Robocalls Are Worse Than Ever, Here’s How to Stop Them

If you press any button—say, in response to an offer to be removed from the call list—it’s an indicator that your number works and the calling company will prioritize your number on the next round, says the FTC. Note the name and the number on your caller ID, file a report at donotcall.gov, and call your carrier to have the number blocked. This is your right. According to the FTC, robocalls that attempt to sell goods or services are illegal unless you’ve given the company permission to send you a robocall.

If you’re getting a lot of robocalls you can contact your carrier (landline or cell phone) and see if they can offer you solutions to prevent calls from getting through, says the FTC. There may be a service charge involved. Before paying extra, just remember that telemarketers change caller ID information easily and often, so it may not be worth the fee.

It's a free service for those who have a VIOP landline that connects through the internet instead of a phone jack (Time Warner Cable and Verizon Fios, for example). Nomorobo analyzes your incoming calls and, if a particular number has received a high number of complaints, it blocks the call from getting through.

If a business is using robocalls they’re not considerate of complying with the law or are pitching something fraudulent, says the FTC. More often than not, a phone sales pitch is a scam.

The Do Not Call program only prohibits sales-related calls. So you may still receive political calls, charitable calls, debt collection calls, informational calls, and telephone survey calls, according to donotcall.gov.