Robocalls in the United States
Americans receive an estimated four to five billion robocalls every month. Most are illegal under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, but enforcement is famously slow. Carriers now use STIR/SHAKEN to flag spoofed calls, but scammers move fast — the safest assumption is: if a recording is asking you to press a key, hang up.
Common signs
- Pre-recorded voice, often with a robotic or weirdly cheerful tone.
- "Press 1 to speak with…" prompts.
- A caller-ID that exactly matches your own area code and first three digits (neighbour spoofing).
- Generic offers: warranties, debt, refunds, free vacations.
Typical scripts
- "This is an urgent message regarding your vehicle's warranty."
- "Press 1 to lower your credit card interest rate."
- "Our records show you may qualify for student loan forgiveness."
What to do
- Never press any key, including the "remove me" option — it just confirms a live number.
- Enable carrier-side blocking: AT&T ActiveArmor, Verizon Call Filter, T-Mobile Scam Shield. All free.
- Add the number to GhostCallers and report it at donotcall.gov/report.
Search a number
If you've received one of these calls, search the number on GhostCallers to see what other people have reported.
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