Robocalls keep coming: Here's how consumers can minimize the calls

Robocalls just keep coming … new numbers calling and calling. It's annoying, and no wonder, the spam calls are on the rise.

Americans received 4.9 billion robocalls in March. After staying flat for most of the year, the calls spiked 15% from the month before.

Despite efforts from the federal government, including new 2019 legislation allowing them to shut down more than 300 robocall campaigns, scammers just keep finding ways to get around it.

The founder of the robocall blocking app Youmail shared the methods used by scammers to reach unsuspecting targets. "Well the bad guys just went and got real numbers and it turns out when you have a real number, it's really good. It has a little green check mark on the phone and it may say it's the IRS. People think it's the IRS," said Alex Quilici, CEO Youmail.

The FCC reported that advancements in technology make it cheap and easy to make massive numbers of robocalls and to "spoof" caller ID information to hide a caller's true identity.

So what's the best way to stop, or at least minimize the calls? Quilici says to get a robocall-blocking app, even if it's just a free one. But, he says, the way to stop all the calls will have to come from the carrier's end. He said the carriers need to figure out who's making these calls and find ways to stop them.

Quilici said telemarketing is on the rise post-pandemic, so the scammers just keep coming. "So it looks like those folks who laid low during Covid are now calling more, but they are supposed to have consent," said Quilici.

Here are some robocall consumer tips, provided by the FCC

• Don't answer calls from unknown numbers. Let them go to voicemail.
• If the caller claims to be from a legitimate company or organization, hang up and call them back using a valid number found on their website or on your latest bill if you do business with them.
• If you answer and the caller (often a recording) asks you to press a button to stop receiving calls, or asks you to say "yes" in response to a question, just hang up. Scammers often use these tricks to identify, and then target, live respondents, or to use your "yes" to apply unauthorized charges on your bill.
• Be Aware: Caller ID showing a "local" number no longer means it is necessarily a local caller.
• If you answer and the caller asks for payment using a gift card, it's likely a scam. Legitimate organizations like law enforcement will not ask for payment with a gift card.
• If you receive a scam call, file a complaint with the FCC Consumer Complaint Center by selecting the "phone" option and selecting "unwanted calls." The data we collect helps us track trends and supports our enforcement investigations.
• If you have lost money because of a scam call, contact your local law enforcement agency for assistance.
• Ask your phone company if it offers a robocall blocking service. If not, encourage them to offer one. You can also visit the FCC's website for more information about illegal robocalls and resources on available robocall blocking tools to help reduce unwanted calls.
• Consider registering your telephone numbers in the National Do Not Call Registry. Lawful telemarketers use this list to avoid calling consumers on the list.