If unknown calls are eating into your day, use several layers instead of trusting one setting. Let unfamiliar numbers go to voicemail, turn on your phone's and carrier's spam controls, register eligible personal numbers with the National Do Not Call Registry, and report calls that look fraudulent or unlawful. Caller ID is only a display; it can't prove that the caller is really a bank, agency, business, or neighbor.

Start with this spam-call checklist

1. Hang up on suspicious callers. Don't press a key, confirm personal details, give a security code, or call back using a number supplied during the call.
2. Let unfamiliar numbers go to voicemail. A legitimate caller can explain the reason for contacting you.
3. Turn on your phone's built-in spam controls. The menu differs between Android phones and iPhones.
4. Check your carrier account. Its tools may label, block, or route suspicious calls to voicemail.
5. Register personal numbers with the National Do Not Call Registry. This mainly targets covered telemarketing, not scams.
6. Save evidence before blocking or deleting anything. Keep the date, time, displayed number, voicemail, and the caller's claims.
7. Report the call when appropriate. Use the FTC for fraud, the FCC for unwanted calls or spoofing, and your carrier's reporting tools when available.
8. Act quickly if you shared sensitive information. Contact the affected bank or service through a verified number, then change reused passwords and monitor the account.

Identify what kind of call you received

The next step depends on the call's purpose. These categories can overlap.

Red flags that call for a quick hang-up

• The caller creates a deadline or threatens arrest, account closure, or service disconnection.
• Payment is demanded by gift card, cryptocurrency, cash, wire transfer, or another unusual method.
• You're asked for a password, Social Security number, bank details, one-time security code, or remote access to a device.
• The caller says you must keep the conversation secret.
• A supposed bank, delivery company, government office, or employer gives you a callback number and insists that you use it.
• A local-looking number is used to pressure you or obtain sensitive information.
• An unexpected voicemail asks you to call an unfamiliar international or premium-rate number.
• An unexpected prerecorded or artificial-sounding message tells you to take an action immediately.

If the subject could be legitimate, end the call and find the organization's number yourself. Use the number in your bank app, billing statement, insurance card, or the organization's official website. Don't rely on the number or link in the call or voicemail.

Register with the National Do Not Call Registry

The registry can reduce many legitimate sales calls, but it isn't a universal spam filter. Scammers may ignore it, and some categories of callers are treated differently under federal rules.

How registration works

1. Open the official FTC National Do Not Call Registry FAQs and follow the registration link.
2. Register up to three numbers at a time online.
3. Open each confirmation email and click its link within 72 hours. A number isn't registered until it is confirmed.
4. Allow up to 31 days for telemarketers to update their calling lists.
5. Keep the confirmation email and registration date.

Registration is free. You don't need to pay a company to add your number or remove it from a marketing list.

What registration does not cover

The registry doesn't stop every unwanted call. Political, charitable, survey-related, and existing-business-relationship calls may be treated differently. The FTC says a company may generally call for up to 18 months after a transaction. Written permission can also affect whether a company may call.

If a real company continues calling, tell it clearly not to call again and record when you made the request. A company's own do-not-call process can matter separately from your national registry registration.

The registry is intended for personal residential and mobile numbers. Don't assume that every business-to-business call or call to a business line is covered in the same way.

Turn on your phone's own protections

Phone menus vary by manufacturer, operating system, carrier, and location. If you can't find a setting, search the Settings app for spam, unknown callers, or call screening.

Android

The following path applies to phones using the Phone by Google app:

1. Open Phone.
2. Open Settings.
3. Tap Caller ID and spam.
4. Turn on caller and spam identification.
5. If the option appears, turn on Filter spam calls.
6. From a suspicious recent call, choose Block or Report spam.

Google's Android spam-call guidance covers other blocking and reporting options. Pixel phones and some other supported Android devices may also offer Call Screen. It can ask the caller why they're calling and show a live transcript before you decide whether to answer. Google's Call Screen guidance says availability depends on the device and location; manual Call Screen is available on selected devices in the United States and Canada.

