Best ways to block scam calls - And an easier way to stop scammers
When it comes to telemarketing and scam calls, the best thing to do is not pick up the phone. But it’s not always easy to tell whether an incoming call is legitimate — especially if your phone doesn’t show that scam or spam warning.
You want to stop these calls before they happen. I’ll show you how to use the settings built-in to your phone for this, but first, let’s talk about the best way to prevent spam in the first place.
Your number is all over the web
No wonder your phone is always blowing up with calls. I’ve spent more time then you’d believe removing my info from data broker and people search sites online. You know the ones, where your name, contact info and even your family members are listed.
Telemarketers and scammers are buying up that info to spam you with calls. Sure, you can go through one site at a time to clear out your data, but it takes forever.
That’s where Incogni comes in. It’s a personal data removal service that scrubs your info from the web. It handles the hard work for you. Seriously, it’d take hundreds of hours to do it all on your own.
Before I could recommend it to you, I tried it out myself. The process took me a few minutes, and I was immediately opted out of 27 databases, with 47 more requests sent. So easy.
Right now, get 60% off an annual subscription using code KIM60.
Block calls from your smartphone
Your phone has built-in security tools to protect you from scammers, and you should get to know one of the most basic: the block function.
If you get a call from a number you know is connected to a scammer or telemarketer, block it. You can do this as many times as you need to.
Block calls from your iPhone
Block spam texts on your iPhone once and for all
Is your phone full of blocked numbers as a result of spam calls? These types of calls can range from nuisances to dangerous scams.
Being more discrete with your phone number can help reduce the number of unwanted calls. Tap or click here for tips on keeping your number private.
How to block annoying scam calls so you don't lose money
The phone rings, and as soon as you say hello, the person on the other end starts babbling about saving money on car insurance. Don’t say anything! They could be recording your voice, which they’ll use to impersonate you. If you do speak up, avoid saying this one word.
5 ways to stop bots and spammers from calling you all day long
If you answer the phone when an unknown number calls, robots probably love you. Nowadays, when you answer the phone, it’s likely a robocall spammer. They have a ton of nasty tricks up their sleeve, from posing as a member of the IRS to lying about your car’s warranty.
How to stop annoying robocalls and scam calls for good
Some robocalls are easy to spot. When a robotic voice warns your car’s warranty is out of date or that a credit card you don’t have has been compromised, it’s obvious you should just hang up.
But what if you got a call from a real person at a hospital, saying there’s been an emergency? That happened to Kim recently. She didn’t fall for it, but it would have been all too easy to let emotion win out over logic.
Robocalls are about to get a lot worse - here's why
What’s your share of the over 58.5 billion robocalls received across the U.S. in 2019? Depending on where you live, you averaged 13-18 calls per month.
The sad news is those figures have continued to climb over the last few years, with the number of robocalls in 2019 almost 20% higher than the 47.8 billion received in 2018 and 48% over those in 2017. Tap or click to discover how some consumers are fighting back.