Shutting Down Robo-Calls
| Nov 15 2017 | Posted in: Business to Business
Shutting Down Robo-Calls
You know how it goes: the phone rings, you look at the Caller ID, and it's a number you haven't seen before. It could be something important, or if you're a business, a potential customer. You don't want to miss the chance to build another contact, so you pick up the phone. First thing you hear? A loud beep, followed by silence. Or maybe an automated voice saying something like "This is an important message. Please do not hang up the phone." What do you do? You hang up the phone.
Let's face it, robo-calls are a problem. Whether you get them on your home phone, your cell phone, or your business line, these intrusions need to go. One way to limit the amount of sales calls that come to your phone is by registering with the National Do Not Call List. It's a really simple process, and you can get started here: https://www.donotcall.gov/. All you have to do is enter your phone number and email address. The list is run by the Federal Trade Commission, so if you get a sales call after putting your number on the list, whoever placed the call could face legal repercussions.
The FTC's registry works relatively well for preventing calls from living, breathing scammers, but more and more frequently, we are seeing automated calls. The people running these use programs that sweep the internet and aggregate phone numbers. Anyone whose phone number has been put online at any time (so basically everyone) is susceptible. Oftentimes these programs are able to hide their number or disguise it as one that is in your area code so you are more likely to pick up.
The best way to handle these types of calls is to do absolutely nothing. Don't press any buttons, don't speak, and especially don't give any personal information, no matter how realistic the voice on the other end sounds. Since the calls are run by a computer program, it will recognize any action on the other end, and mark it as a live number to call again. Even if you try to speak to an operator to get your name taken off their list, it will most likely result in even more calls.
You can report the number to the FTC, or you can try to implement a tool like Nomorobo. Nomorobo is a service that screens your calls on the first ring and determines if they're robocalls or legitimate. If theyr're real, it allows them through. It's one of the only programs of its kind so far, but if you are completely fed up with spam phone calls then it's probably worth a try.
How do you handle the latest influx of robo-calls? Tell us in the comments section below!
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