{"id":128908,"date":"2021-09-13T06:41:19","date_gmt":"2021-09-13T13:41:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/?p=128908"},"modified":"2025-05-26T03:05:19","modified_gmt":"2025-05-26T10:05:19","slug":"smartphone-security-five-steps-beating-and-blocking-robocalls","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/mobile-security\/smartphone-security-five-steps-beating-and-blocking-robocalls\/","title":{"rendered":"Smartphone Security: Five Steps Beating and Blocking Robocalls"},"content":{"rendered":"

Some\u00a0scams\u00a0can\u00a0make a telltale sound\u2014<\/span>rinnng,\u00a0rinnng!\u00a0<\/span><\/i>Yup, the\u00a0dreaded robocall.\u00a0Not only are they\u00a0annoying,\u00a0but\u00a0they\u00a0can also hit you in the pocketbook.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In the U.S., unwanted calls rank as the top consumer complaint reported to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), partly because scammers have made good use of spoofing technologies that serve up phony caller ID numbers. As a result, that innocent-looking phone number may not be innocent at all.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Whether the voice on the other end of the smartphone is recorded or an actual person, the intent behind the call is likely the same\u2014to scam you out of your personal information,\u00a0money, or both. Callers\u00a0such as\u00a0these may impersonate banks, government agencies, insurance companies, along with any number of other organizations that give them an excuse to demand payment, financial information, or ID numbers.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And some of those callers can sound\u00a0rather\u00a0convincing. Others, well, they\u2019ll just get downright aggressive or threatening.\u00a0One of the most effective tools\u00a0these scam calls use is\u00a0a sense of urgency and fear,\u00a0telling you\u00a0that there\u2019s a problem\u00a0<\/span>right now<\/span><\/i>\u00a0and they need your information\u00a0<\/span>immediately<\/span><\/i>\u00a0to resolve whatever bogus issue they\u2019ve come up with.\u00a0That right there is a sign you should take\u00a0pause\u00a0and determine what\u2019s really happening before responding or taking any action.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Avoid and stop robocalls with these tips<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Whatever form\u00a0these unwanted calls\u00a0take, there are things you can do to protect yourself and even keep you from getting them in the first place. These five tips will get you started:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

1) Check your caller ID closely<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n

Okay, maybe you can file this one under \u201cobviously.\u201d\u00a0Yet be aware that\u00a0scammers excel at spoofing. They can make a call look like\u00a0it’s\u00a0local\u00a0or just familiar enough.\u00a0If you get caught off guard and answer a spammy call, hang up immediately. If you\u2019re unsure about the number, you\u2019re better off letting your voicemail screen the call for you.\u00a0Picking up\u00a0the phone to\u00a0determine if a call is legit or not\u00a0could\u00a0help a scammer verify\u00a0that you have a valid line, which could lead to more nuisance calls down the road.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

2) Don\u2019t return calls from unknown numbers<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n

So,\u00a0let\u2019s say you let an unknown call go through to voicemail. The call\u00a0sounds like it\u2019s\u00a0from a bank or\u00a0business\u00a0with news of an urgent matter. If you feel the need to follow up, get a legitimate customer service number from a statement, bill, or website\u00a0of the bank or business in question\u00a0so you can verify the situation for yourself.\u00a0Calling back the number captured by your phone\u00a0or left in voicemail\u00a0could play right into the hands of a scammer.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

3) Don\u2019t give in to pressure<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n

As\u00a0you can see, scammers love to play the role of an imposter and will tell you there\u2019s something wrong with your taxes, your account, or your bank statement.\u00a0Some of them can be quite convincing, so if you\u00a0find yourself in\u00a0a conversation\u00a0where you\u00a0don\u2019t feel comfortable with what\u2019s being said or how it\u2019s being said, hang up and follow up\u00a0bank\u00a0or business\u00a0as called out above. In all, look out for\u00a0pressure or\u00a0scare tactics and\u00a0keep your info to yourself.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

4) Sign up for your national do not call registry<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n

Several nations provide such a service,\u00a0effectively a list that\u00a0legitimate telemarketers will reference before making their calls. While this may not prevent scammers from ringing you up, it can cut down on unsolicited calls in general. For example, the\u00a0<\/span>U.S.<\/span><\/a>,\u00a0<\/span>Canada<\/span><\/a>, and the\u00a0<\/span>UK<\/span><\/a>\u00a0each\u00a0offer\u00a0do\u00a0not call registries.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

5) Look into apps and services that block unwanted calls<\/span><\/b><\/h4>\n

Many mobile carriers provide additional apps and services that can block unwanted calls, often as part of your\u00a0smartphone\u2019s service\u00a0plan.\u00a0There are third-party apps\u00a0that do this\u00a0as well. Yet\u00a0do your research. You\u2019ll want to see if those apps are legitimate and if they can effectively let \u201cgood\u201d calls through without blocking them.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Go a step further. Protect your smartphone with mobile security software or apps<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

