Why You Get So Many Scam Calls
The calls keep coming because robocalls are cheap to make and scammers ignore the rules. Here is what drives the volume and what actually cuts it down.
Why scam calls keep coming to your phone
You did the right things. You joined the National Do Not Call Registry. You hang up. You ignore the calls. And your phone still rings with a recorded voice about your taxes or your Social Security number. So why do you get so many scam calls?
The short answer: the calls are cheap, the rules only bind honest companies, and scammers do not follow rules.
The mechanics behind the volume
A robocall is a call where you hear a recorded message instead of a live person, the FTC says. That one detail explains most of the problem.
The FTC says scammers make robocalls because it is cheap and easy to make them over the internet from anywhere in the world.
The FTC says not all scam calls will get flagged by caller ID.
Many of these calls pretend to be from the government. The FTC says scammers make robocalls that claim to be from government agencies calling about your Social Security number, taxes, or Medicare. The FTC's advice is blunt: if someone is robocalling you without permission, there is a good chance it is a scam.
Not every robocall is against the law, though. The FTC says messages that are purely informational, or calls to collect a debt, are not illegal. A robocall trying to sell you something is illegal unless the company got your written permission to call you that way.
Why the Do Not Call Registry doesn't stop them
This is the part that frustrates people most. You signed up for the Registry, and the calls kept coming. The list is doing the job it was built to do.
The FTC says the National Do Not Call Registry is designed to stop unwanted sales calls from real companies that follow the law. It is a list that tells registered telemarketers what numbers not to call. A real company checks the list and skips your number.
Scammers never check the list. The FTC says scammers do not care if you are on the Registry, and being on it will not stop them from making illegal calls. A rule only works on people who follow rules.
The Registry still has some value. The FTC says being on it could reduce the number of calls you get and make it easier to spot scam calls. Once the lawful sales calls thin out, the ones that remain stand out more.
Why hanging up isn't enough
Hanging up is still the right move. The FTC says to hang up if you get an illegal robocall, and don't call back.
But hanging up does not stop the next call.
One thing to avoid: pressing a number. The FTC says pressing numbers to speak to someone or to be removed from the list will probably only lead to more robocalls.
What actually reduces the volume
The FTC says your best defense against unwanted calls is call blocking and call labeling. Blocking stops calls before your phone rings. Labeling flags suspicious calls so you can decide not to answer.
The FTC says cell phones, home phones that make calls over the internet, and landlines each have their own call-blocking options. What works on your cell may not be what your landline needs, so match the tool to the phone. For the steps, see how to block scam phone calls.
The FTC says call-blocking and call-labeling services can help you get fewer robocalls. It also says call blocking can help reduce the number of unwanted calls you get. But it is not a perfect wall. The FTC says call blocking can help stop robocalls from scammers, but some robocalls might still get through. Expect fewer calls, not zero calls.
If a call slips through, treat it the way you would any scam calls: hang up, don't call back, and don't press anything. The FTC says it works with other law enforcement agencies and encourages industry efforts to combat robocalls and caller ID spoofing. For that side of it, read about FCC scam calls.
Why reporting still matters
Reporting a scam call can feel pointless. The caller is gone, the number is fake, and no one calls you back with news. But the FTC says reporting the information helps it track down the scammers behind the call.
The FTC uses what you report, like names or numbers you are told to call back, to find the people running the operation. The FTC says to report the caller ID number anyway, even when you suspect it is not real.
Your reports do more than feed investigations. The FTC says the numbers behind illegal calls that you report get published for the public every business day. Phone companies and other partners building call-blocking and call-labeling tools can put those published numbers to use. Your one report becomes part of the data that makes blocking tools better for everyone.
It also adds up on the enforcement side. The FTC says your reports help law enforcement identify the people behind illegal calls, and the FTC has stopped people responsible for billions of robocalls. To file one, see report scam calls.
The calls are not your fault
The FTC says robocalls are cheap and easy to make, and the Registry tells registered telemarketers what numbers not to call. Block what you can, label what slips through, hang up, and report. That is the part of this you control.