Unwanted calls not only interrupt your daily activities: Many of them are intended to scam you.
- Your best option is a call-blocking application, which can stop scam phone calls before they are answered. Some apps also silence calls from unknown numbers and send suspicious calls straight to voice mail. Some call-blocking apps are free, but it may be worth a few dollars to get one that is highly rated. You can also check to see if your mobile phone carrier has its own call-blocking app.
- Another way to stop these calls is to use the Do Not Disturb setting, which can silence all calls from unrecognized numbers between certain hours of the day or send them straight to voice mail.
- Finally, remember to block the numbers for any robocalls you have accidentally answered.
Additionally, if you've accidentally answered a scam call, you can report the number of the caller and the call-back number to the Federal Trade Commission at FTC.gov/calls. According to Megan Gordon's article dated August 23, 2019, the FTC used these reports to take action against scammers in Operation Call it Quits in June, during which it filed 94 actions against illegal robocallers.
