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Graphic showing complaint data from the FY2021 Do Not Call databookIn the past 18 years of the National Do Not Call Registry, those of you signed up for the registry (244 million phone numbers right now) have reported millions upon millions of unwanted sales calls over the years. Here’s a quick look at what you’ve reported this year at DoNotCall.gov about the calls you’re getting:

  • The overwhelming majority of calls reported were robocalls — 68 percent of the 5 million calls you reported during the fiscal year ending October 2021 were robocalls. (If you answer the phone and hear a recorded message instead of a live person, it's a robocall). Another 22 percent were live calls.
  • The most common topic of the calls you reported was imposters, including calls from scammers pretending to be the Social Security Administration or IRS.
  • The next most-reported topic — up by more than 175,000 from last year — was warranties and protection plans. Following that were calls about debt reduction, medical and prescription issues, and computers and technical support.

Learn more about these reports, including data for your state.

Your reports show what we all know — even if you’re on the registry, you’re still getting unwanted calls. Legitimate, law-abiding companies typically follow the Do Not Call rules. But scammers often ignore them. To get fewer calls, read about some steps you can take to block unwanted calls.

And please, keep reporting calls at DoNotCall.gov. The FTC and other law enforcement agencies analyze reports to identify and take action against the people responsible for illegal calls and scams. The FTC also takes the phone numbers you report and releases them each business day to help telecommunications carriers and other industry partners that are working on call-blocking and call-labeling solutions.

Learn more about blocking unwanted calls.

It is your choice whether to submit a comment. If you do, you must create a user name, or we will not post your comment. The Federal Trade Commission Act authorizes this information collection for purposes of managing online comments. Comments and user names are part of the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) public records system, and user names also are part of the FTC’s computer user records system. We may routinely use these records as described in the FTC’s Privacy Act system notices. For more information on how the FTC handles information that we collect, please read our privacy policy.

The purpose of this blog and its comments section is to inform readers about Federal Trade Commission activity, and share information to help them avoid, report, and recover from fraud, scams, and bad business practices. Your thoughts, ideas, and concerns are welcome, and we encourage comments. But keep in mind, this is a moderated blog. We review all comments before they are posted, and we won’t post comments that don’t comply with our commenting policy. We expect commenters to treat each other and the blog writers with respect.

  • We won’t post off-topic comments, repeated identical comments, or comments that include sales pitches or promotions.
  • We won’t post comments that include vulgar messages, personal attacks by name, or offensive terms that target specific people or groups.
  • We won’t post threats, defamatory statements, or suggestions or encouragement of illegal activity.
  • We won’t post comments that include personal information, like Social Security numbers, account numbers, home addresses, and email addresses. To file a detailed report about a scam, go to ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

We don't edit comments to remove objectionable content, so please ensure that your comment contains none of the above. The comments posted on this blog become part of the public domain. To protect your privacy and the privacy of other people, please do not include personal information. Opinions in comments that appear in this blog belong to the individuals who expressed them. They do not belong to or represent views of the Federal Trade Commission.

Pop 6
November 23, 2021
Received several threatening calls from 816-448-2116. Guy claims to be IRS, but wouldn't quit hyperventilating long enough to get out his full name and reason for call.
Qhra
November 23, 2021
I have stopped reporting my 15 spam calls per day as I have other thing to do and the do not call list snd the people who are suppose to stop these calls just do not work
apk
November 23, 2021
Now the scammers or robos are texting which is MOST annoying
Skier1
November 23, 2021
I reached 1000 blocked calls on my landline, after which I could block no more! I had to remove some of them to add more! Now more are getting through! It's disgusting. I can be out for a few hours, and I will have 3 or 4 showing up in caller ID!
Loretta
November 25, 2021