A transcript helps with screening, but it isn't proof of the caller's identity. Check voicemail after filtering. A doctor's office, school, pharmacy, delivery driver, or employer may use a number you haven't saved.

iPhone

Apple's labels and available features depend on the iOS version:

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Apps, then Phone. On some older versions, open Settings, then Phone directly.
3. Review the options for screening or silencing unknown callers.
4. Turn on any available spam or fraud filtering.
5. If you use a compatible identification app, review Call Blocking and Identification.
6. To block a recent caller, open Phone, select the number or information button, and choose Block Caller.

Apple's guidance for managing unknown callers covers screening, silencing, call filtering, and the Spam list. Depending on your settings, calls identified as spam or fraud may be silenced and moved to that list.

Silencing unknown callers can also hide a genuine first-time call. Add doctors, schools, pharmacies, family members, contractors, and other expected contacts before enabling the most restrictive setting. Check voicemail and recent calls regularly.

Add carrier-level protection

Carrier controls are separate from your phone's settings. Sign in through the carrier's official app or website and search for spam protection, scam blocking, call filter, or caller ID.

Before enabling a feature, find out:

• Does it label calls, block them, or send them to voicemail?
• Can you add trusted numbers to an allowlist?
• Can you maintain a personal blocklist?
• Is it included with your plan?
• Does a free trial become a paid subscription?
• Does the setting affect every line on a family or business account?

Carrier products change. Verizon's unwanted-call guidance discusses spoofing and anti-robocall options. T-Mobile's Scam Shield information describes features including scam labels, scam blocking, personal number blocking, and voicemail routing. Check the terms in your own account before relying on any one feature.

A label is a warning, not a verdict. A blocked call may be rejected or routed away from your normal ringtone. Those behaviors aren't the same, so confirm what the setting actually does.

Be selective with call-blocking apps

The FTC's guidance on blocking unwanted calls explains the difference between blocking and labeling. Blocking software can stop many unwanted calls, while labeling lets the call through with a warning such as spam or scam likely.

Before installing an app, check:

• What information it collects
• Which permissions it needs
• How you can correct an inaccurate label
• Whether it offers a personal blocklist and an allowlist
• The price after any trial
• How cancellation works
• Whether it supports your phone model and carrier

No app can promise to identify every scam. Databases can miss new numbers, and aggressive filters can mislabel legitimate callers. Start with the phone and carrier features. Add one reputable app only if those controls aren't enough.

Use voicemail as a safety filter

Voicemail gives you a chance to assess a call without speaking to the caller.

• Let an unfamiliar number ring through.
• Treat an automated transcript as a rough aid; it can contain errors.
• Don't open a link or use a callback number merely because it appears in a suspicious message.
• If the caller claims to represent an organization, locate that organization's contact information independently.
• Save a voicemail that contains a threat, payment demand, or identifying detail.
• After preserving the evidence, block and report the number if appropriate.

Don't press a number during an unexpected robocall just to be removed from its list. If you need to change communication preferences with a real company, use its verified website, app, statement, or customer-service number.

Report the call to the right agency

A report may not stop the next call, but it can help agencies and carriers recognize repeated campaigns, spoofing patterns, and illegal calling practices.

Telemarketing complaints

If a covered sales caller contacts your registered number after the 31-day period, report it through the National Do Not Call Registry. Include:

• The date, approximate time, and time zone
• The number displayed on caller ID
• Any callback number stated in the message
• The business name and product or service
• Whether you gave the business permission to call
• Whether you previously asked that company to stop calling

A company may have an exception that applies, so describe what happened rather than assuming that every sales call is unlawful.

Scam and identity-theft reports

Use the FTC's fraud reporting site for scam calls, impersonation, payment demands, and identity-theft concerns.

If you gave a caller bank information, a card number, a password, or a security code, contact the affected institution through its official app, statement, or card. Don't use a number supplied by the caller to "fix" the problem.

Robocall and spoofing complaints

You can submit unwanted-call and caller-ID spoofing complaints through the FCC Consumer Complaint Center. Your carrier or call-blocking app may have its own report button as well.

Take a screenshot of the call record before blocking the number. A spoofed number may belong to an unrelated person, or the same displayed number may be reused in another campaign.

