Robocalls may never disappear completely, but phone settings, carrier tools, apps and simple habits can cut them to a manageable trickle, experts say.
After getting more than a dozen robocalls some days, I asked KGUN 9 viewers on Facebook about their experiences. Common themes were scams (fake loans, bogus purchases, funeral arrangements), early‑morning calls, repeat spoofing that blocking doesn’t stop and suggestions to report numbers or screen calls.
Reader reports:
"I was getting 50+ calls/day. They even call me 7 times in less than a minute." — Natalie S.
"'Congratulations on your iPhone purchase for $1099. If you didn't make this purchase, please press this number to speak to a representative.’ I don't own an iPhone ... It's ridiculous." — Nicole G.
"They keeping calling about making my funeral arrangements. She says, remember you asked for me to call you back. Which I didn't! I block the number and another number called saying the same thing! Like really, I'm still alive and don't plan to die soon!" — Leigh R.
What to do now
Teresa Murray, director of Consumer Watchdog at Public Interest Research Group (PIRG), recommends basic steps:
- Let unknown calls go to voicemail. “If it’s important, they’ll leave a message,” says Murray. Scammers often don’t leave verifiable voicemails.
- Register with the National Do Not Call Registry — it can stop legitimate telemarketers in about 30 days but won’t catch scammers.
- Report illegal calls to the FTC online or by phone at 1‑877‑FTC‑HELP (1‑877‑382‑4357), the FCC online or by phone at 1‑888‑CALL‑FCC (1‑888‑225‑5322) - and the state attorney general, so enforcement can track patterns.
- Use a secondary/virtual number (Google Voice, burner, VoIP) for signups and online forms to keep your main number private.
VIDEO: Watch below as I share a few tips:
Practical behaviors that protect you
Paul Kealey, associate director at the University of Arizona’s Information Assurance and Security Education Center, stresses simple rules:
- “Never make decisions on a phone call you did not initiate,” says Kealey. Hang up and call back using a number you already have.
- Never share Social Security numbers, bank details, Medicare info or passwords with incoming callers.
- Never pay with gift cards, wire transfers or cryptocurrency — legitimate organizations won’t demand those methods.
- Use a family code word to vet callers claiming a relative is in distress.
- Block and report numbers, and ask your carrier to investigate repeated spoofing or abuse.
Carrier and handset tools
All major U.S. carriers offer spam filtering (AT&T Call Protect, Verizon Call Filter, T‑Mobile Scam Shield). Phones also include tools: iPhone’s Silence Unknown Callers, Android call screening, and Google Voice’s spam folder. Murray advises picking services that let you choose whether calls are screened or sent to voicemail: “Many people … aren’t comfortable having the carrier decide automatically which calls get blocked and the caller can’t even leave a voicemail,” she says.
Third‑party apps
Murray adds that apps like Nomorobo, RoboKiller, YouMail and Hiya use databases and algorithms to block or intercept robocalls. Some have free tiers, others require subscriptions; landlines can use VoIP providers or hardware blockers.
In testing, a free YouMail plan noticeably cut rings and voicemails for me, while Hiya’s free tier had little effect; RoboKiller offers standout features mostly behind paywalls.
When to escalate
For persistent or targeted harassment, carriers can apply stronger network‑level blocks, and legal remedies exist under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, though litigation can be slow and costly. In extreme cases, changing your number may be necessary. And treat urgency as a red flag: "Scammers manufacture panic. Any caller who says you must act immediately, threatens arrest, or demands secrecy is almost certainly a scammer," says Kealey.
Support for vulnerable people
The National Council on Aging has put together a resource to assist seniors with how to spot financial scams targeted at older adults - and next steps to report and prevent. Nationally, the National Elder Fraud Hotline is 1-833‑FRAUD‑11 (833‑372‑8311).
A reminder of limits — and progress
Caller‑authentication frameworks like STIR/SHAKEN have made spoofing harder, but gaps remain. Murray notes enforcement matters: aggressive action can disrupt scam operators — PIRG’s 2025 report highlighted enforcement that disrupted roughly 1,400 companies tied to scam traffic.
And how does your carrier rate when it comes to helping guard against Robocalls? PIRG did some research and put the providers to the test - you can click here to see what grade your provider received.
Next steps: Quick checklist
- Put your number on the Do Not Call Registry.
- Turn on carrier spam‑filtering and handset settings that suit you.
- Install a reputable call‑blocking app if needed.
- Use a secondary/virtual number for online signups.
- Let unknown calls go to voicemail; don’t give out information.
- Report scams to the FTC and FCC; contact your state AG for local help.
“Get yourself into a habit of not answering unexpected calls,” Murray recommends. “If it’s expected, take a breath. If it’s unexpected, it’s likely a scam.” Combined with the technical tools now widely available, that habit can make robocalls almost disappear from your daily life.
