If you’ve noticed an uptick in annoying spam calls lately, you’re not alone. Thanks to AI technology, spam calls are more advanced and common than ever.
You might have heard of the Do Not Call Registry as a way to decrease spam calls. But is there any other methods for putting a stop to them for good? Or are spam calls an unavoidable headache of our modern world? We spoke to two cybersecurity experts to help answer those questions and more.
Why You’re Getting Spam Calls
The hard truth is: if you have a phone number, you will receive spam calls, either from legal telemarketers or scammers. Telemarketing calls are irritating, but the scam calls are the real danger. “Fraud has become cheaper, more scalable, and far more convincing than ever,” says cybersecurity and digital fraud expert Shlomi Beer. “Fraudsters use AI voice bots, dialers and human call centers that sound natural, making scams harder to detect.”
And sadly, senior citizens are not the only ones falling for these fraudulent calls (although they are the primary target of fraud calls and texts, racking up more than $3 billion in losses annually, according to the FBI). Even an average, fairly tech-savvy person can fall for scams. “Stolen personal data is widely available, allowing callers to reference partial details about you to appear legitimate,” says Beer. “Or criminals pretend to be banks, delivery companies, or tech support; often targeting people who recently searched for help online.”
How Not to Respond
The number one thing to remember: do not engage with spam callers. Even correcting the scammer about what bank you use or what state you live in can help them with future, more convincing calls. “The safest rule is simple: don’t correct, don’t confirm, don’t explain, just hang up,” says Beer.
You can block the number, but that might not get rid of the scammer for good. Often, the number you see is “spoofed“, meaning the number has been falsified on your caller ID display to disguise the scammer’s identity. “Scammers will rotate through a long list of fake numbers that will show up on their target’s phones. Not answering is the best approach,” says cybersecurity expert John Lemay.
Use Built-In Phone Tools
The good news is, spam calls can be avoided with features already built into your phone. You’ve probably seen the familiar message, “Potential Spam Call” or “Scam Likely” on your caller ID. Your phone can identify potential spam and scams using network data and analyzing spammer behavior, but you can take spam blocking even further with just a few tweaks to your settings.
iPhone Tools
On the iPhone, you have the option to silence or filter unknown callers, which are any numbers not on your contact list. Just be careful with this setting because it can cause you to miss important calls that aren’t saved, like from a doctor’s office. You can also choose to silence spam callers; with this setting, all calls identified as spam or fraud are silenced, sent to voicemail, and moved to your Spam list.
Android Tools
If you have a Samsung/Android phone, you can use a feature called Smart Call. Navigate to the settings menu and tap the switch to “Block spam and scam calls”. You’ll have the option to block all spam calls or only block high-risk calls.
Use Third-Party Spam Call Blocking Apps
According to Lemay, there is little, if any, need for third-party blocking apps. “The carrier protections coupled with the iOS and Android protections do an excellent job once set up,” he says.
However, if you want that extra layer of protection, “apps like Truecaller, Hiya, and Nomorobo are effective because they rely on large, frequently updated databases of known scam numbers and real user reports,” says Beer. “They can automatically block or label suspicious calls before you ever answer.”
What to Do If Spam Calls Keep Coming
If spam calls are still getting through your phone settings and apps, try adding your number to the National Do Not Call Registry as another preventive measure. It’s free and easy to register. Keep in mind that the Do Not Call Registry only stops unwanted sales calls from legitimate companies that follow the law. Unfortunately, it does not stop illegal scammers from calling your number.
FAQ
Why are spam calls so common now?
“The simplest answer is because they work,” says Lemay. “Spam calls can be automated, and this is easier than ever with the use of AI. If a bad actor gets one victim for every 100 or even 1000 calls made by their automated dialer system, that is a win for them.”
Why do spam calls come in waves?
According to the global cybersecurity company ESET, spam calls come in waves because of autodialing, which can make millions of calls each day. Autodialer software can rapidly cycle through massive lists of phone numbers, either randomly generated, bought from a third-party public data provider, or obtained from data leaks and breaches.
About the Experts
- John LeMay is the founder and principal consultant of Oceantec, an IT services provider. He leads the firm’s strategic direction and guides organizations through today’s complex IT and cybersecurity challenges.
- Shlomi Beer is the co-founder and CEO of ImpersonAlly, a cybersecurity company focused on detecting and stopping impersonation and fraud scams. He holds a PhD in Computer Science with a specialization in AI and has spent over a decade building large-scale fraud detection systems.
Related
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- If You Get a USPS Scam Text, You Need To Do This Immediately
- This Is How Often You Should Restart Your Phone
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