Spam calls are more than an annoyance
We’ve all suffered from the inconvenience of unwanted phone calls, whether automated robocalls or more old-fashioned spam sales calls. And you can hardly have failed to notice that this age-old irritation is not getting any better. If anything, spam calls become more frequent with each passing year, as technology plays into the hands of the phone pests.
But irritation–being frequently interrupted in the middle of important work or social activities, for example, or missing an important call because you’re so used to ignoring the pests–is the least of your worries. Spam calls bring real dangers, and it’s crucial that you understand the risks.
Spam callers aren’t just trying to waste your time (although that’s a significant side effect). Some ‘merely’ want to persuade you to waste your money on substandard products or services, or to get more details in order to send you unwanted ads. And many have actively malicious intent; each time you answer their calls you are at risk of a phishing attack.
Such miscreants use spam calls as a way to phish for information that can be used in a wide range of scams and attacks; in other cases, the fact that you’re receiving spam calls indicates that your data is already doing the rounds among unscrupulous brokers. Some data brokers, shockingly, have been charged with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud for supplying lists of vulnerable people to scammers. Ultimately all of this could result in financial harm, reduced loan eligibility, higher insurance rates, identity theft, or the loss or exposure of sensitive data.
In other words, blocking spam calls–and addressing the unwanted data sharing behind them–isn’t just a question of convenience. It’s about protecting yourself from the attentions of criminals.
Incogni
How to stop the spam
Fortunately, you don’t need to put up with the situation. There are a number of simple steps you can take in response to the growing spam-call problem.
- Register your phone number(s) with the FTC’s National Do Not Call Registry. This is the first and simplest step to take, and may help a little… although it will only affect the ‘legitimate’ spammers who respect the rules. Still, it’s a start.
- Block the individual numbers used by spam callers; you can do this on iPhone by tapping the Info (“i”) button next to the number and selecting “Block this Caller.” This can be a useful tool when dealing with repeat offenders, but is likely to lead to a game of “whack-a-mole” as the spammers adapt and change their vector of attack. And again, this does not address the underlying problem of data exposure.
- Block all unknown numbers by going to Settings> Phone> Silence Unknown Callers. This is a far more powerful method and should drastically cut down the number of spam calls that make it through… but has the side effect of likely blocking legitimate calls too. For many, this will be too high a price.
- Remove your personal information from the sites and databases of data brokers: the companies and individuals who share your personal details with spammers, likely without informed consent. You can do this by sending opt-out requests to each broker, but this is likely to take a lot of time and effort and may not reach all the relevant parties. An alternative approach would be to call on the services of a data-removal service to send the opt-out requests on your behalf; such firms know exactly who to speak to in order to get the job done, and will save you the hassle of doing so.
How Incogni can help
Let’s focus on one specific data-removal service that can help you efficiently tackle the annoyance and danger of spam calls: Incogni.
Incogni is a service that exists to help customers remove their data from brokers’ lists and databases. This has the effect of drastically reducing both spam emails and spam calls, including robocalls. Your details will be removed from “people search” sites, which scrape the internet for your personal information and sell it to anyone who looks you up: employers, landlords, relatives, romantic partners. This can protect you from harassment, financial harm, and personal embarrassment.
Incogni
Sure, you could tackle some of these processes yourself. But it’s much more effective–and vastly less effort–if you let the experts manage things. Incogni handles all the interactions with brokers, from the initial opt-out requests to fighting rejected claims. (Needless to say, it’s in brokers’ interest to make data removal as difficult as possible.) By using this service you can scrub your data from the lists in a fraction of the time it would take to do so manually, and without any of the hassle. And even after the data is removed, Incogni will carry on sending the opt-out requests, since many brokers will merrily collect your information again after a short wait unless specifically told not to.
And for even more peace of mind, Incogni comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Best of all, thanks to a special deal for Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Macworld readers can get a one-year subscription with a stunning 55% discount. Just use the code MACWORLD to benefit from this outstanding deal!