How to Stop Robo Calls
Picture the scene. You’re minding your own business when suddenly your phone begins to ring.
You look down and expect to see a familiar name, but instead, an unidentified number appears on the screen. The familiar pang of uncertainty passes through your body. You answer, only to be greeted by an irritating Robo Call.
The incessant barrage of these kinds of experiences is increasing by the day. If you’re getting increasingly annoyed by this then you have come to the right place.
In this article, we’ll be looking at the different ways in which you can take action to prevent this from happening in the future and learn how to stop robo calls.
What are Robo Calls?
There are a few key differences between RoboCalls and standard spam callers. If the call you receive seems to be playing out a pre-recorded message as opposed to a person communicating with you in real-time, then this is likely what is known as a Robo Call.
Occasionally, these sorts of calls can be used by companies in order to increase efficiency, but more often than not you will be the one to contact the company.
Are Robo Calls Lebal?
Using an automated voice on phone calls in itself isn’t illegal, and as was mentioned previously, many companies do this to help with running their business.
You might even call up your local doctor’s office and find that you have to communicate with a pre-recorded message before getting through to a person.
However, if you’re getting a lot of unwarranted Robo Calls in which the voice on the other end is trying to sell you something, the chances are that this is a scam.
If a company contacts you using a RoboCall and tries to sell you something without your permission, then that is illegal.
The fact that this is illegal makes it an infringement on your rights, so it’s no surprise that many people find it extremely irritating.
What Should I Do?
If you get a RoboCall, the best thing to do at that moment is hang up. There are more specific actions that you can take, and we’re going to go into those in the next section, but it’s important to explain how you should react to a RoboCall at the moment.
You might feel tempted to engage with the call, in order to express frustration or gain some kind of retribution, but this is not a good idea. You should hang up as quickly as possible. Do not press any numbers if prompted.
Often, these calls will claim that by pressing certain numbers you will be put through to a live operator, but this is usually not the case and could lead to you getting even more Robo Calls in the future.
National Do Not Call Registry
Another action you can take to prevent some Robo Calls is to put your number on your locations National Do Not Call Registry. This doesn’t stop all spam callers, as they often do not care who is on this list, but it’s worth doing this if you wish to identify the illegal callers more easily.
If a caller has disregarded the National Do Not Call list that you’re registered on, then you can be quite sure it’s a scam.
When is a Robo Call Legal?
As was mentioned previously, there are a few instances in which these calls are permitted. These circumstances are usually made in an official capacity.
or example, if you receive a call encouraging you to vote for a certain political candidate, this is usually okay.
If you receive a call from your health service provider or a charity, this can also be fine.
Despite this, it’s important to be wary of any RoboCall as they could be imitating one of these organizations, so always remember that it’s your right to hang up at any time.
Call Blocking
This might seem like a somewhat simple and obvious option, but it is worth going into in more detail. Although there are many actions you can take in order to stop Robo Calls, blocking specific numbers is an effective way to ensure that you won’t be contacted by the same number twice.
Companies might have numerous numbers on which they’ll attempt to contact you, but for now, let’s look into how you can block these kinds of calls on your particular device.
Android
Each phone is different, but generally speaking, the way to block numbers on an Android is the same across the board. If you’ve been recently contacted by an undesirable number, you can go to the “Phone” section of your device.
This is the area in which you can select from your contacts and type in numbers to call people.
Once you’ve opened this, go to the Recent Calls section, which will usually be accompanied by a small clock symbol. Select the number that you want to block, and find the option that says “block number”.
Once you’ve done this, that phone will never be able to get through to you again.
iPhone
To block numbers on the iPhone, you have to follow similar steps to the Android system. Go into the Phone app, and select Recents. Once you’re in the recent calls section, select the info icon next to the number that you no longer want to be contacted by.
After this, tap Block This Caller, then Block Contact, and you shouldn’t be bothered by them from now on.
Block All Unknown Calls
Another method you can choose to employ is to block all unknown numbers that are attempting to contact your phone. There are clear pros and cons to this, because many people who call you may be attempting to contact you for a legitimate reason, and they will not be able to get through.
