Robocalls Keep Coming Despite Efforts to Crack Down. Here's How to Protect Yourself

Our phones keep ringing with unwanted robocalls. Washington said it was getting tough.

So, what happened? Will those calls ever stop? 

When the phone rings

When spammers call and call and call, apps like Robokiller block them. 

A month-by-month chart from Robokiller shows a robocall rollercoaster. Tall peaks and deep valleys repeat.

This past summer, robocalls dipped from a high of almost 8 billion a month. It turns out, the Federal Communications Commission took legal action targeting some companies that make bulk robocalls.

The FCC says its steps resulted in an “88% month-to-month drop in student loan scam robocalls,” plus a “99% drop in auto warranty scam robocalls.”

And yet, our phones keep ringing. It’s like Whack-A-Mole. The crooks keep finding ways to circumvent the protections the FCC put up.

For example, Robokiller says robocalls shot back up to about 6 billion in March – just a few months after the FCC’s victory lap.

So, what can you do?

Consumers can install a robocall blocker – for a fee. Robokiller is just one of many. You can get a free 7-day trial to test it out and see if it makes a difference for you.

Or, you can check with your phone carrier. See if it offers a free blocker like T-Mobile’s “Scam Shield.” It identifies if a call is most likely to be a scam, and it’s 99% accurate.

T-Mobile says it’s intercepting tons of spam calls. More than 40 billion spam calls on the T-Mobile network were blocked in 2022 alone. 

If an unknown call gets through, practice self-restraint. If you don’t recognize a number, don’t pick up. If you do pick up, and it’s not somebody you know, and you’re certain it’s not somebody you know, just hang up.

Source: Robocalls Keep Coming Despite Efforts to Crack Down. Here’s How to Protect Yourself – NBC Bay Area