GREENSBORO, N.C. — Maybe it happens to you a few times a day or occasionally if you’re lucky. A call or text from an unknown number that turns out to be a scammer. It’s not only annoying but also costly, with unsuspecting consumers losing billions of dollars to fraud every year.
Consumer Reports has some new advice to stop those annoying robocalls.
#1 Check with your cell phone provider.
“The FTC requires your provider to have robot-call-fighting technology. It’s free, or maybe you can pay a little monthly for more spam-blocking features,” said Nicholas De Leon, Consumer Reports.
#2 Set your phone to only take calls from your contacts or people you’ve been in contact with. To do that on your iPhone, go to settings — phone –go to ‘silence unknown callers’ and swipe on. That means unknown calls should go straight to voicemail.
#3 Do not respond to unwanted texts from questionable sources.
#4 Check reviews and try a free scam blocker app.
“Before you download it, read the fine print. Double-check the privacy policies of these apps. They may use your data, sell it, or use it in ways you’re uncomfortable with,” said De Leon.
According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), in 2023, people reported losing $10 billion to scams, with phone scams causing the highest per-person loss, with a median loss of $1,480.
Also, you may be able to report unwanted or scam texts to your provider by forwarding the message to 7726 “SPAM” and complaining to the Federal Trade Commission, your state attorney general, or your state’s public service commission or consumer protection office.