.
Now you are all set to live a life filled
with peace and quiet by keeping your personal information away from data
brokers. Also, no longer live in fear of robocallers
hijacking your phone time by taking proactive steps such as registering with
the National Do Not Call Registry, enabling call-blocking features, and using
spam-blocking apps can significantly reduce their impact. Remember, staying
vigilant and reporting robocalls to the appropriate
authorities is crucial in the fight against these persistent scams.
References
https://www.foxnews.com/tech/how-get-rid-robocalls-apps-data-removal-services