Have you fallen victim to a phone scam? Click here for some tips on what to do next.

Here's some useful tips to avoid being scammed.

Many people are constantly bothered by unwanted telephone calls.

It can be a real challenge to block them as advancements in technology have made it easier than ever for telemarketers to invade your home. Most of them now use VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) to place calls cheaply over the internet and often use number spoofing to display whatever they desire as their outgoing caller id. Luckily, there are advancements in technology you can use to block them out. I'll list each one below and explain how they work. There is no way for me to list every single option out there, but these are the services and features I am familiar with and are a good starting point when dealing with unwanted callers.

If you have a mobile phone, click here to skip to the Mobile Phone section of this page.

  • Get on the National Do-Not-Call Registry

           While this wont stop calls from "Rachel at cardholder services" or other common
           scam calls, getting on the registry will stop the bulk of the telemarketers who follow
           the rules. Visit www.DoNotCall.gov to sign-up. Note: there are scam calls offering to
           put you on the registry for a charge. The do-not-call registry is free. Hang-up on such
           callers and report them to the FTC at www.ftc.gov  It is also important to note that
           while your place on the registry does not expire, you may need to re-register if you
           change your telephone service to another provider or switch the type of service you
           have (such as going from AT&T POTS to AT&T U-Verse Voice).

  • Don't press buttons

    "Hi this is Rachel with cardholder services..."  "Hi, this is your final notice to reinstate your cars extended warranty... press 1 to be connected or press 2 to be put on the do not call list..."  Sound familiar?

    Don't press buttons, even if it says you will be removed from their list. All this does is confirm that your number is real and you will get even more calls. Just hang-up.

     

  • The TeleZapper

           While not as effective as it once was, the TeleZapper is still quite useful for tricking
           some telemarketers predictive dialing equipment into thinking your number is not
           in service by playing the Special Information Tone or SIT tone as it is commonly called
           in the telephone industry. The TeleZapper is an older product which has since been
           discontinued by it's manufacturer. However a quick search on eBay usually displays a
           handful or new or second hand units fairly cheap. If you'd prefer not to purchase this
           device, you can also record the SIT on your answering machine or voicemail greeting
           before your outgoing announcement is played.

 Special Information Tone (SIT)

To download the SIT, right-click the audio graphic and choose save target as.

  • Call blocking from  your Telephone Company.

           Most telephone companies offer a call blocking service, this service is usually limited
           to only a few entries (sometimes the list can hold as few as 6 numbers, although some
           phone companies have raised the limit to something more reasonable. This feature is
           not usually very effective in blocking telemarketers as telemarketers constantly change
           their numbers. However this feature can be a useful tool to have on your "tool belt" of
           tools to fight back against telemarketers. Occasionally a telemarketer will hang onto a
           phone number long enough to make blocking it work for a reasonable amount of time
           or perhaps you're being harassed by someone you know. This is where this service can
           come in handy. If you already subscribe to it, it can usually be accessed via *60 or via
           your telephone service providers website. Also, ask your service provider if you can
           have this feature bundled with your telephone calling plan to save money.

 Call Blocking Audio Sample

  • AT&T Voice Digital Phone (formerly U-Verse Voice) Call Block & Call Protect

    You can block several phone numbers on AT&T's website. To block the last incoming calls, dial
    *61 to quickly add that number to your block list. See here for more info on Call Block.

    You can turn on Digital Phone Call Protect to automatically block certain fraud callers, warn
    against SPAM callers, and verify the legitimacy of certain Caller ID. For more info about Call Protect
    see here.

    Note: these options are only available for AT&T Digital Voice. Regular POTS lines (such as AT&T Complete Choice calling plans will not have this feature)
     

  • Verizon Spam Alerts (for Verizon FiOS and POTS)

    If you have Verizon for your service provider, you can take advantage of their Spam Alerts feature (automatically included with Caller-ID). When a known spam caller calls your phone Verizon may add the word SPAM? in front of the Caller-ID name. (example "John Doe" may appear as "SPAM? John Doe"). This service is not perfect and numbers may not always be flagged properly. You can help improve this by reporting numbers that should be flagged or numbers that have been flagged in error on Verizon's Spam Alerts website (this same database may be used for Verizon Wireless Call Filter)
     

  • Spectrum Call Guard

    Spectrum offers a service called Call Guard, which when configured allows you to automatically block known spam calls as well as display SPAM Alerts on your Caller ID. You can report SPAM callers on Spectrum's SPAM Report page.
     

  • Get an Unlisted Telephone Number

          This wont stop telemarketers who already have your number, but it can make it harder
          for others to find your number. Please note that unlisted means your number will not be
          available from 411 information or the phone book, while unpublished means it will still
          be available from 411 information, but will not be published in the phone book. It's
          important to know the difference as the two terms are often incorrectly used
          interchangeably causing confusion on what the two different services really do. 

Note: Having an unlisted number will not stop calls made from an autodialer which dials every number in an area or exchange code, but it will help reduce the chance your number and personal information ends up in a telemarketers database.

