Consumer Alert
How are robocallers getting your phone number?
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Does it ever feel like you’re getting more robocalls than calls from actual humans? Illegal robocalls aren’t just annoying — they’re also often scams. But you might be wondering — how did they get my number in the first place?
Sometimes robocalls are random. But sometimes, a company tries to trick you to get your information and sells it. That’s what the FTC says happened with lead generation company Response Tree LLC in a settlement announced today. People looking for a quote to refinance their mortgage gave the company their name and number. But instead of giving quotes, Response Tree took people’s information and sold it to telemarketers making illegal robocalls about things like fake auto warranties, solar panels, hearing aids, and Social Security disability services.
Here’s what to do to avoid and report robocalls and scams:
- Protect your personal information. Before you enter your personal information on a website, research it. Search the name of the site plus “complaint,” “review,” or “scam.”
- Read the fine print. Some websites might have small disclaimers that say if you click a link or check a box, you’re agreeing to having your information collected and sold to other companies.
- Know your rights. A robocall trying to sell you something is illegal unless the company has your written permission to call you that way.
- Report illegal robocalls. Reporting helps law enforcement and investigators stop illegal robocalls. Report them at DoNotCall.gov.
For more advice on how to stop unwanted calls, check out ftc.gov/calls. Also, learn about Operation Stop Scam Calls, the FTC’s latest joint effort with federal and state law enforcement partners in the fight against robocalls.
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Great informaion. I receive a letter with two different first and middle name and my last two legal name. It comes from State of Washington. Department of Children Youth and Families. I din't send them any information.
Thanks as all consumers can use your help in stopping these deceptive practices.
What about robocalls from charities? Are those legal?
I believe when you answer your phone it lets them know it’s valid. That may keep your number on the list and possibly be put on other lists. I don’t answer my phones (landline or cell) unless I’m expecting a call or recognize the number. I figure if it’s legit, they’ll leave a message. Last fall I was getting calls from several numbers where the only difference was the last two digits. I can’t remember the exact name on the caller ID, but it was extremely similar to a real company but obviously spelled wrong. After a few weeks, with sometimes four calls a day, they just stopped. I also have the number of rings set to five before my voicemail picks up. A lot of people won’t wait that long and hang up after three rings. These things have mostly worked for me. No calls for months, then they may start again, but stop. I hope these tactics might help someone else.
"Report illegal robocalls. Reporting helps law enforcement and investigators stop illegal robocalls. Report them at DoNotCall.gov.". Reporting won't help because the phone numbers are spoofed. My best defense is screening all calls and assuming anyone I don't personally know that wants any information, money, or really anything is a scammer.
For the 3rd time, I have a new phone #! I had 2 blocking apps and at 1 point had received 35 calls a day! 361 calls in 3 days! How are these people allowed to harass me as they had been doing. I got PTSD from getting angry about my phone ringing again, again and again. It was a nightmare. They had said they were from Market place, and tried to get me to sign up for something that being over 71 makes me ineligible for!!!
I have not used my new # online.
These people should be prosecuted!!!!
Having to follow all those steps to report calls from fake numbers is silly and pointless Govt could do something if they wanted to
This is just an idea, but what if there was a way to stop getting these annoying calls. For example, we all have a contacts file, right. What if we could set our phone up to only allow calls to connect that are already listed as a contact in our phones & all others were automatically rejected, and to further help this feature have the companies who provide our phone service have a way to identify if a number has been spoofed & block those calls? I'm sure if there is a way to spoof a number there has to be a way to identify that it has been spoofed. I actually had someone call me and accuse me of calling them and said that I was telling them I was from social security & was trying to get money from her because the person stated that she had been overpaid. I'm sure if there is a way to spoof a number there has to be a way to un-spoof it.
The phone companies are intermediaries in those Scams. They have the resources to help stopping that and supporting the consumers. We are paying to get beheaded by these scammers.
I think telemarketers and others (charities, politicians and others) making calls to everyone just needs to plain old stop. It is harassment and it interferes with a paid service we cover. I think it needs to be out of the fine print and disclosed loudly front and center where the consumer can see it without having to hunt it down, and can always opt out. I also think companies who sell our information should be banned from doing so.
They call my house phone 20 to 30 times a day.They trying to get Medicare numbers for better insurance,they even pretend to be from social security and IRS
I am getting sometimes as many as 25 -30 calls a day. I am on the do not call list but that doesn't matter. There is NO Way to stop them....they should be arrested for doing this. I am now doing *61 on all call that I do not know.....
TERRIBLE THING THERE IS... ALMOST MAKES ME NOT TO EVEN WANT A TELEPHONE...
GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO STOP IR THE TELEPHONE COMPANY NEEDS TO DO SOMETHING...
I thought being on the do not call list with y'all was supposed to protect my number but it never happened!
In reply to I thought being on the do… by Donna Wood
They have done ABSOLUTELY NOTHING For 15 years TO CURTAIL THE HARASSMENT WE SUFFER FROM DAILY! THEY DON'T CARE! They've had over 15 yrs to do something. Other than let us know it happens.
