Robocalls on your phone are one of the biggest drawbacks of mobile technology for many people. These prerecorded and unsolicited telemarketing calls are made to landlines and cell phones.
Are Robocalls Getting Worse?
According to a recent report by a company that gives spam call filters to certain carriers, almost 45 percent of all calls in 2019 will be robocalls or spam. This means almost half of all the phone calls you will get next year will not be real, and even worse, will be trying to scam you. The report also showed that 29 percent of calls in 2018, were robocalls, an almost 4 percent increase from 2017. This shows that robocalls are exponentially on the rise each year, with little hope of relief.
How Can I Stop Robocalls From Reaching My Phone?
- Use call blockers. Some phone service providers offer a robocall blocking service, and if yours doesn’t, you should suggest that they provide one. There are also a variety of robocall blocking tools online.
- Block unknown callers. Most, if not all phone companies, will allow you to block certain phone numbers that are not part of your contacts or do not show up on Caller ID. Consult with your provider to figure out how to turn this helpful feature on.
- Don’t answer. This is probably the easiest solution for getting rid of robocalls. Simply don’t answer a call if it’s an unknown number that doesn’t show up on your Caller ID. If it’s something important, the caller will usually leave a voicemail.
- Sign up for the Do Not Call Registry. If you are listed on this registry, it will be illegal for many robocallers to contact you. After your number is in the registry for 31 days, you can begin to report unsolicited sales calls.
- Hang up. If you answer your phone and the caller asks you to press a button to stop getting calls, you should simply hang up instead. This is usually a trick that scammers will use to identify you as a “live respondent,” meaning that once they know your number is active they will call you again in the future.
- Get apps that block calls. There are also various call blocking apps you can install on your phone, such as Numbo, True Caller, or Hiya.
If have received unsolicited robocalls, you may be entitled to compensation. Please call the attorneys at CounselOne for a consultation at (310) 789-2145.