No More Ringing: Tips to a Quieter Phone

Newsletter Topics: Strategies to Block Robocalls & Reduce Unwanted Calls in the US

🗞️ In the News:  A grandkid from our “Grandpa Got Hacked” community spent the past week with her stepdad, only to be overwhelmed by the constant ringing of her stepdad's phone due to multiple telemarketer and scam calls every day. It was a frustrating waste of time for stepdad! Inspired by this experience, she reached out to our community with the idea of dedicating this post to the issue.

👀 Today’s Focus: According to a 2022 study by the National Consumer Law Center (NCLC), approximately 33 million robocalls are made to Americans each day. These calls can include telemarketing calls, scams, and other types of calls.

What's even more concerning is that telemarketing calls are technically illegal unless the recipient has previously consented to receive them.

😎 Grandkid Tip of the Day:  What are some effective strategies to protect your phone number and reduce unwanted calls in the US?

1. Register with the National Do Not Call Registry (U.S.) to limit legitimate telemarketer calls. This won’t stop scammer calls, but will reduce unwanted calls.

2. Wireless providers offer many call-blocking tools; some include them in their services, while others do not. Here are the tools from the top wireless providers.

   • ActiveArmor for AT&T users.

   • ScamShield app for T-Mobile users.

   • Call Filter app for Verizon users.

   • Call blocking options for Google Project Fi wireless service.

   • CallGuardian app for U.S. Cellular users.

3. Block numbers directly on your phone to reduce repeat offenders, though it won’t stop all calls.

4. Keep your phone number private to prevent it from being harvested by scammers or telemarketers

5. Enable "Do Not Disturb" Mode to allow only calls from your contact list during certain hours. Unknown numbers will be silenced and go straight to voicemail.

6. Don’t engage with scammers or telemarketers, as they target numbers that respond. Ignoring them can reduce future calls.

More tools recommended by the Federal Communications Commission can be found here.

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