If you have answered the phone only to hear the beginning of an automatic recording, you are not the only one. Robocalls are much common than you think. It is estimated that millions of Americans are hit by phone calls with pre-recorded messages. Not only are robocalls annoying, disrupting business meetings and bedtime stories, but also dangerous. You answer positively to a question that you are asked over the phone and you instantly give hackers access to your accounts and personal information.
The problem is so severe that many individuals are scared to pick up calls from numbers that they do not know. In America, for instance, federal agencies are making considerable efforts to put an end to the situation and hold robocallers accountable. It is believed that the vast majority of unwanted calls are scams, targeting innocent people.
Why do robocalls keep ringing and ringing people’s phones?
Phone calls with pre-recorded messages have become something of a nuisance. To be more precise, there are more and more robocalls. You mind your own business when, all of a sudden, you get a phone call. Since you do not recognize the phone number, you do not even think about answering. However, the phone keeps on ringing. The person is not able to choose the number of calls that they receive on a daily basis.
Why is there such a considerable rise in spam phone calls? Technology has something to do with it. The telephone infrastructure is making the transition from traditional copper wires to Voice-over-IP technology. VoiP makes robocalling very easy. This technology automates calling numbers. Therefore, all that an individual needs is a website and a smart tool. It is not expensive nor difficult. It is possible to make millions of phone calls from a single location.
People get bombarded with spam calls and even texts. The person at the other end of the line is urged to pick up the phone, although they do not want to. Just think about it. You do not want to be presented information about your car insurance. Not answering the phone is not a solution. This determines robocallers to make even more calls to succeed in talking to you on the phone.
What types of calls are allowed, anyway?
In the good old days, robocalls were made only by telemarketers. Their success rate was not very high, which is the reason why telemarketers would constantly crank up the dial. If the calls are not sent in an attempt to collect votes, then they are related to marketing campaigns. At present, robocallers are not interested only in making sales. Many organizations deploy robocalls to send out important messages. This may be so but, more often than not, the incoming calls come at the wrong time.
As mentioned earlier, many organizations take advantage of advances in technology to spread the word. The incessant calls may be coming from a charity that is in need of donations or the school that is desperately trying to inform you about your child’s situation in a timely manner. Until you answer, you can never know. What is important to remember is that call from charities, schools, debt collectors, and political campaigns are permissible.
3 best practices in dealing with robocalls
Chances are that you are tired of robocalls. The situation is getting out of hand and you are at a loss, as you do not know what to do. If you do not mind protecting and focusing your energy properly, continue reading to discover how you can make your life a little bit easier:
1. Do not answer calls from unknown numbers
Is it a good idea to answer unknown phone calls? Of course, it is not. You do not have any idea who is at the other end of the line. Maybe you are not receiving pesky calls from telemarketers yet from scammers. Protect yourself and your loved ones by performing a reverse phone lookup. You can get hold of the name and address of the person with the help of tools that are available on the Internet. In addition to what was mentioned before, you can obtain information like marital status and public records.
Is this really necessary? Yes, you will want to uncover the identity of the person that is bothering you. What is more, you will want to make sure that you were not contacted by a relative or, say, a business partner. It is important to investigate who called you. Type the phone number in the search engine on the website and you will get results in a matter of seconds. Once you discover the culprit, you will be able to put an end to the annoying situation.
2. Hang up immediately
Perhaps you were not paying attention and you answered an unknown phone call. It is advisable to hang up immediately. Take the phone away from your ear. The screen will immediately light up and you will notice the end call option. Make sure to use it. Was the person at the other end of the line pretending to be with company X? If you have reason to believe that you were not contacted by a true company representative, get in touch with the organization and let them know what is going on. The bottom line is that whenever you hear the phrase “Can you hear me?”, hang up.
3. Understand the smart tricks
Robocallers have many tricks up their sleeves. By comprehending the way in which they trick you, you will be able to protect yourself. The number that shows up on your mobile’s screen is not the real one. Individuals leverage technology like sophisticated so that they hide the real number. You think that you are talking with someone from the IRS when, in reality, you are not. This is referred to as spoofing. Some robocallers go at great lengths to hide their identity. If the name of the caller is a little bit confusing, do not answer or hang up the phone.
