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FAQs

What happens if you answer a spam risk call? ›

If you accidentally answer a spam call, scammers know your number is connected to a real person and can target you with more spam calls. These targeted spam calls will try to trick you into giving up your personal information which allows cybercriminals to steal your money, your identity and even your voice.

Some carrier plans charge by the minute for all calls — even calls that you receive. Over time, your phone bill skyrockets. Fraudsters have also been known to “cram” phone bills, adding unauthorized third-party charges to your bill [*].

Many robocall scams start with a question like “Hello, can you hear me?” to which people may reply “yes” without thinking. They can then store the recording of your confirmation and use it for fraudulent activities. So, avoid saying yes where possible.

Consumer Tips

Don't answer calls from unknown numbers. If you answer such a call, hang up immediately. You may not be able to tell right away if an incoming call is spoofed.

If you do answer a call from an unknown number accidentally, the best course of action is to hang up immediately. If the call is legitimate, such as a call for a job interview, or from your doctor, for example, they can leave a message.

If you receive one of these automated calls, especially one from a company you've never heard of or never done business with, you're often presented with two options: press “1” to speak to a customer service rep (though the people on the phone are usually doing you a disservice), or press “2” to be removed from the ...

It's better to ignore spam calls. When you decline a call, it can alert the spammer that your phone number is active, prompting them to call you again. If you use a call-blocking tool that uses caller ID, you should never answer calls labelled as spam.

In this scam, fraudsters let the phone ring once and then hang up. They hope your curiosity will lead you to call back and ask what the call is about. Private numbers. While this strategy has fallen out of favor recently, some scammers still block or make their number private.

So, can your cell phone be hacked by answering a call? No, but the FTC has warned of an emerging phone threat: deep fakes, where scammers use artificial intelligence (AI) or other digital technology to clone your voice, and then call a loved one pretending to be you and needing money.

Why do spam callers call and not answer? ›

Most such calls are generated by a cold call telemarketing operation's dialer software, which makes many calls automatically and sometimes does not have an agent immediately available to handle an answered call. As a result the called party hears silence ("dead air"), followed by the call being disconnected.

These numbers are - (202) 221-7923, (469) 709-7630, (805) 637-7243, (878) 877-1402, (865) 630-4266, (863) 532-7969, (858) 605-9622, (312) 339-1227, (904) 495-2559, (917) 540-7996, (301) 307-4601, (347) 437-1689.

If you have a digital home phone with AT&T, *61 blocks unwanted calls as part of their free Call Blocking service. Press *61 then the “call” button to add the last call you received to your blocked call list. To stop receiving calls from all private numbers (calls without caller ID), dial *77.

Sign up to the Do Not Call Registry

To stop spam calls for free you can add your number to the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) Do Not Call Registry by calling 1-888-382-1222 or by texting a message to 1-866-290-4236.

Telemarketers must end the call within 10 seconds if the called party asks to end the call. Telemarketers must remove a called party from their telephone list for a year if the called party indicates they do not want to be called again by the caller.

You can deal with spam risk on iPhone and Android devices by silencing all unknown callers on your phone. This may not be an option for everyone, especially if your line of work requires you to take calls from unknown contacts. However, it is one of the most effective ways to go when it comes to stopping spam calls.

Your phone number may have been leaked: Your phone number may have been obtained by scammers through data breaches, social media, or online directories. Scammers may then use this information to target you with spam calls.