Keep a short evidence log

For repeated calls, use one note or spreadsheet row per incident. Record:

• Date, time, and time zone
• Number shown on the phone
• Number the caller told you to call
• Caller or company name
• Whether it was live, prerecorded, or silent
• What the caller wanted
• Any payment or personal information you shared
• Your Do Not Call registration date
• The date you asked a company to stop calling
• Related screenshots, voicemails, emails, or letters

Don't keep talking to a suspicious caller to build a case. Preserve what arrives naturally, then end the call.

If you shared information, act before deleting the call

Start with the organization connected to the information:

1. Contact the bank, card issuer, account provider, or other affected service using an official app, statement, or card.
2. Change any password that was disclosed or reused elsewhere.
3. Monitor the relevant accounts and payment methods for activity you don't recognize.
4. Report the incident to the FTC's fraud reporting site.
5. Keep the call details and related messages until you've finished reporting and securing the account.

The response depends on what you gave the caller. A disclosed one-time security code, bank detail, password, or remote-access permission should be treated as an account-security problem, not just an annoying call.

Know the limits of legal escalation

Federal and state laws may provide remedies for some unwanted calls, but eligibility depends on details such as your consent, the type of number called, whether a prerecorded message was used, the caller's identity, and whether the call was telemarketing. National Do Not Call rules and robocall-consent rules are not identical.

Keep your log if you're considering a complaint or legal claim. Registration alone doesn't mean every later call creates automatic compensation. Be cautious about services that promise a guaranteed payout.

Call-recording laws vary by state. Check the law before recording a conversation or sharing a recording. For a legal assessment, use a licensed attorney or a state bar referral service.

Adjust the setup for your household or phone line

Older adults and family members

• Set trusted contacts as favorites or approved callers.
• Use screening or route unknown calls to voicemail.
• Agree that nobody sends money or shares a security code because of an incoming call.
• Keep a printed list of official numbers for banks, insurers, utilities, and family members.
• With the person's permission, help review call logs and carrier settings.
• Never grant remote access to a phone or computer because an unexpected caller requests it.

Small businesses

• Use a public business number instead of a personal number where possible.
• Train staff not to change bank details, send refunds, or transfer funds based only on an inbound call.
• Create a callback rule: end the call, then contact the vendor through an established number.
• Keep a shared log of repeated sales calls, spoofing attempts, and payment fraud.
• Don't assume the National Do Not Call Registry covers every business-to-business call. Check the rules that apply to the line and state.

Home phones and VoIP

Traditional landlines, internet-based home phones, and mobile phones may offer different controls. Ask the provider about anonymous-call rejection, spam labels, personal blocking, or a customer-managed allowlist. The FTC's blocking guidance covers cell phones, internet-based home phones, and traditional landlines.

International calls

If you don't expect calls from abroad, ask the carrier whether it can block international calls or silence them. Phone settings may not support every country-code or prefix rule. If you do receive legitimate international calls, save known numbers and use voicemail instead of blocking every unfamiliar country code. A local-looking or international number can still be spoofed.

Frequently asked questions

Does the Do Not Call Registry stop scam calls?

No. It mainly reduces covered telemarketing calls from companies that follow the rules. Scammers may ignore the registry, and other callers may fall under different rules. Phone, carrier, and app controls are additional layers.

Why does a spam call show a local number?

The caller may be spoofing the number shown on your screen. Don't assume the caller is nearby, and don't call the displayed number back. Verify the claim through an official channel.

Should I silence every unknown caller?

Only if you're willing to check voicemail and recent calls. Healthcare offices, schools, delivery services, and employers may call from numbers you haven't saved. Add expected contacts first.

Is call labeling the same as call blocking?

No. Labeling warns you with a tag such as spam or scam likely while allowing the call to reach you. Blocking may reject it or route it away from the normal ringtone. Check which behavior your phone, carrier, or app uses.

What should I do after giving information to a scam caller?

Contact the affected bank or service through a verified number, change reused passwords, monitor the account, and report the incident to the FTC. Save the call details and messages before deleting them.

Do this next

Open your Phone settings and turn on spam identification or call screening. Then check your carrier's official account page and register your personal numbers at the National Do Not Call Registry. Until those settings are in place, let unfamiliar calls go to voicemail. If a caller asks for money, account access, or urgent action, save the details, hang up, and verify the claim independently.