In reply to by Skier1

Like you I block the calls and receive so many, 1000+, that I have to completely clear my blocked call list 3 or 4 times a year. It seems like since I went on the No Call List I receive even MORE calls. Even more, 1 guy I talked to telling him to remove the number for the 4th time or the next I would report him, actually laughed at me and told me to go ahead and report him.
RMiles
November 23, 2021
Many of the calls I receive use phone numbers stolen or hijacked from other individuals without their knowledge or consent.
JGreeneNC
November 23, 2021
What would really help would be making caller ID regulations to make any kind of phone number having a confirmed caller ID registered. No exceptions. Making spoofing illegal. Any regulation or law allowing spoofing to be removed and stringent laws forbidding it put into place. Nobody should be able to make a call with the ability to have it be made to show any number other than the exact phone number they are calling from. There's international phone calls that show a local phone number. It's insane. I can't believe that in this day and age that these situations occur without there being any ability to render them impossible.
franks
November 23, 2021
we can block them BUT it is NOT stopping them... i get on average 5 text messages and several phone calls a day on my mobile phone and landline. i just don't answer my phone anymore unless they are in MY CONTACT LIST.
Patiodiva
November 23, 2021
Agencies/servers/govts. need to pay their talented techs to design an effective blocker(s) so more junk doesn't get through.
Smiley your e-…
November 23, 2021
Scammers always manage to get thru.
TruBlu
November 23, 2021
1. WHY would FTC sell lists of numbers on 'Do Not Call' list when the buyers are scammers.They wont honor a DNC # anymore than stealing our identity and money! 2. I have logged 200 calls this year, 10 for warranty, 59 for signing up for Medicare HMO ( no!) But one guy...same guy- India accent, says hes Dr., therapists, Call center to do Dr. call appts. in San Diego, has my chart, my Medicare card, wants to send me new plastic Medicare card, equipment and meds for my back and addresses me before a word is said by my first name. Blocking doesnt work in our community and screening every call is simply rude. what do we do!
Msdee827
November 23, 2021
Asked my number to be unpublished still getting unwanted calls from people I never gave my number to but they call like they know me I want it to stop
Nancy Phillips
November 23, 2021
I get at least 5 calls a day, 7 days a week, for Medicare "Advantage" calls. They start around 8 AM and go as late as 9 PM. I already know that I do not qualify for any reasonable policy due to pre-existing conditions. Part D plans would cost me more in premiums, deductables, and co-pays than what I pay out of pocket.vered. Two of my medications aren't even covered. I am SICK of receiving these unwanted calls EVERY days.
Don't use your…
November 23, 2021
Because the robocalls have spooled the phone numbers, I have not been able to report calls. I constantly get robocalls on my cell phone, which is on the do not call list. I have not put my land line on the list, and never get prank calls. It seems like they are buying the DNC lists.
LinniK
November 23, 2021
I'm with Verizon and some of the calls I'm getting will not allow me to click the Block button to stop future calls.
FTC Staff
November 24, 2021

In reply to by LinniK

You might have other ways to block calls. This FTC article about blocking unwanted calls has links to call blocking apps, including company-specific apps, and checking services from your provider.

PJB
November 23, 2021
It makes little sense to put the burden of supplying unwanted call data to the FTC.gov on to the consumer. If a scammer or robocall originator can automatically set up robocalls, then service providers should be about to successfully block all those calls. Putting the burden back on the consumer will not affect the change we all want.
Don't use your…
November 23, 2021
Thanks Amy for the update. This is Ron Hebert of the Louisiana Heberts'. Happy Thanksgiving!!!
Kittez
November 23, 2021
I report every robo/scam/spam call .... it's like whistling in the wind. There is no remedy, no relief, no results. It's futile, but I do it anyway.
Disappointed!!
November 23, 2021
I stopped reporting robot and scan calls because it has not reduced the number of calls I received. Perhaps a scam that was successful should be reported, but I have not yet had that experience.
Chuck
November 23, 2021
Every day I receive at least 10 robo calls, either on my mobile or landline phones. I'd be happy for you to check my call-in list, but to put a time and date is too much. There must be a better way to control these calls
Mrs. Klosterma…
November 24, 2021