While security software and apps won\u2019t block robocalls, they increase the security of your phone overall, which can protect both you and your data. You have a couple of options here. You can grab\u00a0<\/span>comprehensive security software<\/span><\/a>\u00a0that protects\u00a0all of\u00a0your devices or\u00a0<\/span>pick up an app in Google Play<\/span><\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0<\/span>Apple\u2019s App Store<\/span><\/a>. This way, you\u2019ll have\u00a0malware,\u00a0web,\u00a0and device security that\u2019ll\u00a0help you stay safe\u00a0on your phone\u00a0in general.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Taken together, these steps can help you\u00a0beat or outright block unwanted calls like robocalls\u2014and be safer (and maybe less annoyed) as a result.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Some\u00a0scams\u00a0can\u00a0make a telltale sound\u2014rinnng,\u00a0rinnng!\u00a0Yup, the\u00a0dreaded robocall.\u00a0Not only are they\u00a0annoying,\u00a0but\u00a0they\u00a0can also hit you in the pocketbook.\u00a0\u00a0 In the U.S., unwanted calls…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1408,"featured_media":128920,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1838],"tags":[214,10690,5761,10117],"coauthors":[15741],"class_list":["post-128908","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mobile-security","tag-mobile-security1","tag-phone-scam","tag-robocalls","tag-smartphone-security"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nSmartphone Security: Five Steps Beating and Blocking Robocalls | McAfee Blog Smartphone Security: Five Steps Beating and Blocking Robocalls<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Some\u00a0scams\u00a0can\u00a0make a telltale sound\u2014rinnng,\u00a0rinnng!\u00a0Yup, the\u00a0dreaded robocall.\u00a0Not only are they\u00a0annoying,\u00a0but\u00a0they\u00a0can also hit you in the pocketbook.\u00a0\u00a0 Some scams can make a telltale sound\u2014rinnng, rinnng! Yup, the dreaded robocall. Not only are they annoying, but they can also hit you in the pocket. Yet there are things you can do to protect yourself and even keep you from getting them in the first place. These five tips will get you started.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Smartphone Security: Five Steps Beating and Blocking Robocalls | McAfee Blog Smartphone Security: Five Steps Beating and Blocking Robocalls\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Some\u00a0scams\u00a0can\u00a0make a telltale sound\u2014rinnng,\u00a0rinnng!\u00a0Yup, the\u00a0dreaded robocall.\u00a0Not only are they\u00a0annoying,\u00a0but\u00a0they\u00a0can also hit you in the pocketbook.\u00a0\u00a0 Some scams can make a telltale sound\u2014rinnng, rinnng! 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Yup, the dreaded robocall. Not only are they annoying, but they can also hit you in the pocket. Yet there are things you can do to protect yourself and even keep you from getting them in the first place. These five tips will get you started.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/mobile-security\/smartphone-security-five-steps-beating-and-blocking-robocalls\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/mobile-security\/smartphone-security-five-steps-beating-and-blocking-robocalls\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/mobile-security\/smartphone-security-five-steps-beating-and-blocking-robocalls\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/300x200_MFE_Blogs_091821_Blog.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/300x200_MFE_Blogs_091821_Blog.jpg","width":300,"height":200},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/mobile-security\/smartphone-security-five-steps-beating-and-blocking-robocalls\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Blog","item":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Mobile Security","item":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/mobile-security\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Smartphone Security: Five Steps Beating and Blocking Robocalls"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/","name":"McAfee Blog","description":"Internet Security News","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/#organization","name":"McAfee","url":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/mcafee-logo.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/mcafee-logo.png","width":1286,"height":336,"caption":"McAfee"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/McAfee\/","https:\/\/x.com\/McAfee","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/mcafee\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/McAfee"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/#\/schema\/person\/15fadfbc1716a6a3d88e22ed09e95fe3","name":"Amy Bunn","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/b58be83668cf2b1de7fb5b8a222bb835","url":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Amy-Bunn-96x96.jpeg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Amy-Bunn-96x96.jpeg","caption":"Amy Bunn"},"description":"Amy Bunn is head of communications at McAfee and has worked in technology and cybersecurity for over 15 years. During this time, Amy has witnessed the changing technology landscape and the critical role that online protection plays today. Amy believes that families and individuals around the world should be free to enjoy all the benefits and advantages that the internet and technology afford and is passionate about making this a reality by discussing the very latest in cybersecurity tips and advice, which, when combined with robust online protection, can help empower people to live their life online with total confidence.","url":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/author\/amy-bunn\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/128908","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1408"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=128908"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/128908\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":214336,"href":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/128908\/revisions\/214336"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/128920"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=128908"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=128908"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=128908"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=128908"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}