Outside companies can make roboKillz but our own government has been making LAIME EXCUSES AND DO NOTHING TO STOP IT! They COULD charge carriers a fee for allowing spoofing apps.
The United States government cat block these until they sit there and shut down companies in the US are restricted on from using call centers overseas like in India in the Philippines . Until then the government will sit there and find a company and all that company's going to do is just change its name and be back in business less than an hour doing the same thing and the small companies that allow this that's the only way they make their money because they can't make their money off traditional ways like other companies. And a garment can't do nothing it's like playing whack and mo
Why doesn't FTC make it easier for consumers to sue the illegal callers, without having to use a lawery?
I keep getting all these political SMS messages and they ask you to stop to end these texts from this number. I do and so they just send the same garbage from a different number.
I am so sick of these calls I get tired of reporting them.
They seem to trigger the elderly more than others!!
Calls to my phone tripled as soon as I signed up on the Do not Call registry, telemarketers buy the list and know they have real people to call !
Having been active online user for 28 years, I have been notified by banks, online retailers and other companies that require a phone number, that they have been hacked. I have no illusion that my number is circulating everywhere. While I appreciate actions by the commission. Rampant robocall abuse continues. I think follow-up on the effectiveness of the current inter-carrier transfers protocols need to be analyzed for abuse.
Congress needs to enact legislation that requires telecoms and ISP's to protect their customers from robo calls. These laws need substantial penalties for not doing so.
Most robo calls that I get come from a VIOP like Horizon and a few others so I've blocked all VOIP and if I get a call and they don't leave a msg that number i, automatically blocked
I've had over 3,000 calls in the last 3 months . For real . They from all over the usa & other countries . They are daisy chained phones . At times it will be the same recorded hello voice from different states . You can't track it . I just leave my ringer off now .
I have done before do no call but still received scams .
I did it again registered mines and children
It would be really something if the FCC were doing something about these calls. Outside company can make "Robo-Killz" but our own Government does NOTHING TO CURTAIL THESE ILLEGAL HARASSMENT CALLS? And you wonder WHY we don't trust the government?
The FCC/FTC has Been DODGING consumer complaints for over10years.
Cell phones should be covered in this robo call program too
In reply to Cell phones should be… by Kevin brigman
The National Do Not Call Registry covers cell phones too. Register your cell phone and landline for free at www.DoNotCall.gov.
Your registration will never expire. The FTC will remove your number from the Registry only if it’s disconnected and reassigned, or if you ask to remove it.
Sorry to say, DoNotCall.gov is not helpful anymore. I was Inundated with Robo Calls and Literally Repeated Scam Calls 3 1/2 years ago. I reported all the calls and nothing was done. That's when Biden took office and the country literally went to pot. I ended up having to increase my mobile bill with Extra Security Features and it has really paid off. So I highly recommend that people don't rely on the Government service, add Extra security to your mobile or home phone with Verizon
I am getting calls every day from different numbers, all in my area code. I have traced 2 numbers back to a "charity" called Feed Foundation. Today's calls started at 6:59 am. I made the mistake of answering the first time as I was expecting a call from my doctor. I am on the do not call list. The registry says charities can call you. The Feed Foundation has a web site with no specific information. Just a big DONATE button. This is so frustrating.
All I can say is that AFTER joining the NDNCR, the call increased.
I have blocked at least 100+ phone numbers from the same “company” name which sounds like One State Financial on the voicemail and the same “person name,” Sarah, calling and leaving voicemails from an unlimited number of different phone numbers that I constantly “block” but then keep receiving calls with the same voicemail from different phone numbers. It is very irritating when I occasionally forget to turn my ringer off and the call interrupts one of my teaching sessions with students in the classroom.
Unfortunately do not call lists don't work against illegal calls. Been registered since 2004. Best way is to report the call, but now-a-days they're spoofed numbers. Usually I can block the number on my cell phone, but a number that's been calling everyday for 2 weeks and has been blocked, keeps coming through. I finally answered today. It's selling financing. Told them to take me off their list and knock it off! I looked up the number that shows on my phone on the internet and it goes to a legit Law Enforcement Agency within my area code. Telemarketers obviously spoofed that number. Spoofing makes it really hard to find the illegal party. Hope the FTC and phone carrier Companies can find a technology that stops Spoofing.
If I Google my phone number it actually comes up someone else’s name. Someone has ‘stolen’ my phone number and I get numerous calls for someone else. How and why does this happen?
How can you leave the multiple blocked scam number on a complaint from. I have 20 calls a day. I need to turn in all numbers to you, FTC and FCC.
My tax dollars going towards nothing. For years I have been getting non stop calls from Indian scammers. They have a new number every time. How are Indian scammers beating the united states government? Crazy...
How about those unknown callers who call in the middle of the night? Are they trying to control my device or something? It doesn’t make any sense.
I'm determined that all the calls and texts I'm receiving are coming from my estranged husband. They never ask me for money. It never started happening until after we were separated for three months and it has never stopped! One day I received 50 calls with text. People cursing me out from strange numbers. I did file a report with the FTC and a waste of my time. They don't even try to help you. They just take the information.