Why Am I Getting So Many Spam Calls?

6 Reasons You’re Getting Spam Calls

You may be receiving spam calls because your phone number has been shared, sold, or compromised in ways that you might not even realize. In late 2023, background-checking company National Public Data exposed billions of lines of personal information, including cell phone numbers.

But even if your data hasn’t been exposed in a breach, you’re not necessarily in the clear. Only 66% of phone companies comply with federal laws requiring spoofed robocall defense standards (STIR/SHAKEN).

And breaches and weak security protocols aren’t the only ways scammers get your phone number.

1. Lead generators, data brokers sold your number

Data brokers scrape the internet for publicly available information about you and sell it to marketers. Lead generators take this a step further, compiling public data (or that from brokers) into prospect lists for sales teams.

While most of this data goes to legitimate businesses, scammers can get a hold of it through breaches and resell it on the Dark Web. Some data collection companies don’t just sell information — they mislead people in order to get it.

Lead generator Response Tree LLC, for example, managed over 50 websites that tricked consumers into providing their personal information for mortgage refinancing loans. The company then sold that data to telemarketers, who made millions of illegal telemarketing and robocalls.

2. Robocalls masquerade as telemarketing calls

Telemarketing calls come from marketers trying to sell you products from a (usually) legitimate company. Scammers try to mimic these sales calls by using pre-recorded audio to get you to buy a product or follow up with a company. As a result, many are tagged as “telemarketing” and slip through your phone’s spam filter.

The majority of these calls are designed to redirect you to a scammer. U.S. consumers receive ~4 billion scam calls per month.

3. Your phone number is being sold on the Dark Web

The Dark Web is full of illegal marketplaces and forums where cybercriminals buy and sell data from breaches, fake websites, and phishing scams. This data can include personally identifiable information (PII) like your phone number or Social Security number (SSN).

In 2023, the FBI arrested Connor Brian Fitzpatrick, who they believed ran “BreachForums,” an online marketplace for buying and selling personal data. Right before Fitzpatrick’s arrest, a hacker used BreachForums to sell the personal data of American politicians that was stolen in a healthcare provider breach.

Aura’s free leaked password scanner can help you discover whether your personal information is for sale on the Dark Web.

If you want to keep a closer eye on your data, Aura’s Dark Web monitoring service will scan the Dark Web regularly and send you notifications if any of your information is leaked.

4. More than one third of phone companies still don’t have robocall-fighting technology

And scammers know it. They use 1-800 numbers (or a number with your area code) to pose as someone important or familiar — like a neighbor, a customer service agent from a company you use, or an IRS representative.

Often, they get away with this because the number looks legitimate. Frontier Communications customers, for instance, must add a specific feature pack to get call blocking on their phone plan. But even then, the options are limited:

• Rejecting calls from callers who block their caller ID.
• Blocking calls from any number on your rejection list (which you have to create).
• Accepting calls from a special list of callers (which you also have to create).

Other providers, like T-Mobile, have automatic “Scam Likely” labels for suspected spam or scam calls to help you filter out dangerous callers. They also use network-level protection to stop neighborhood spoofing and hijacked numbers before they reach your phone.

5. You’ve answered spam calls in the past

Answering a spam call signals to scammers that your number is active. Once marked as “live,” you may receive even more calls from different numbers.

If you receive a call from an unknown number, let it go to voicemail. If you accidentally pick up, avoid answering any questions — especially if the call starts with a prompt like, “Hello, can you hear me?” Simply hang up.

6. You added your phone number to a social media profile

Scammers often check publicly available records to find people’s contact details. So wherever possible, avoid putting your number online.

Consider using a secondary phone number (like Google Voice) when signing up for online services and accounts — even on trusted platforms. In 2019, Facebook was fined $5 billion for using phone numbers from two-factor authentication (2FA) codes for targeted ads.

How To Stop Spam Calls

Scammers will only stop calling when they believe your number is inactive or not worth their time.

If they never get a response — no answer, no voicemail, no engagement — they may eventually move on. But if you pick up, even once, or interact with their messages, they’ll mark your number as active and keep trying. Some robocalls even use "opt-out" prompts as a trick to confirm you're real.

The best way to get scammers to leave you alone? Ignore, block, and avoid any interaction.

Do not answer calls from unknown numbers

If you accidentally answer an unsolicited call, avoid responding at all costs — don’t even reply by pressing a button on your phone. Sometimes pre-recorded messages instruct recipients to press a number to stop getting the calls. This is just another way for scammers to see if your phone number is active.

