Robocalls: what they are and how to stop them
A recorded voice instead of a human, a prompt to "press 1," or silence after you pick up — here's what robocalls are and how to cut down on them.
What a robocall is
A robocall is an automated call where a pre-recorded message or a voice bot speaks instead of a live agent. An auto-dialing system places these calls to thousands of numbers at once, which makes them extremely cheap per number — hence the sheer volume.
Why they're made
Some robocalls are legitimate — appointment reminders, delivery notifications, or bank alerts. But a large share is unsolicited advertising, surveys used to build a list of "live" numbers, or outright scams: a bot asks you to press a digit to be connected to an "agent" who then tries to defraud you.
Why there are so many
Automated dialing costs almost nothing per number, and caller ID spoofing lets scammers dodge blocks — once a number gets flooded with complaints, they simply switch to a new one. That makes robocalls one of the most persistent forms of spam.
How to cut down on robocalls
- Don't press any digit the robot suggests — doing so confirms the number is active and invites more calls
- Block the number in your Phone app right after the call
- Turn on spam detection in your phone settings or your carrier's app
- Check the number on KtoTam.to — mass robocall numbers pick up complaints from other users fast
- Never call back a number that robocalled you