How to Stop Spam Calls, Block Scammer Numbers, and Protect Yourself

• Spam calls are any type of unsolicited phone call, such as those from telemarketers, scammers, or automated systems.
• A robocall is a specific type of spam call that is made by an autodialer and plays a pre-recorded message when the call is answered.

If you answer the phone and hear a recorded message instead of speaking to a live person, it is a robocall. According to FTC regulations, any robocall that attempts to sell you something is illegal unless the company has obtained your prior written consent. This means that most sales robocalls you receive are breaking the law.

Why Am I Getting So Many Spam Calls?

If your phone seems to ring with spam calls constantly, you're not imagining it — and it's not random. Here are the most common reasons your number ends up on scammer lists:

• Data breaches - When companies are hacked, phone numbers are among the first pieces of data sold on the Dark Web to scammers and telemarketers.
• Online forms and sign-ups - Every time you enter your number on a website, there's a chance it gets sold to third parties. Always read the privacy policy before submitting.
• Public records - Your phone number may appear in publicly available records, people-search sites, or voter registration databases that scammers scrape.
• You answered a spam call - Answering a robocall - even to say "stop calling me" - signals that your number is active. Scammers sell "verified live numbers" to other spammers, leading to even more calls.
• Sweepstakes and contest entries - Many of these are designed specifically to collect phone numbers for telemarketing.

Once your number is out there, it circulates. The solution is to block aggressively and report consistently.

How to Stop Spam Calls on iPhone

iPhone has several built-in tools to stop spam calls — and they've gotten significantly more powerful with recent iOS updates. Here's how to use all of them.

Method 1: Block Individual Spam Numbers on iPhone

The most direct approach — block any number that has called you:

1. Open the Phone app and tap Recents
2. Tap the (info) icon next to the spam number
3. Scroll down and tap Block this Caller
4. Tap Block Contact to confirm

Blocked callers go straight to voicemail. They can still leave a message, but your phone won't ring.

Method 2: Silence Unknown Callers (Block All Spam Calls on iPhone)

This is the most aggressive option — it silences every call from a number not in your contacts, email history, or recent outgoing calls:

1. Go to Settings → Phone
2. Tap Silence Unknown Callers
3. Toggle it on

Unknown calls are sent directly to voicemail and appear in your Recents list so you can review them. This is the most effective way to block all spam calls on iPhone at once — but keep in mind you may miss legitimate calls from new contacts (doctors, delivery services, etc.).

Method 3: Enable Spam Call Filtering on iPhone

iOS includes a carrier-powered spam filter that automatically detects and silences calls flagged by your phone carrier as likely spam:

1. Go to Settings → Phone
2. Scroll to Call Filtering and toggle on Spam

Calls identified as spam are silenced, sent to voicemail, and moved to a Spam list you can review anytime.

Method 4: How to Block Spam Texts on iPhone

Spam texts (SMS) are handled separately from calls:

1. Open the Messages app and tap the spam message
2. Tap the sender's number at the top → Info → Block this Caller

To report a spam text to your carrier: forward it to 7726 (SPAM). Most major carriers use this number to track and block spam senders at the network level.

You can also filter unknown senders: go to Settings → Messages → toggle on Filter Unknown Senders.

How to Stop Spam Calls on Android 

Android gives you strong built-in tools to block spam calls and filter robocalls without paying for any app.

Method 1: Enable Caller ID and Spam Protection on Android

If you use the Google Phone app (standard on most Android devices), this is your most powerful free tool:

1. Open the Phone app
2. Tap the three-dot menu → Settings
3. Tap Caller ID and spam (or Spam and Call Screen)
4. Toggle on See caller and spam ID
5. Toggle on Filter spam calls

Once enabled, suspected spam calls are silenced and go to voicemail automatically. They still appear in your call history so you don't miss anything important.

Method 2: Block Individual Numbers on Android

1. Open the Phone app → Recents
2. Tap the spam number → tap the icon
3. Tap Block or Block/Report Spam
4. Select a spam category if prompted → tap OK

Method 3: Block All Unknown Callers on Android

1. Open the Phone app → Settings → Blocked Numbers
2. Toggle on Unknown to block all calls from private or unidentified numbers

Method 4: How to Block Spam Texts on Android

1. Open the spam text in your Messages app
2. Tap and hold the message → tap Block or Report Spam

To report to your carrier: forward the spam text to 7726 (SPAM). This works on Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and most major carriers.

For Samsung Galaxy users: the Smart Call feature automatically identifies potential spam and fraud calls and displays a warning before you answer. Enable it in Phone → Settings → Caller ID and spam protection.

These are the most active scam call types targeting Americans right now

Although these criminals are running rampant in the world, you can take steps to stay safe.

• Don't answer calls from numbers you don't recognize. If it's important, they'll leave a voicemail.
• Never call back one-ring calls from unknown numbers, especially international area codes.
• Never give out personal information — Social Security numbers, credit card numbers, PINs, or bank account details — to anyone who calls you unsolicited.
• Never say "yes" to prompt questions from unknown callers.
• Don't press any number when a robocall instructs you to "press 1 to be removed from our list." This confirms your number is active.
• Register on the Do Not Call Registry at donotcall.gov. While it won't stop scammers, it reduces calls from legitimate telemarketers and makes suspicious calls easier to identify.
• Monitor your bank and credit card statements regularly. If you've given any information to a suspicious caller, check your accounts immediately.
• Use InfoTracer's phone lookup to identify unknown numbers before calling back — search any number to see who it's registered to and whether it has been reported.

Reporting scam calls doesn't just help you — it helps the FTC and FCC track down illegal callers and shut them down. Here's how:

Federal Communications Commission
Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau
Consumer Inquiries and Complaints Division
445 12th Street, SW
Washington, D.C. 20554
(888) 225-5322
TTY: (888) 835-5322
www.consumercomplaints.fcc.gov

Federal Trade Commission
Consumer Response Center
600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20580
(877) 382-4357
TTY: (866) 653-4261
www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov

The FTC has a form on its website, making it easy to report scam phone calls and fraud if you are a victim. You may also want to contact local police or your state attorney general if you are the victim of fraud or identity theft.