7 ways to fight back against spam phone calls

Get the Full StoryConsumer advocates say unwanted phone calls have reached epidemic proportions.

Unwanted phone calls are out of control. Whether it s a robocall trying to sell you something or spam calls from scammers trying to rip you off, it s enough to make you want to stop answering your phone. So what can you do to stop them?The scourge of unwanted phone calls has been branded an epidemic by consumer groups, while the Federal Communications Commission says it s the top consumer complaint. The calls are a nuisance to many ordinary people, some of whom have complained to the Associated Press. I need help on getting spam calls to stop, one reader said in an email. She s getting up to 14 calls a day despite the countermeasures she s employed.As the name implies, robocalls are automated calls to deliver recorded messages to a large number of phones. A robocall purely to deliver a message or collect a debt is allowed under U.S. regulations, but the Federal Trade Commission says robocalls with a recorded voice trying to sell you something are illegal unless you ve given explicit written permission to receive them. Many robocalls are also probably scams, the FTC warns.If you re flooded by unsolicited calls, here are some ways to fight back.

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