  • Anonymous Call Rejection

          Most telephone companies also offer Anonymous Call rejection which can be turned on
          by dialing *77 and off by dialing *87. This feature intercepts and blocks calls from callers
          whose caller id is blocked by per-line blocking or on a per call basis such as *67. When
          Anonymous call rejection blocks a call the calling party will hear a recording explaining
          to them that their call has been blocked because their caller id was blocked and often
          offers instructions on how to unblock their caller id using *82. Click the audio button
          to hear an example of what a caller hears when anonymous call rejection is turned on.

 Anonymous Call Rejection Audio Sample

  • Privacy Director®

         Another service which is often available through telephone companies such as AT&T or
         BellSouth is called Privacy Director. This feature like Anonymous call rejection blocks
         calls from unidentified calls but takes it a bit further offering an option for callers to
         record their name and give you the option to accept the call, reject a sales call, or
         simply ignore the call. This service also often also blocks certain calls which are not
         usually caught by Anonymous Call Rejection. Often Privacy Director will send callers
         to an answering machine or voicemail if you do not answer the phone after a period
         of time. To subscribe to privacy director, call your telephone service provider and ask
         them if it's available. Note, that this service is not often bundled with a calling plan so,
         it is likely there will be a charge for this service added to your telephone bill when you
         sign-up.

 BellSouth Privacy Director Audio Sample

  • NoMoRobo and Simultaneous Ring

          If your telephone company supports simultaneous ring (most digital phone/VoIP
          providers do) then you can sign-up for NoMoRobo, a free service and winner of the FTC
          robocall challenge. NoMoRobo works by automatically hanging up on Robocallers by
          matching the caller id string with their database of known spam callers. Because caller
          id is transmitted between the first and second ring, your telephone will still ring once
          before the call is blocked. There are ways to silence the first ring using special
          equipment. I'll explain this in more detail in a moment when I  discuss, the Digitone call
          blocker.   For more information about NoMoRobo, to find out if your phone service is
          compatible learn and how to set it up, please visit NoMoRobo.com

          Note: some digital phone providers such as Spectrum Voice have NoMoRobo integrated within
          their networks with a toggle on/off switch.

  • Purchase a Telephone with a Built-in Call Blocker

    Telephone manufacturers have started making phones with built-in call blocking technology.
    An example is AT&T's line of phones featuring Smart Call Blocker. The nice thing about these
    phones is that they will work on any landline provider (with Caller ID -- This is important. They
    wont work without Caller ID    ). AT&T's Smart Call Blocker has several options to screen your
    calls. Including Call Screening with Name which requires callers to record their name before your
    phone will ring, asking the caller to press the pound key to be connected to you, or simply sending
    all calls to the answering machine. You can setup a white list so calls from friends and family wont be intercepted. More details about Smart Call Blocker can be found in the Users Manual (available as a
    PDF on http://telephones.att.com). Other manufacturers such as Panasonic have also developed call
    blocking technologies for some of their phones. I have focused on AT&T Smart Call Blocker due to it's advanced set of features, however basic call blocking on other cordless phones will also work just fine.

    Note: AT&T branded telephones are manufactured by Advanced American Telephones under a license from AT&T. VTech owns Advanced American Telephones and now includes the same Smart Call Blocker feature in some VTech branded phones.
     

  • The Jolly Roger Telephone Company

    One way to avoid talking to telemarketers and scammers is to have them talk to a robot instead.
    The Jolly Roger Telephone Company has created some very creative ways to fight telemarketing.
    Here's how it works. You get a telemarketing or scam call. Say something like (Hold on, let me get
    Mr. Furman on the line...) then you quickly conference in one of the Jolly Roger bots using 3-way calling
    (remember to mute your Microphone so you can laugh at the caller). The Jolly Roger bot will keep the
    telemarketer engaged for as long as possible which ties up their lines and slows them down. You will
    also receive a recording of the call via E-mail so you can share it if anything funny happens. For more
    details, see http://www.jollyrogertelco.com.
     

  • Digitone Call Blocker

          While there are many different types of call blocking equipment out there, my favorite
          is the Digitone Call Blocker because it offers first ring suppression which will silence the
          first ring on all phones plugged into the TEL port on the blocking device. For more
          specific details on the Digitone Call Blocker and how to install it so it will silence the
          first ring for ALL extensions plugged into your line, visit www.digitone.com  I've also
          found that this device works well when used on a line with NoMoRobo.

              Note: a subscription to Caller-ID service from your telephone company is required for the
              Digitone Call Blocker to work!

  • PhoneTray Call Blocking Software

         An alternative to a hardware call blocker such as the Digitone is a software based setup.
         While it requires a little more setup and a VOICE compatible modem, PhoneTray allows
         you to block unwanted calls, and even play a custom message to callers who are
         blocked. To learn more about PhoneTray or to purchase the latest edition, visit
         www.phonetray.com  or use the download button below to download an older but free
         version of the software.

Update: TraySoft discontinued PhoneTray Pro in 2021. It is still an awesome piece of software if you already have it, but unfortunately it is no longer available for new purchases. The older free version is still an option to try out.

           Note: a subscription to Caller-ID service from your telephone company is required for the
           PhoneTray software to work!

