What Happens if You Answer a Robocall?

If you answer a robocall, avoid interacting with the caller by not speaking or pressing any numbers on your phone’s keypad and hanging up immediately. Robocalls are phone calls that use pre-recorded messages; since these callers are not human beings speaking in real time, these phone calls are known as robocalls because their inauthentic nature makes them seem robotic. According to YouMail, an app that protects customers against robocalls, approximately 4.5 billion robocalls were made to Americans in September 2024.

Continue reading to learn why answering robocalls is risky, what to do if you answer one and how to reduce the amount of robocalls you receive.

The risks of answering a robocall

By answering a robocall, you risk becoming a victim of identity theft, scams or cyber attacks that rely on Artificial Intelligence (AI).

You risk being a victim of identity theft

If you answer a robocall and begin responding to the recorded message’s questions, you could become a victim of identity theft. Many robocalls ask for personal information, such as your home address or Social Security number (SSN). You risk becoming a victim of identity theft if you share personal information over the phone during a robocall because the call is most likely being recorded.

You can get scammed out of money

Answering a robocall can lead to financial loss if you provide your credit card information or bank account numbers. Sharing sensitive information, especially regarding your finances, can result in being scammed out of money, as someone could use the information you provide to hack into your account and steal your funds.

You could have your voice recorded

When you answer any phone call, you most likely say, “Hello?” or something similar. However, if you continue speaking during a robocall, your voice could be recorded and used by cybercriminals to verify your identity in unauthorized transactions. Cybercriminals will use AI to replicate your voice through voice recordings and impersonate you when communicating with your credit card issuer or bank to steal your money. Vishing attacks, similar to phishing attacks but conducted over phone calls, are typically committed by cybercriminals using AI to record, analyze and replicate your voice to commit fraud.

What to do if you unknowingly answer a robocall

If you unknowingly answer a robocall, it’s crucial not to engage with the caller in any way and to hang up immediately. Since the call is a pre-recorded message instead of a live conversation, it is important not to say anything or press any numbers on your phone’s keypad. Do not respond to any questions or prompts because the caller can record your voice and use it to impersonate you in potential cyber attacks.

For example, if your area recently suffered a natural disaster, you may receive a robocall asking for your credit card information to make a donation to relief efforts. However, if you interact with this call and enter your credit card information, the cybercriminal who created the robocall will collect your personal information and use it to commit fraud. Any time you answer an unsolicited call, scammers will know that your phone number is active and that you are more likely to answer their calls. Answering a robocall, even by accident, could lead to more spam and scam calls.

How to stop robocalls

Although you can’t prevent every robocall from reaching your phone, you can significantly reduce the number of robocalls and spam calls you receive. Registering your phone number on the National Do Not Call (DNC) Registry, using a call-blocking service and avoiding calls from unknown numbers can help reduce robocalls.

Register your phone number on the National Do Not Call (DNC) Registry

The National Do Not Call (DNC) Registry is a free service that lets you add your home and/or cell phone numbers to reduce the number of spam calls you receive. Many companies are legally forbidden from calling you once your phone number is added to the DNC Registry; however, certain organizations, such as political groups or debt collectors, can still contact you. Call 1-888-382-1222 to register your phone number on the DNC Registry.

Use a call-blocking service

Call-blocking services stop the majority of spam calls from reaching your phone by blocking known spam numbers. Many mobile carriers offer services that can be added to your phone plan or include features that block unsolicited calls, including robocalls. By using a designated call-blocking service, you will likely notice a significant decrease in the number of robocalls and other spam calls. Here are the most popular mobile carriers and the services they offer to block spam calls:

• • AT&T users can download ActiveArmor
  • T-Mobile users can install Scam Shield
  • Verizon users can enable Call Filter
  • U.S. Cellular users can utilize Call Guardian

Avoid answering calls from unknown numbers

Unknown numbers are often spam, so it’s important not to answer calls from unfamiliar numbers. Many phones have settings that can be enabled to silence or block unknown callers. Doing so minimizes your chances of falling for a robocall scam or even answering a robocall entirely.

If you have an iPhone with iOS 13 or later, you can silence unknown callers by visiting Settings, clicking Phone, scrolling down then tapping Silence Unknown Callers. Toggle this feature to prevent any unknown calls from reaching your phone’s incoming calls. Note that if you’re expecting an important call from a phone number you do not have saved, you may want to leave this toggled off until you receive the call you are expecting. Otherwise, all silenced calls will be sent to voicemail.

If you have a Google phone, open your Phone app, select More then Settings. Click Spam and Call Screen or Call Screen, depending on your device, and then select your protection level. For anyone using a Pixel 6 or older Google device, tap Unknown Call Settings and choose which callers you want to screen (spam, first-time callers, etc.). For anyone using a Pixel 7 or more recent Google device, tap Protection level and then Automatically screen calls. This will filter all unknown callers and significantly reduce the spam you receive.

If you have a Samsung phone, visit Call Settings, then find Caller ID and spam protection. Toggling that on will report any spam numbers that call you to your service provider. At the bottom of your screen, you can also toggle on Block spam and scam calls if you want the phone numbers to be automatically blocked.

Download a spam-filtering app

While having a call-blocking service with your mobile carrier is helpful on its own, you can also download a spam-filtering app for extra protection against robocalls. Spam-filtering apps filter and block spam, such as robocalls, from ever ringing your phone. You can download many apps to filter your spam, including Truecaller, Robokiller and Nomorobo. 

Stay protected against robocalls

The best way to stay protected against robocalls is to avoid interacting with them and to hang up immediately. Although you can’t stop robocalls entirely, you can significantly reduce the number of robocalls and other spam calls you receive by registering your phone number with the DNC Registry, using a call-blocking service and downloading a spam-filtering app.