Phone feature can outsmart annoying spam calls from unknown numbers

We all know that feeling of having missed from strange numbers you don’t know.

These phone calls are often from scammers who now have the ability to mask their spam with local, genuine-looking phone numbers in attempt to steal your money or personal information.

Thankfully there are a few ways you can fight back against those random, suspect numbers.

BLOCK INDIVIDUAL NUMBERS ONE BY ONE

This won’t stop you getting harassed by robocalls and spammers, but you do get the instant satisfaction of knowing a particular number will never be able to call you again.

To do this in iOS, head to ‘Recents’, tap the blue information icon to the right of the number you want to block and tap ‘Block this Caller’.

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For Android, go to the ‘Recents’ section of the ‘Phone’ app, select the number and choose block

It’s worth noting that this will only work for numbers that have already called you and will have no result blocking scammers using a private number.

THE NUCLEAR OPTION

You can stop all unwanted calls from ringing your phone by only allowing calls from your contact list. This does mean you could miss a call you likely wanted to catch if the number was not saved, but if you have tried everything else the option is always there.

To do this in iOS, go to Settings, then tap on “Do Not Disturb” then select “Allow Calls From” then “All Contacts”.

For Android, go to “Setting”, then "Do Not Disturb” then limit calls to your contacts like the iPhone.

BUY A SAMSUNG OR GOOGLE

Samsung’s Galaxy S and Note smartphones automatically flag suspected spam calls with a feature known as Smart Call.

When a strange number calls your phone, the device will flag it as safe, suspected spam, or fraud.

When it's unsavoury, you can easily block the call and take further action by reporting it.

The Google Pixel has a similar feature which will turn the entire screen red as an easy visual reference not to answer the call whenever a known spammer dials your number.

Both features can be turned on in Call Settings, although just don’t expect them to perfect.

JOIN THE DO NOT CALL REGISTER

The Do Not Call Register is a free service where consumers can securely register their home, mobile or fax numbers for free to reduce unsolicited telemarketing calls.

However, the registry only covers sales calls, and marketers who abide by it.

USE A THIRD-PARTY APP

Similar to the Samsung and Google feature, several apps also have the ability identifying spam numbers and pre-emptively blocking them.

One of the more impressive apps known as Hiya will automatically block problematic numbers and "neighbour scams" –  spoofed numbers that look like they are coming from a familiar area code.

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