 Download Phone Tray FREE (older version)
This file is 1.2 Megabytes and will take about 3 minutes to download on Dial-up using a 56k modem and will take only a few seconds to download using a broadband connection.

Call Blocking Solutions for your mobile telephone

  • Your Cell Phone

    Yes, it's true. Your cell phone (especially if it's a smart phone) probably has a basic call blocking feature included. How to use it will vary depending on your phone's software, but it's usually found in the settings
    for your phone dialer app. Good for blocking specific numbers (note: blocking in this case usually means send to voicemail) For more feature rich call blocking solutions keep reading below.
     

  • Don't press buttons

    "Hi this is Rachel with cardholder services..."  "Hi, this is your final notice to reinstate your cars extended warranty... press 1 to be connected or press 2 to be put on the do not call list..."  Sound familiar?

    Don't press buttons, even if it says you will be removed from their list. All this does is confirm that your number is real and you will get even more calls. Just hang-up.
     

  • Google Call Screen

    Google Pixel phones (and some other Android Phones) have a feature called "Call Screen" where your Google assistant can screen calls by answering the phone for you and transcribe the caller to text. This feature is interactive and allows you to send prerecorded (by Google) messages to your caller as well as accept or decline the call. You can also mark calls as spam. Google Call Screen has been updated to allow calls to be screened automatically. The automatic screening will not work if you are connected to a Bluetooth device. You can always use manual call screen. Tip: if you press the volume up/down keys while call screen is in progress you can hear the caller. Find more information on Google's website
     

  • Mr. Number for Android

        If you have a smart phone running the Android mobile operating system, there is a free
        app you can download called "Mr. Number" which works wonders blocking unwanted calls
        and depending on your version of Android even text messages too. With a database of
        known spam callers, and options to send certain numbers to voicemail while hanging up
        on others, this is one of my favorite android apps. visit www.mrnumber.com for more
        detailed information.

  • AT&T Call Protect

       AT&T offers an app compatible with most smart phones to block and warn against SPAM callers.
       Visit AT&T's Call Protect website for more information.
 

  • Verizon Wireless Smart Family and FREE Spam Controls

       Verizon Wireless allows you to block up to 5 numbers free of charge within MyVerizon
       for a period of up to 90 days. They also offer for a small fee, a service called Smart Family
       (formerly Family Base offers blocking of up to 20 numbers (with no 90 day
       expiration), calls from anonymous callers (like Anonymous Call Rejection on landlines).
       One nice thing about Smart Family is it allows you to block numbers below or longer than
       10 digits. This is useful when blocking spoofed numbers. See the Verizon Smart Family
       website for more details.

  • NoMoRobo for iOS and Android

    NoMoRobo is now available for iOS and Android smart phones. While it's not free like it is
    on VoIP landlines, it is inexpensive and works. see www.nomorobo.com for details.
     

  • Verizon Call Filter (formerly Caller Name ID)

    Verizon's $3.99/mo Call Filter service now includes warnings of unwanted callers. More
    information is available on Verizon's website. Report spam numbers on Verizon's SPAM Alerts Website.

    Update: Verizon now offers a free version of Call Filter.
    Note: you can now have Verizon automatically block certain known spam calls. Login to MyVerizon
    and find your phone and click "manage device" their should be a toggle switch next to "Call Filter"

    Update 2: If you live in New York, Verizon offers Call Filter Premium for 75¢/mo. Verizon no longer has special pricing for New York.

    Update 3: For devices which don't support the Call Filter app, such as the Google Pixel or Wireless Home Phones, you can still use certain features by logging into MyVerizon     and going to your device list, manage device and scroll down to manage call filter. You can then set your preferred level of SPAM protection and choose what you want to happen to SPAM callers. (send to voicemail or have Verizon terminate the call). Once setup, you can also see a list of recent calls and report any spam callers not already detected. You can also report numbers by visiting Verizon's SPAM Alerts website.

    Update 4: If you are using Wireless Home Phone (formerly Home Phone Connect), you will need to call Verizon and ask for Call Filter (Caller Name ID for Wireless Home Phone). This service costs $1.99/month and adds the caller's name to your caller ID in addition to displaying "SPAM RISK" or "FRAUD RISK" to known scam calls not set to be automatically blocked. Not all Verizon reps are familiar with Wireless Home Phone Call Filter, so you may need to ask another rep if the first one doesn't know about it.
     

  • T-Mobile Scam ID, Scam Block, & Name ID

    T-Mobile offers a handful of spam blocking technology to it's subscribers. Visit T-Mobile's website
    for more details.
     

  • The Jolly Roger Telephone Company

    The Jolly Roger Telephone Company offers mobile options too. See my text above and then
    check out the Jolly Roger Telephone Company website for complete details
     

  • YouMail Voicemail

    If you're okay with replacing your voicemail service, YouMail offers both free and paid options
    of their voicemail service which includes many tools to block SPAM callers. See YouMail.com for
    more information.

 

This page was created on Sunday August 30, 2015  and was last updated on Tuesday, February 21, 2023.

©2015-2023 Matthew Furman On-Line
www.matthewfurman.net

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