How To Stop Spam Calls

Although there is no way to stop receiving all spam calls, there are steps you can take to reduce the number of spam calls you receive. According to Truecaller’s 2024 report, Americans collectively receive an average of 2.5 billion spam and unwanted calls every month. While spam calls do not always have malicious intent, like hacking your phone or stealing your money, they can grow annoying since they are unwanted and persistent. In addition to spam calls being irritating, they can also lead to you receiving scam calls, where people try to trick you into sharing private information or giving them money.

Continue reading to learn the top four tips to reduce the number of spam calls you receive and how you can report them.

1. Ask your mobile carrier if they offer a call-blocking service

Call-blocking is a service that prevents a majority of spam calls from reaching your device by blocking spam numbers. Most mobile carriers provide services in your existing phone plan or as an additional feature that will automatically block unsolicited calls. AT&T users can download ActiveArmor, which is an app that stops you from getting spam and scam calls. T-Mobile users can install Scam Shield, which blocks scam calls and robocalls. Verizon users can enable Call Filter, which detects and blocks spam calls. U.S. Cellular users can download Call Guardian, which prevents spam and scam calls. The majority of these call-blocking services are free or can be added to your phone plan for a small fee to block spam calls, so contact your mobile carrier to see which service is best for you.

2. Download a spam-filtering app

Even if you have a call-blocking service from your mobile carrier, you can also download spam-filtering apps without going through your phone plan. Spam-filtering apps, as the name implies, allow you to filter and block spam numbers from the rest of your legitimate incoming calls. Many apps can filter your spam, including Truecaller, Robokiller and Nomorobo.

Truecaller’s spam-filtering app identifies and blocks spam calls by referring to a list that is refreshed daily, containing the most active spammers. Truecaller not only recognizes spam numbers but also detects robocalls, telemarketers and scammers. You can download Truecaller for free and use its free version with ads.

Robokiller is more targeted at robocalls, using a bot that answers spam calls, wastes spammers’ time and discourages them from calling your number again. However, you need to purchase the premium version of the app to access all its noteworthy features, such as answer bots, spam text blocking and automatic spam call blocking.

Nomorobo uses a large database of spam numbers to block many spam calls and even texts, making it an easy and flexible solution to stay safe from potential scammers. It offers a free 14-day trial to new users on mobile devices, but it’s free for landlines.

3. Silence and block unknown callers

If you ever receive a spam call, you should immediately block the phone number to avoid calling them back. On your phone, there are settings you can enable to block or silence unknown callers.

Settings for Apple users with iOS 13 and later

1. Go to Settings
2. Click Phone
3. Scroll down, then tap Silence Unknown Callers
4. Toggle this feature on

Note: If you are expecting a call from someone outside your contact list, this setting will silence their call and send it straight to voicemail. For example, if you are waiting to hear back from a doctor’s office about medical results or a company about a job offer, it’s best to leave this setting off until you receive these important calls first.

Settings for Google users

1. Open your Phone app
2. Tap More, then Settings
3. Click Spam and Call Screen or Call Screen
4. Tap Call Screen
5. Select your protection level
   • If you have a Pixel 6 or below, tap Unknown Call Settings and pick the types of callers you want to screen (spam, first-time callers, etc.)
   • If you have a Pixel 7 or above, tap Protection level and Automatically screen calls

Settings for Samsung users

1. Go to Call Settings
2. Find Caller ID and spam protection
3. Toggle that on to report any spam numbers that call you
4. At the bottom of that screen, you can also toggle Block spam and scam calls

4. Sign up for the National Do Not Call Registry

To significantly reduce the number of spam calls you receive, sign up for the National Do Not Call Registry (DNC Registry). The DNC Registry is a free service that allows you to register your home and/or cell phone numbers to prevent as many spam calls as possible from reaching you. Some companies are legally forbidden from calling you once you have registered your phone number, but certain organizations, such as political groups or debt collectors, might still contact you.

How to report spam calls

In addition to blocking or silencing spam calls, you can also report them to the authorities, as some of those spam calls may be scam calls. Both spam and scam calls are unwanted; however, scam calls intend to deceive you into revealing personal information or sending money by impersonating real people or companies. Although scam calls can be considered spam calls, spam calls are unwanted but generally do not pose real threats. By reporting spam calls, you help organizations like the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) track down potential scammers.

Report spam calls to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

The FCC receives many reports about spoofed spam calls, where phone numbers appear as ones you are familiar with, but they are actually scammers trying to get you to pick up the phone. You should file a complaint and report the call to the FCC immediately if you receive a spam or scam call by providing your email address and a description of what occurred.

Report spam calls to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

In addition to reporting to the FCC, you should also report any unwanted calls to the FTC. If you have registered your phone number(s) on the DNC Registry and you receive an unwanted call after 31 days, you can report any telemarketing or sales calls to the FTC. You can also report robocalls regardless of whether your phone number is on the DNC Registry. Report unsolicited calls to the FTC by sharing what occurred during the call.

Report spam calls to your mobile carrier

You should report spam calls to your mobile carrier because when phone carriers offer call-blocking services and are made aware of new spam numbers, they can have more updated information and solutions. Report spam calls to AT&T by downloading ActiveArmor or completing this form about your call. For T-Mobile users, you can report spam calls by going to your Scam Shield app, clicking Activity, choosing the spam caller then selecting Report. Using Call Filter, Verizon users can report a spam number from a notification saying that a spam call was detected by tapping the notification, selecting a category of spam call and leaving an optional comment to describe the situation.

Stop unwanted spam calls

Minimize the number of unwanted spam calls reaching your phone by contacting your mobile carrier about call-blocking services, downloading spam-filtering apps and signing up for the DNC Registry. Make sure to report spam calls because some might actually be scams targeting you for personal information or money.