However, if this is something you want, then there is a way to do it. If you go to the Phone app, and select Settings, some phones will allow you to activate this feature.
Go to the option for blocking numbers and you could be able to block all unknown, although some phones do lack this feature. It’s worth checking out what your own device offers in this area.
Network Services
Some networks will offer call-blocking services as optional parts of their deals. Some examples of this are the T-Mobile Scam ID and Scam Block features. When you sign up to T-Mobile, you can enquire about this feature.
For an affordable monthly fee, they can offer you a function that immediately identifies a caller’s ID and location can block calls automatically and will send certain calls straight to voicemail so they can’t get through to you.
Sending calls to voicemail is a fairly useful tool because it gives you a chance to analyze the RoboCall you may have received in a way that you wouldn’t usually be able to. By doing this, you can be surer of whether or not you’ve been contacted by a scammer.
This is just one example of a network that provides this kind of thing, and there are many affordable solutions available on the market.
APPS
Another option you could go for if you’re looking for a way to stop Robo Calls is downloading an app that is designed to do this. With the rise of the internet, apps have become much more commonplace for almost anything you could think of.
Due to this, it can be hard to narrow down which app to download. So what exactly should you be looking for if you want an app that blocks Robo Calls?
Cost
When it comes to looking for a legitimate app, you might have to spend a little bit of money. We’d recommend checking how many reviews an app has before making a purchase and if those reviews are positive or negative.
Some companies create fake reviews using spam accounts, and this can be easy to identify. If every single review is either 5 stars and overwhelmingly positive, or 1 star and overwhelmingly negative, the chances are this is an app you will want to avoid.
There are many affordable, effective apps out there though. Generally, you might find yourself paying around $2.99 a month, or a yearly fee that would accumulate to a slightly lower price.
APPS
So what are some of the apps you could look at downloading, and what differentiates them from each other? Some Apps will simply block numbers for you, and if you’re looking for a straightforward service, they will do the trick. In this section, we’ll break down a few examples of the types of apps you can use by breaking down specific examples.
Mr. Number
This app will block specific numbers and will also block calls based upon area codes. This app works on both Android and iPhone, and it is one of the most popular free options out there. Unfortunately, it doesn’t block text messages on newer devices, which it was able to do on older phones.
Truecaller
Truecaller is slightly different from a straightforward call blocker. Truecaller compiles a list of known RoboCall numbers, so they’ll never be able to contact your phone if you install this App. The people who use this app regularly add new numbers to the database, causing it to grow and become more effective as more people use it.
This app is a good example of a popular, user-friendly service with plenty of positive reviews on Google Play and the iPhone store.
Robokiller
When it comes to RoboKiller, the clue is in the title. This app is not only designed to block Robo Calls, but it’s also designed to irritate them. Ironically, the app has answer bots, which are built-in with a selection of nonsensical responses that will mess with anyone who is trying to scam you.
Another exciting feature is that you can install your own responses, so there is definitely a level of fun to be had with this one.
Unlike Mr. Number, RoboKiller costs money to use. You can choose to pay monthly or yearly depending on what suits you, but many users describe it as affordable and easy to use.
Summary
One thing that most people agree on is that Robo Calls are a particularly undesirable part of modern living, and the joint effort to stop them has lead to some impressive results.
Although there are a lot of options available to you, this article should have pinpointed some of the key factors to look out for when making a decision on how you’re going to stop Robo Calls.
Blocking numbers manually is undoubtedly an easy and straightforward way to blacklist particular numbers from contacting you, but it won’t stop others from doing the same.
If you feel as though you don’t have the time to block a scam call every time it comes through, then an app is a great option.
Identifying who is and isn’t a robot can be tricky as technology advances but the methods with which we counter this are also advancing, so whichever method you choose, there is sure to be an answer.
We hope this article has helped you in finding out more about how to stop Robo Calls. Don’t forget to let us know how these methods work for you in the future.
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