Understanding How Scam Calls Work

Scam calls are a growing problem in the United States. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Americans lost over $8.6 billion to fraud in 2023, with phone scams representing a significant portion of that total. Understanding how these scams operate is the first step in protecting yourself.

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Scammers use various techniques to make their calls appear legitimate. They may use caller ID spoofing technology, which allows them to display a fake phone number on your screen. Often, they'll use numbers that look similar to yours—same area code or first few digits—because research shows people are more likely to answer calls from numbers they recognize. The FTC reports that caller ID spoofing accounts for a substantial percentage of fraudulent calls received each day.

Common types of scam calls include:

  • IRS and tax-related scams claiming you owe money or are entitled to refunds
  • Tech support scams warning of viruses on your computer or phone
  • Utility company scams threatening service disconnection
  • Prize and lottery scams claiming you've won something you never entered
  • Banking and payment scams requesting account information or verification
  • Healthcare scams involving insurance companies or pharmacies
  • Grandparent scams targeting older adults with emotional appeals for money

Scammers often use psychological tactics to pressure you into acting quickly without thinking. They create fake urgency, express anger or authority, or appeal to your emotions. They may threaten legal action, account closure, or claim you'll miss out on benefits. Understanding these pressure tactics helps you stay calm when you receive such calls.

Key Takeaway: Legitimate businesses rarely call to demand immediate payment or threaten action. Knowing the common tactics scammers use makes you less vulnerable to their pressure.

Built-In Phone Features for Blocking and Filtering Calls

Both Android and iPhone devices include built-in features designed to reduce unwanted calls and protect your phone. These tools don't require you to pay anything or add another application—they come standard with your device.

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For iPhone users, Apple offers several call filtering and blocking options. The "Silence Unknown Callers" feature automatically sends calls from numbers not in your contacts to voicemail while still allowing calls from people you know through. This setting is found in the Phone app settings. You can also block specific numbers manually by opening a recent call or message from that number, selecting the information icon, and choosing "Block this Caller." Additionally, Siri can be set to filter known spam calls, and you can mark calls as spam directly from your recent calls list.

Android devices provide similar functionality through their native Phone app. Most Android phones include a "Spam Protection" feature that automatically identifies and blocks calls flagged as spam. You can access this in your Phone app settings and enable the "Filter spam calls" option. Like iPhone, you can block individual numbers by long-pressing on a call in your history and selecting block options. Some Android phones, particularly those made by Samsung or Google, have additional features like "Call Screen" which shows you a transcript of what a caller is saying before you decide to answer.

These built-in features work by checking incoming calls against databases of known spam numbers and using algorithms to detect characteristics common to spam calls. The technology continues to improve as more data is collected about fraudulent calling patterns.

Additional phone settings that provide protection include:

  • Do Not Disturb mode, which lets only people in your contacts reach you
  • Contact-only calling, which restricts calls to saved numbers
  • Voicemail-to-text transcription, which helps you identify legitimate messages quickly
  • Call recording features (where legal) to document suspicious calls

Key Takeaway: Your phone already has built-in tools to block and filter unwanted calls. Enabling these features in your settings takes just a few minutes and provides significant protection without additional cost.

Third-Party Apps and Services for Enhanced Protection

Beyond your phone's built-in features, numerous free and paid applications offer additional layers of protection against scam calls. These apps use different technologies and databases to identify and block unwanted calls, and many offer information about incoming numbers before you answer.

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Popular free options include TrueCaller, which displays caller information and lets you block numbers; RoboKiller, which screens calls and blocks known robocalls; and Nomorobo, which filters calls based on community reports. Each of these apps maintains databases of known scam numbers that are constantly updated. When you receive a call, the app checks it against these databases and either blocks it automatically or alerts you that it's potentially suspicious.

Google's Phone app, available on many Android devices, includes a "Call Screen" feature that can identify and filter spam calls. This feature has been reported to block around 99.9% of spam and robocalls according to Google's data. Similarly, some carriers like T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T offer built-in spam filtering services, some included free with your plan and others as paid upgrades.

When choosing a third-party app, consider these factors:

  • Whether the app is available for your phone type (iOS, Android, or both)
  • If it requires a subscription or offers free functionality
  • What permissions it requests (some apps need access to your contacts or call history)
  • User reviews and ratings on app stores
  • Whether it offers additional features like reverse phone lookup or call recording
  • How recently the app is updated and maintained by its developer

Many of these apps also provide information about why a call is being flagged, show you a community report of complaints about a number, or let you report numbers as spam yourself. This crowdsourced information helps improve the protection for all users of the app.

Key Takeaway: Free third-party apps can provide additional filtering beyond your phone's built-in features, using different technologies and larger databases of known scam numbers. Choosing one that matches your needs adds another layer of protection.

Understanding Caller ID and Verification Information

Caller ID technology displays phone numbers and sometimes names when someone calls you. However, caller ID information is not always accurate, which is why understanding its limitations is important for protecting yourself from scams.

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Caller ID spoofing is a technique where scammers falsify the information displayed on your phone screen. According to the FTC, this is one of the most common tactics used in phone scams. A scammer might display your own phone number, a local number that matches your area code, or the number of a well-known company like a bank or government agency. Technology that enables spoofing is inexpensive and readily available, making it simple for fraudsters to use.

What you see on caller ID may include:

  • The phone number
  • The associated name or business (if available in public databases)
  • A "Spam Risk" or "Spam Likely" label (added by your carrier or phone)
  • A contact name if the number is saved in your phone
  • Geographic information about where the number is registered

Just because caller ID shows a legitimate business name or local number doesn't mean the call is genuine. Legitimate companies like your bank, the IRS, and utility companies rarely initiate contact via unsolicited phone calls for sensitive matters. If you're unsure whether a call is real, you can hang up and call the organization directly using a phone number from their official website or a bill you've received.

Phone number verification apps provide additional context about incoming calls by cross-referencing numbers against public records, user reports, and known scam databases. When a call comes in, these services may show you information about the number's origin, whether others have reported it as spam, and what type of organization it's associated with. However, this information isn't always complete or current, so it should be one factor among several when deciding whether to answer or trust a caller.

Key Takeaway: Don't rely solely on caller ID to determine if a