Spam or unwanted calls are an increasingly growing annoyance for the average American.
According to data from TrueCaller, the average person with a working phone number gets nine unsolicited calls per month, and Americans spent an estimated 9.7 million days answering these calls in just one year, from July 2023 to June 2024.
The website also reported that these calls will usually come from robocalls, scammers, and telemarketers, and the most common scams are related to credit card fraud, identity theft, and car warranties.
To find some peace, Americans are increasingly turning to call-blocking apps and reporting systems. However, one woman on TikTok says there are other, more efficient ways to reduce the number of unsolicited phone calls.
How to stop getting spam calls
In her video, TikTok user Isabelle (@belle.pepper) shared her tips on how to reduce unwanted spam calls, drawing from her previous experience working at a call center.
“Now that I don’t make basically spam calls for a living, I’m gonna give you guys a couple of tips on how to reduce them,” she begins, though she admits, “ideally stop them all, but that seems unlikely.”
Isabelle first suggests viewers sign up for the federal Do Not Call list.
“A lot of people don’t know this is a thing,” she explains.
She encourages her audience to “literally click off this video right now, go to donotcall.gov, and register your phone number.”
However, Isabelle adds that while the registry helps stop unsolicited telemarketers, it won’t prevent calls from charities, political campaigns, or surveys.
In order to get rid of those, Isabelle warns viewers to be wary of entering their phone numbers on different websites.
“If you put your phone number in, that website is now selling your phone number to tens of other companies,” she explains, adding that this one simple action leads to “a million different companies calling you a million times a day.”
For those still receiving calls after signing up for the Do Not Call list, Isabelle recommends a direct approach.
“Pick up, make sure there’s a real person there, and say, ‘Stop calling me, take me off your calling list,’ then hang up.” She stresses the importance of not staying on the line, as the callers may try to convince you otherwise.
“If they call you again after that, say, ‘I already said, take me off your list. I’m gonna sue you,’” she continues. According to Isabelle, the threat of legal action often stops persistent callers, as “they don’t want to get sued.”
‘Stop calling me’
Isabelle states that while suing companies can be a difficult process, compensation is possible.
“You can get a couple of thousand dollars, but most people don’t because it’s hard and annoying to do,” she states.
Toward the end of the video, Isabelle suggests using tools like call blockers, though she warns these can block necessary calls as well.
She concludes the video by saying that while her tips may not be foolproof, they can help reduce the number of unwanted calls significantly.
“Basically, the key is to say, ‘Stop calling me,’ and then just hang up,” she states.
Can you actually sue telemarketers?
Under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), threatening to sue persistent unwanted callers is a valid strategy.
According to ConsumerLawPartner, a telemarketer could have to pay up to $1,500 if they call someone on the Do Not Call list, make a call after hours, or fail to identify themselves as telemarketers. Many consumers use this as leverage to stop unwanted calls for good.
However, just as Isabelle said in her video, the process of actually going through with it could be tedious and time-consuming, plus detailed call log records of the complainant.
In the comments, some users were thankful for the advice, while others had better techniques under their belt to share.
“i just picked “silence unknown callers” in my settings,” wrote one user. “Phone never rings for unsaved numbers, and if it’s a real phone call they leave a voicemail.”
“Now how do I stop the texts telling me that I can’t deliver stuff from USPS,” asked another user. Isabelle responded, “Scams unfortunately. All you can do is block the number.”
“What I do is answer, but then mute the call. Right off the bat,” wrote a third. “If it’s a human they’re gonna be confused and say hello, but a PC will just not hear anything think the # is bad and mark it as not good.”
@belle.pepper ♬ original sound – isabelle
The Daily Dot reached out to Isabelle (@belle.pepper) via TikTok and Instagram direct messaging for comment.
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