Technology has many pros and cons. For instance, technology allows us to find almost anything we would ever need to know instantly. But technology has its downsides, too. For consumers, one of them is the rise of robocalls.
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In 2021 alone, Americans received 50 billion robocalls, according to a report from the robocall index YouMail. That’s about 151 calls per year per person. And that assumes every person in the U.S. has a phone number.
Robocalls can be dangerous, too, not only due to the call itself but because they can lead to people being the target of more scam attempts. If you answer a robocall, here are some steps to take, and since robocalls are increasingly common, we’ll also cover things to consider if you receive one in the future.
If You Answer: Do Nothing
When it comes to robocalls, the general rule is to simply not answer. If the number calling is not in your contacts and you otherwise don’t recognize it, just ignore it.
But what if you do pick up the phone? In that case, it’s best just to do nothing according to Ray Walsh, a digital privacy expert at ProPrivacy. “Robocall scams often try to convince victims to press an extension on their phone to be forwarded to a human operator,” Walsh says. “Pressing these keys will often switch you onto a premium line that causes you to incur expensive charges on…
