Scam Calls: FCC Call Blocking Help and FTC Reports

The FCC points you to call-blocking help. The FTC takes the reports. Here is how the two fit together.

A scam call just rang, or one keeps ringing. You want to know who can make it stop. Two agencies come up, and they do different jobs. The Federal Communications Commission, the FCC, is where you find call-blocking help for your phone company. The Federal Trade Commission, the FTC, is where scam calls get reported and tracked. This page sorts out which is which, so you know what to do next.

What the FCC does about scam calls

Its role here is practical. The FTC says to go to the FCC's Call Blocking Resources for links to company-specific information about blocking calls. That is the place to find out what your own phone company offers to stop unwanted calls before they reach you.

If you are not sure what phone service you have, the FTC says to check with your phone provider. Once you know, the FCC's resources point you to that company's blocking tools.

Why scam calls keep coming even if you are on the Do Not Call Registry

You signed up for the National Do Not Call Registry and the calls did not stop. That is normal, and it is not a sign the Registry failed.

The FTC says the Registry exists to stop sales calls from honest businesses that obey the rules. It is a list that tells registered telemarketers what numbers not to call. Scammers are not real companies following the law. The FTC says the Registry means nothing to scammers, and signing up will not keep them from breaking the law by calling you.

The Registry is still worth having. The FTC says signing up might cut down your calls and help you notice which ones are scams. When honest sales calls stop coming, an illegal one is easier to pick out.

How to use the FCC's call blocking resources

The FTC says cell phones, home phones that make calls over the internet, and landlines each have their own call-blocking options. So the first step is knowing which kind of phone service you have, then finding your company in the FCC's Call Blocking Resources.

Costs vary. The FTC says some phone provider services are free, but others might charge you a fee. The same goes for apps. Some call-blocking apps are free, but others charge a fee. Check before you sign up.

The FTC says your best defense against unwanted calls is call blocking and call labeling. But it is not perfect. Call blocking can help stop robocalls from scammers. But some robocalls might still get through, and blocking services might block some calls you want to get. For a fuller walk-through of the tools, see how to block scam phone calls.

How to report scam calls so they get tracked

Reporting a scam call to the FTC helps it track down the scammers behind the call. The FTC uses the information you report, like names or numbers you are told to call back, to track down scammers. Your reports also help law enforcement identify the people behind illegal calls.

Give what you have:

Report the number on your caller ID, even if you think it is fake.
Report the exact date and time of the call if you know it.
Include any names or numbers you were told to call back.

What happens after you report? The FTC releases the illegal callers' phone numbers you report to the public each business day. Those released numbers help phone companies and other partners working on call-blocking and call-labeling solutions. For the full reporting steps, see report scam calls.

What to do when a scam call comes in

First, know what you are hearing. The FTC says a robocall is a call where you hear a recorded message instead of a live person. If someone is robocalling you without permission, the FTC says there is a good chance it is a scam.

A robocall trying to sell you something is illegal unless the company got your written permission to call you that way. But not all robocalls are illegal. Messages that are purely informational, or calls to collect a debt, are not illegal.

When one comes in:

Hang up. The FTC says to hang up if you get an illegal robocall, and do not call back.
Do not press a number. The FTC says if you press a number to reach a person or get off the list, you will likely get more robocalls, not fewer.
Do not trust the caller ID name. Scammers make robocalls claiming to be from government agencies calling about your Social Security number, taxes, or Medicare. Scammers can fake how a call looks.
Report it.

For calls that may use AI, see AI scam calls. And if the call targets your phone or your phone account itself, see cell phone scam for that angle.

Where to learn more and get more help

The FTC says to learn more about unwanted calls at ftc.gov/calls.

A few more things worth knowing:

The Telemarketing Sales Rule governs robocalls.
Your state also might have other rules for robocalls.
The FTC works with other law enforcement agencies and encourages industry efforts to combat robocalls and caller ID spoofing.
The FTC has stopped people responsible for billions of robocalls.

Scam calls are cheap to make, which is why they keep coming. The FTC says scammers make robocalls because it is cheap and easy to make them over the internet from anywhere in the world. Nothing you do will keep a scammer from picking up the phone. You can block what reaches you, and you can report what gets through.