Robocalls in the United States are out of control. In fact, approximately 2,000 robocalls are placed every second. Robocalls, which are prerecorded messages delivered to landlines and cell phones by way of computerized auto dialers, run the gamut from annoying to fraudulent. Luckily, there are several things consumers can do to fight back against robocalls.
Spotting illegal robocalls
Most robocalls attempt to sell customers something. Sales robocalls are illegal. The only exception to this is if a customer has given a company prior consent to place such calls. However, simply purchasing a product or contacting a business with a question does not constitute permission to place robocalls. If you receive a prerecorded sales message without permission, the sender of the message is breaking the law.
Stopping illegal robocalls
Not only are most robocalls illegal, but many of them are scams. In order to stop illegal and fraudulent robocalls, you should take the following steps:
Hang up immediately: A simple way to avoid robocall scams is to hang up immediately. If you pick up the phone and hear a prerecorded sales message, hang up the phone. Don’t provide any information. Don’t press a button to (supposedly) remove your name from a list. Just hang up.
Block the number: After receiving a robocall, block the number. Your options for blocking robocalls will differ depending on the model of phone you have, your service provider, and whether you use a landline or cell phone. Blocking robocall numbers will help ensure that you aren’t caught off guard by future calls.
Report the call: Finally, after hanging up, report the call. There are multiple ways to do this, including:
- Report the call to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The FTC provides telecommunications companies and other entities with the numbers of known robocallers. The FTC collects these phone numbers from consumer complaints. Therefore, the more that information that consumers provide, the more efficient the authorities and phone companies become at fighting robocalls. This results in fewer robocalls for everyone.
- Report the call to the Better Business Bureau. The Better Business Bureau shares robocall phone scam information with government and law enforcement agencies to help them combat illegal calls.
- Contact a Florida TCPA attorney. Finally, if you’re sick and tired of unsolicited robocalls, you need an experienced Florida TCPA attorney on your side. Not only will our experienced attorney help you report your information to the appropriate authorities, but he will vigorously pursue financial compensation on your behalf. Experienced TCPA attorney Seth Lehrman represents individuals who have received unsolicited robocalls and texts in TCPA cases in Florida and nationwide. If your TCPA claim is successful, you can receive up to $1500 for each documented violation of the TCPA law. Therefore, if you’re ready to take a stand against unwanted robocalls, please contact us today for a free consultation.