We are all familiar with the problem of nuisance or spam phone calls. If you miss a call and are not sure if it is legitimate then you can always look up a phone number to find out but how do you stop these calls from coming through in the first place? What steps can you take to reduce the number of nuisance calls you get?
Unfortunately, you are never going to be able to stop robocallers completely. The process of cold calling helps bring in hundreds of thousands of pounds for companies whether it is legitimate sales calls from genuine businesses or scammers trying to con you. However, there are some things you can do to reduce the number of calls you get or protect yourself against scams.
1. Register with the TPS
Register with the TPS (telephone preference service). The TPS is a registry of phone numbers for people who have explicitly requested not to receive sales calls and legitimate companies must, by law, abide by this request. If you still get calls after you have registered, then you can complain about the company on the TPS website or the caller might be an illegal company trying to scam you.
2. Use spam filtering apps
The TPS will protect you against genuine sales calls but will not stop all spam calls. To add an extra layer of protection you can get an add-on to your overall smartphone security. These apps base their services on a large database of user-reported robocalls, then when a call comes through, they compare the number against this list and if they find a match, they will block the call from going through to you. Some apps block the call and send you a notification that it was spam.
3. Block numbers on your phone
If you are getting nuisance calls from the same number or just getting the occasional spam call, then you may solve your problem by simply manually blocking the individual numbers. Many scammers or salespeople will stop calling once they have repeatedly been blocked from getting through and this also helps combat the problem of your phone number being sold on. Robocallers often monitor who answers their calls in order to determine if your number is real and if it is then they may include it in a list of numbers that they sell to other telemarketing companies or scammers.
4. Do not answer the call
It can be tempting to pick up the nuisance phone calls and give them a piece of your mind but the best thing to do is ignore it. As mentioned, robocallers are more likely to hassle you repeatedly if you answer their calls. When you do not answer your phone then your number may be marked as inactive or disconnected, meaning they will strike it from their list. You should also never call a number back unless you are 100% sure who they are!
5. Block all unknown numbers
Phone companies offer a number of services that can help block unwanted nuisance calls.If you find that you are being inundated with spam calls, then you may want to take the extreme step of blocking all numbers apart from those saved in your contact list.
6. Report a nuisance call or text
Registering with the Telephone Preference Service will stop you getting nuisance calls, but if someone’s still bothering you 28 days after registering, then report them to the Telephone Preference Service.Reporting nuisance calls or texts also helps regulators track down who’s making them. You’re under no obligation to do this, but it’s quick and easy, and it’ll help more people in the long run.