Don’t rely on your caller ID, either. Scammers can spoof contact information to dupe you into believing that a call is from a friend or family member — even your doctor’s office.

Before you enter your personal information on a site, research it

Never give out personal information — such as account numbers, passwords, credit card numbers, answers to security questions, or your SSN — without verifying a site’s authenticity.

• Double-check the domain name and homepage for typos.
• Make sure the URL has a digital encryption certificate. It should start with “https://.” 
• Confirm that the contact page lists a bonafide support phone number, email, address, and FAQs.

In general, be wary of giving out more information than absolutely necessary. Even legitimate companies include clauses in their terms and conditions that let them sell your data to third parties.

And if they suffer a breach, having less of your data exposed makes it harder for scammers to target you with spam calls or identity theft.

Use robocall blocking and labeling tools from your phone carrier

Most mobile phone service providers have apps or services that can label and filter out spam callers. Here are the call blocking tools for major wireless providers:

• AT&T ActiveArmor (Android, iPhone)
• T-Mobile Scam Shield (Android, iPhone)
• Verizon Call Filter (Android, iPhone)
• U.S. Cellular Call Guardian (Android, iPhone)

While you’re at it, add your number to the National Do Not Call Registry. Though charities, political groups, and surveyors will still be able to call you, telemarketers will not.

Head to DoNotCall.gov, click on Register, and then add your mobile and landline numbers.

📚 Related: Scammer Phone Number Lookup: How To Find Out Who's Calling You →

Enable your phone’s built-in features to block spam calls

Most modern smartphones include features in their phone settings that block or silence spam calls. Just keep in mind that these functions can cause you to miss important calls and messages from people who are not in your contacts list. The numbers will still show up in your call logs and voicemail, so you can call back later.

Apple iOS users can:

Block suspicious numbers

• On your phone: Tap Recents → Tap the info button → Tap Block this Caller.
• On FaceTime: Tap the info button → Tap Block this Caller.

Silence unknown callers

• Open Settings.
• Select Phone. 
• Toggle the Silence Unknown Callers feature to On. 

Android users can:

Block suspicious numbers

• Open the Phone app.
• Tap More → Call history.
• Tap the number you want to block.
• Tap Block/report spam.

Block private or unidentified numbers

• Open your Phone app.
• Tap More → Settings → Blocked numbers.
• Toggle on Unknown.

Download a third-party call blocking app

Your carrier’s call filtering services aren’t 100% effective. Third-party apps promise to block robocalls and spam, but some call blocking services collect and share a lot of personal data about you — which could mean getting more spam calls if you’re not careful.

The two most highly recommended and privacy-friendly call blockers include:

• Robokiller (Android, iPhone), which blocks incoming calls and pre-recorded messages. It costs $4.99 per month or $39.99 per year.
• Nomorobo (Android, iPhone). The basic plan ($1.99 per month) stops illegal robocalls, and the Max plan ($4.17 per month) stops unwanted calls, robocalls, and spoofed numbers. 

However, it’s hard to judge how effective these apps are, especially when there’s more proactive artificial intelligence-powered call screen options available, like Aura.

Aura’s AI-powered Call Assistant scans incoming calls and text messages before you receive them and checks for suspicious links, typical scam language, and known spam numbers. If Aura finds any signs of potential spam, it blocks those callers and sends them to your voicemail.

Report illegal robocalls

According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), any robocall trying to sell you something is illegal — unless you’ve given the company explicit permission to call you.

Earlier this year, the FCC also made AI voice technology in robocalls illegal. Before this ruling, State Attorneys Generals could only go after scammers for the fraud they were attempting to perpetrate. Now, they can pursue crooks just for the act of using generative AI to create the voices they use in robocalls.

To report an illegal robocall:

• Contact the FTC. Call 1-877-382-4357 or file a complaint online at ftc.gov/complaint. 
• Contact the FCC. Make a phone complaint online at consumercomplaints.fcc.gov/. 
• Report Do Not Call List violations to the FTC. Once your number has been added to the NDNC Registry for 31 days, you can report any unwanted calls at DoNotCall.gov. Take note of the number that called you and any number left in a voicemail.
• Contact your state attorney general. Find their contact information here.

Remove your phone number from data broker lists

If you find that your number (or anything else) is up for sale on any people search sites, you can follow their opt-out processes to remove your personal information. The reality is that with hundreds of data brokers operating in the United States, keeping your contact information truly private is nearly impossible.

The good news is that Aura’s identity theft protection service can automatically scan data broker lists for your personal information and request removal on your behalf.