This article was co-authored by Naveh Ben Dror and by wikiHow staff writer, Hannah Dillon. Naveh Ben Dror is a Social Media Security Expert and the CEO of Spikerz based in Tel Aviv, Israel. Naveh and his team provide social media protection for content creators, businesses, and enterprises. His professional background is in international brand marketing and e-commerce. Naveh received both his Bachelor of Law and MBA from Reichman University.
There are 8 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.
This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources.
Are you getting a lot of calls that say "Spam Risk" on your caller ID? If so, you might be wondering if it's actually spam or if it means something else. Spam risk means that the person calling you is likely a spammer, and you should ignore the call entirely. In this article we'll go over everything you need to know about spam risk calls, including what to do if you pick one up, how to stop them, and what you should do if your number is marked as spam.
What "Spam Risk" Means on Caller ID
"Spam Risk" on your caller ID means the number calling you is likely a spammer. Avoid answering these calls, as picking up the phone can signify that your number is active and can lead to even more spam calls. If you pick up a spam risk phone call, hang up immediately.
Steps
Steps to Take if You Answer a Spam Call
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Hang up immediately. If the caller starts to say something or is asking you to complete some instructions, ignore them.[5] Ideally, you should hang up before the spammer gets a chance to say anything.
- If you're expecting a call from a number not in your contacts list, you can check your call log to see which number called you. If the number is unfamiliar, don't call them back.
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Never say the word "yes." Spammers may ask you a question at the start of the call, such as "Can you hear me?" If you say yes, they may save the recording of you saying "yes" and use it without you knowing.[6]
- You should never say anything to a spammer on the phone. Ignore them and hang up as soon as you realize it's a spam call.
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Don't give out any personal information. Never give a spammer your personal information, including your full name, phone number, address, or social security number.
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Never send money to a phone spammer. Even if the spammer is threatening you, don't send them money. Phone spammers are relying on you to panic and send the money out of fear, so they may pressure you to think quickly so you give in.
- According to Naveh Ben Dror, social media security expert and CEO of Spikerz, it's a major red flag when someone you don't know on the phone is asking for a wire transfer. Hang up and report the caller to the FTC as soon as you get off the line.
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Report the caller to the FTC. Go to the FTC Do Not Call Registry page and click Report Unwanted Calls. Provide as much information about the call as you can when submitting your report.
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Contact your financial institution if you sent money to a spammer. If you already paid the person behind the spam call, you will need to contact the following authorities based on how you paid:[7]
- Credit or debit card: Contact your bank or card issuer and let them know there was a fraudulent charge on your account and that you need it reversed.
- Gift card: Contact the gift card issuer and explain the situation. Ask for your money back. Be sure to keep a copy of the gift card and receipt.
- Wire transfer: Contact your bank or the wire transfer company and explain that you sent a fraudulent transfer and that you need the transfer reversed.
- Payment app: If you used money stored in the payment app, contact the app and explain the situation and that you need the payment reversed. If you used a credit or debit card connected to your payment app, contact your bank or card issuer instead of the payment app.
- Cryptocurrency: Contact the company you used to send the cryptocurrency and explain the situation, and ask for the payment to be reversed.
- Cash: If you sent cash via the United States Postal Service, call the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (877-876-2455). Explain the situation and ask if they can intercept the package. If you used a different delivery service, call that service immediately and explain the situation, then ask for next steps.
- Unauthorized bank transfer: Contact your bank and let them know there was an unauthorized transfer or debit from your account, then ask them to reverse the transaction.
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Take fast action if you gave a spammer your account info or SSN. If you already gave the caller your information, you will need to do one of the following:
- Username and password: Change your username and password immediately. If your email account is attached to the account, change the username and password of every account also connected to that email (as well as the email account's username and password too). Consider using a password manager to set up strong passwords that are different for each website.
- Social Security Number: Go to https://www.identitytheft.gov/ and report what happened to get assistance for your situation.
Stopping "Spam Risk" Calls
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Don't pick up calls from numbers not in your contacts. If a real person is calling you, they will leave a message. If you're expecting a call from a number that you don't have in your contacts list, consider adding the number to your contacts so you know it's safe to pick up, even if it's just temporarily.
- Some scammers do leave messages. However, these messages are usually silent or the caller is using a robotic voice.
- The contents of the message are also usually suspicious, such as a warning about not making a payment for a service you're not signed up for, or a notification of a purchase that you know you didn't make.
- Some scammers do leave messages. However, these messages are usually silent or the caller is using a robotic voice.
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Don't talk to the spammer if you pick up. If you accidentally pick up a spam call, hang up immediately. Don't say anything and don't follow any instructions the spammer gives you.
- Some spammers will try to get you to push a button to make the spam calls stop. Don't do it, as this can actually make the calls more frequent.
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Enable your phone's spam blocking features. Both iPhones and Androids allow you to silence spam calls. They won't block the calls completely, but they won't notify you that they're occurring.
- iPhone: Go to Settings > Phone > Silence Unknown Callers
- Android: Set the Phone by Google app as your default phone app. Then, within the Phone by Google app, open the app's settings and go to Spam and Call Screen. Toggle on See caller & spam ID and Filter spam calls.
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Research your carrier's spam blocking options. Both mobile and landline carriers have options to block scam calls. If you want to block spam calls on your landline, contact your provider for more information. For mobile carriers, they usually have an app you can download to help block more spam calls. We've listed some of the most popular ones below:
- AT&T: ActiveArmor app
- T-Mobile: ScamShield app
- U.S. Cellular: Call Guardian app
- Verizon: Call Filter app
Expert Q&A
Tips
References
- ↑ https://www.expressvpn.com/blog/what-is-spam-risk/
- ↑ https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/stop-unwanted-robocalls-and-texts
- ↑ https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2023/12/how-are-robocallers-getting-your-phone-number
- ↑ https://www.callcontrol.com/how-carriers-label-spam-callers
- ↑ https://www.verizon.com/about/account-security/robocalls
- ↑ https://usa.kaspersky.com/resource-center/definitions/what-are-robocalls
- ↑ https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/phone-scams#whattodo
- ↑ https://www.spectrum.net/support/home-phone/my-phone-number-coming-spam