In reply to by Chuck

Although I'm on the DO NOT CALL LIST, I have to UNPLUG My Landline Phone every day from 2:00 pm to 7:00 pm. because of the constant barrage of calls of unwanted sales calls. These callers harass senior citizens on a daily basis. This is harassment to the senior citizens in the United States.
POkey
November 23, 2021
MORE needs to be done. NOTHING deters these scammers other than getting FINES. You could either FiNE the phone companies allowing spoofing aps, OR have them fine the USER of spoofing aps. They have ways to track that! YOU have ways to track WHICH company is allowing it. SO WHY NOT TRY FINES/ FEES for using FAKE PHONE NUMBERS~ THERE IS NOT OPTIONS FOR LAND LINES~ YOU MUST DO BETTER!
Codycote
November 23, 2021
I pretty much stopped reporting them because it doesn't seem to make any difference. Instead I just don't answer the phone unless I recognize the number!
Ervwa1717
November 23, 2021
I’ve been getting texts from numbers starting with 1-410-001 on up to 010. I block them as they come in but they come in with another 1-410-201 - 1-410-210. It’s usually about rewards and/or gift cards from CVS, Costco, Target, places I don’t frequent. Where are these texts coming from?
Rosie scamming
November 23, 2021
I have blocked so many unwanted calls and emails. I have probably 100 or more calls. My favorite yesterday was car service warranty and I just become a newly diagnosed paraplegic and I don’t have a car yet. I said you are making me laugh because you still trying to explain I don’t have a car. lol I hung up. I got a SSA call today I hung up Thank you
Sally Pat
November 23, 2021
We block calls that we do not know or calls from out of state. Sometimes when expecting an important call, we answer just to find is a robo call. Wish somebody could stop this.
esamax
November 23, 2021
so why hasn't something been done about it?
Posaune1
November 23, 2021
Years ago it was possible to dial a number which if I remember correctly would contact an agency and not let the caller hang up. Would that be do-able —it would be so much better for citizens.
tenorlawyer
November 23, 2021
I have long done everything anyone advises to eliminate or minimize robocalls - with little to no success. Almost all the robocalls are spoofed. I would be happy to block these calls, but would it do any good? The next robocall would just spoof another number, and, in the unlikely event that I would want to accept a call from the spoofed number in the future, it would be blocked. Meanwhile, the robocalls are not deterred at all. Is there ANY solution to this?
mikep
November 23, 2021
Good to know. However, what we really want to know is the actual action you have taken against these violators. Thanks!
Jack Dully
November 23, 2021
Thanks,As a senior I do get quite a few calls A day on my landline.Sometimes I do fill the the report to the FTC out but it is time consuming.Maybe if you abbreviated the form a little more people would respond and send it to you.I personally do it so that some person does not get duped into losing money or their life savings.I have an answering machine so the calls come in on that only and never actually talk to the scammers
4lllls
November 24, 2021
I have a huge amount of calls but need the phone number to report them, They never stop. I block them but it seems they are making so much money that they have many phone numbers.
Cookieress
November 24, 2021
The only way this will stop is if we stop answering calls from #s that are not in our contact list. If it is a legitimate call they will leave a message. Obviously they are making money off these calls or they would have stopped a long time ago. I average about 5-6 a month now. I used to get that many in a day.
Janvag
November 24, 2021
I’m unable to report cell phone/text calls from unsolicited sex predators as they do not leave a call back numbers. They want me to open their link. Really awful.
Crystal DeKalb
November 24, 2021
I have been signed up for the DO NOT Call for years. The robot calls...and others...have gotten worse with every year. It does no good to put the numbers on my BLOCKED list...because they just call back from a different number. I am very old and can barely get a minute's peace on any given day because of these calls. I have caller Id..so I don't pick up. BUT.,.I STILL get as many as 15-20 Robot and scam calls every single day...beginning at 8 a.m. and often continuing til 10 p.m. My not answering does not keep me from being disturbed all day long and into the late evening by these horrible calls! I'm not listing any more of them with you nor blocking them. Neither is effective. I know that this is not YOUR fault...but this makes it harder for me when I still the calls after going through all the correct procedures to NOT get them. Because of these calls, I can NEVER have a peaceful day in my own home! These people should be charged with a crime!
DBacaTX
November 24, 2021
The DoNotCall Registry has not worked from the very beginning. I put mine, my husband's, and my Mom's numbers on there and all of us continued to receive tons of annoying sales and phishing calls.
jjw
November 24, 2021
car warranty calls have been quite annoying. blocking them all!
Partial soluti…
November 25, 2021
I made a mistake and erased my husband’s message on our old fashioned answering machine that we use to screen calls. It reset itself to a robotic generic message. The robo calls seem to recognize another robot and hang up. The humans leave their message sometimes, some hang up.. the calls have dwindled to a few a day. Some days none . Partial solution?
sf Don't use y…
November 26, 2021
I'm getting calls that there are some charges that are being charges to amazon account ( giving amounts that varied)
Crystal DeKalb
November 26, 2021
Good grief!!!! Even on Thanksgiving Day....calls started at 8 a.m.!! By the end of the day, there were 15 scam/robot calls. There is no PEACE for me in my own home!!! This is ridiculous!!! (And they started again this morning at 8:30.
rjrj
November 29, 2021
Iam so frustrated with the many, many calls from "medicare rewards" people. My home and cell numbers ARE registered on the do not call list. However, I get multiple calls EVERY day, I even know them by their voice and names. I do not answer most of the time and then block the assorted numbers they use. My phones catch most "spam" calls, but some show local, not labeled numbers. Hanging up does not work. The caller talks over me when I want to ask what company they are. I cannot stand this much longer. I'm as nervous as a cat, I have PTSD and phone calls always make me jump. HELLLPPP!!!!!
Felicity G
December 03, 2021
If I don't recognize who's calling, I don't say anything for several seconds when I pick up. If no one at the other end speaks up, I hang up. Faster and easier than listening to my phone ring, or having to delete robomessages from voicemail. I treat all other unsolicited calls as opportunities to collect info needed to report the calls to the FTC.