Stop Unwanted Calls for Good: Simple Tech Tips

LONDON (AP) — Unsolicited phone calls have reached epidemic proportions. Be it automated sales pitches or fraudulent attempts aimed at deceiving you, these unwanted interruptions might leave you contemplating whether picking up the phone is even worth it anymore. What steps can one take then to put an end to this nuisance?

Unwanted phone calls have been labeled as an epidemic by various consumer organizations, with the Federal Communications Commission stating they represent their leading consumer grievance. These calls prove bothersome for numerous individuals who have shared their frustrations with The Associated Press.

A reader reached out via email stating, “I require assistance in stopping these spam calls.” Despite taking precautions, she still receives as many as 14 such calls daily.

As suggested by its title, a robocall refers to automated phone calls intended to disseminate pre-recorded messages across numerous devices. According to U.S. rules, robocalls aimed at delivering information or collecting debts are permissible; however, the Federal Trade Commission states that using a recorded voice for sales purposes without prior explicit consent in writing is against the law. The FTC also cautions that many such robocalls may likely be part of fraudulent schemes.

If unwanted calls are overwhelming you, here are several methods to combat them.

Phone settings

Users of smartphones can enable certain pre-installed features to tackle unidentified calls.

Apple recommends that iPhone users enable the Silence Unknown Callers feature. feature Navigate to your "Settings," scroll down until you find "Apps." From there, go to "Phone" which can be found under the "Calls" category. Enable the setting here; when activated, unknown callers who aren’t listed in your contacts won't disturb you directly. Their call will divert to voicemail instead and appear among your last dialed numbers.

Android has a similar setting that allows you to block calls from private or unidentified numbers, although you will still receive calls from numbers that aren't stored in your contact list.

Once this article initially appeared, a reader sent in a solution to that issue: Simply leave your Android phone powered on. Do Not Disturb However, set it up so that anybody on your Contact list can intrude.

Keep in mind that you might miss out on crucial calls as well, often originating from unfamiliar phone numbers.

Should an undesired call manage to slip through, users of either Android or iPhones have the option to block the specific telephone number by selecting it from their recent calls or call history list. Additionally, you can manually input these numbers into your device’s blocking list.

Do not call

Register with the national Do Not Call list. registry This is a compilation of telephone numbers that have chosen to block most telemarketing calls. The Federal Trade Commission manages this registry and states that it solely includes phone numbers without retaining any additional personal identifying details. Furthermore, the system doesn’t distinguish between whether these numbers belong to landlines or cellphones.

The FTC indicates that certain exceptions apply, such as political calls, communications from nonprofit organizations and charitable entities, and valid survey groups not engaged in sales. Additionally, businesses can contact individuals for up to 18 months following an interaction or attempt at engagement with them.

However, it cautions that even though listing your number on the registry will reduce unsolicited sales calls, it won't prevent scammers from making unlawful contact.

Other nations also maintain comparable registries. In Canada, they have their own Do Not Call list as well. list while the UK has the Telephone Preference Service .

Carrier filters

Verify if your mobile provider offers a call-blocking service. Verizon , T-Mobile and AT&T , three major U.S. networks each offer their own call filtering systems for customers to block robocalls and flag spam. These usually come with both a free standard option and an enhanced version that necessitates a paid subscription.

Try an app

If you find that your carrier’s filtering options aren’t sufficient, consider using standalone applications to block unwelcome calls.

A variety of smartphone applications claim to prevent spam calls, including options such as Nomorobo, YouMail, Hiya, RoboKiller, and TrueCaller among others. Several of these services require either a monthly or yearly payment, though certain ones provide limited features at no cost initially. Additionally, some may be configured for usage with landlines provided that the system operates via VOIP rather than traditional copper wiring.

The Associated Press has not tested any of these applications and is not offering particular endorsements. We suggest that you peruse user feedback and perhaps even test them out personally.

Apple states that these applications function by cross-referencing a caller’s phone number against a database of recognized numbers, categorizing them as either spam or telemarketing, for instance. The app may also choose to automatically reject such calls. Apple clarifies, "Third-party developers never receive incoming call data."

Report calls

Did you know that you can lodge a complaint with the FCC regarding particular spam calls? You can do this effortlessly through their process. online form It may not provide instant gratification, but according to the National Consumer Law Center, complaint data is the most effective resource federal agencies have for assessing the extent of the robocall issue.

Just say no

Even though businesses you have conducted transactions with may place automated calls to you, the National Consumer Law Center indicates this likely occurred due to your prior approval—often buried within small print details. However, you retain the right to withdraw your consent whenever you choose.

Simply inform the company representative that you wish to "withdraw consent," and if this does not halt their communication, reach out to customer service to notify them that you do not agree to receiving calls and request for your number to be included in the company’s “do-not-call” registry, according to the center.

Hang up

You may feel inclined to interact with the call in hopes of getting your number removed from the calling list or speaking to an actual person. However, the FTC advises against this approach and suggests simply hanging up instead.

"Pushing buttons to connect with an operator or opt out might just result in additional automated calls," the agency states on its website. advice page “And likely, the number you see on your caller ID isn’t genuine. It’s quite simple to manipulatecaller IDs,” it states, adding they should not be taken at face value.

The cybersecurity firm Kaspersky recommends remaining silent whenever you suspect receiving a robocall. It’s common to get fraudulent calls that begin with phrases such as "Hello, can you hear me?" Often, people tend to respond reflexively with a simple "yes."

Kaspersky warns that scammers "can save the recording of your approval and utilize it for illicit purposes." Therefore, they advise to refrain from saying yes when you can.

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