News

Stopping Robocalls: How to take your phone back

BOSTON — Your phone rings, then there's a pause, followed by a stranger's voice. Most of us are not fans of those robocalls and it feels like they're getting worse. The F.C.C. estimates 2.4 billion robocalls are made each month, and our cell phones are taking the biggest hit. Some people get several calls a day, often with misleading, local area codes.

According to YouMail's robocall index, an estimated 5 million robocalls were made to the 508 area code during the month of March. 7.4 million people were targeted in the 617 area code.

“Robocalls and unwanted calls from telemarketers are really the number one complaint we hear from consumers,” said John Chapman, the Undersecretary for the Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs.

Chapman said anyone autodialing or spamming with recorded messages must have verbal or written consent from the person they are calling.  But with the technology available today, it's easy for telemarketers and scammers to stay hidden in the shadows.

The biggest mistake you can make is easy to avoid

It turns out, answering just one robocall can lead to a lifetime of unwanted attention

“They know that you’re an active phone and that you will actually pick the phone up, and that puts you in an active category where you will be on a list to be continued to be called,” said Chapman.

If a call comes in from a number you don't recognize, Chapman suggests sending it to voicemail.

Technology to the rescue

Software is now available to help you put a stop to the calls as well. In 2013, Aaron Foss won a $25,000 prize from the Federal Trade Commission for his robocall blocking software, called Nomorobo.

Foss says the software analyzes more than 2.5 million calls a day to detect robocall patterns. It's free for landlines and $2.00 per month for mobile users. It can also be installed as an app on your iPhone.

In the last four years, Foss says Nomorobo has become 98 percent accurate in keeping the bad calls out, while allowing legal robocallers like schools, police, and fire departments to get through.

Nomorobo recently became one top ten paid apps in the Apple App Store. It's currently being tested in the Android market, and should be available for all Android devices in June.

Pushing for better laws

For the last five years, State Rep. Bill Straus from New Bedford has been trying to pass stronger anti-robocall legislation. The proposed law would fine violators up to $10,000 for each unwanted call.

Don't forget to add your cell number to any and all state and federal do not call registries.  But remember, the registries only protect you from legitimate telemarketers.

Robocallers will continue to push our buttons, thankfully there are some ways to push back.