With the number of spam and scam calls increasing all the time, identifying these callers and reducing the number of calls you get is a high priority. Spam calls are often nothing more than an interruption in the day, but a good scammer could easily cause significant damage if not detected quickly enough.

In this article, we will look at the differences between a spam call and a scam call, how to find out who is calling and how to reduce the number of unwanted calls you get. 

What is a Spam Call?

A spam call is legal, though it shares many of the same irritating traits as a scam call. Usually it is a telemarketer or a robocaller and they are legally bound to say who they are calling on behalf of and why they are calling. Most of the time, spam calls are just annoying and the best thing to do is simply hang up the phone. You may also wish to screen for callers when you don’t recognize the number and see if they leave you a message or not; if it’s spam, it’s unlikely that they will bother.

How to Identify a Scam Call

Scam calls are always illegal and have no right to be calling your number. They often pose as people you know such as friends or companies you are likely to trust such as technology support agents or the IRS. The main aim of a scammer is to persuade you to divulge personal information or to get you to send them money. Don’t give them a chance.

Who is Calling Me?

Finding out who is calling you is important if you want to work out whether a caller is real or if you want to report the caller to the authorities for an attempted scam. The easiest method is to use people search by Check Them. The is an online directory that uses only the phone number of the caller to trace a wide range of information including their location, name and even a picture from social media. This can help you to identify anyone who calls and decide whether they are genuine or not.

How to Reduce the Number of Calls You Get

The best way to deal with both spam and scam calls is to try and make your phone number harder to get a hold of. Though you might think that adding your number to the Do Not Call Registry is the only solution, it isn’t always the most effective thing you can do. Try Googling your phone number to see what comes up. This will show you where your phone number is vulnerable.

For example, if you use your cell phone for work, it’s likely that this number will be available to anyone online. Instead, you should have a phone specifically for work so that your private number remains just that. You might also have made your number available on social media, in which case, it is best practice to hide it.