Robocalls increasing, what to do about them

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (WNDU) - We are working to learn more about an uptick in robocalls and what to do if scammers are calling you.

If you have noticed an increase in the number of spam calls you are receiving, you’re not alone.

One Michiana couple says, at one point, they were receiving nearly ten calls in a matter of hours from some oddly familiar numbers.

“Two names were people that we knew right here in Granger, and I’m sure they must have gotten them out of the telephone book because both of those people are dead.”

According to the Better Business Bureau of Northern Indiana, there are several reasons why you may be seeing more unknown callers showing up on your phone.

Just like many others, scammers are trying to bounce back from the pandemic and are increasing calls to make more money.

Another reason could be if your number is not active on the do not call list, so it’s important to update that on a routine basis, and as we continue to learn the tactics of scammers, they come up with new ones.

“Scammers are getting really smart, and they are starting to be able to spoof area codes. They’re able to spoof numbers. What we see a lot are local businesses that will get calls from people that are like, ‘you just called me about something,’ and the business is like, ‘no we actually didn’t call you,’” Northern Indiana BBB Communications Director Nichole Thomas said.

So what should you do if you’re getting spam calls? The BBB recommends just letting the unknown numbers go to voicemail, but if you do end up answering, hang up as soon as possible.

Block that number in your phone settings to keep them from calling you back, and then report the number to either the FDC or BBB.

“We recommend report, report, report because right now there is no national clearinghouse for scam reporting where everybody can put all their scam reports,” Thomas said.

When it comes to robocalls, most importantly, make sure to keep your personal information private.

“If you get swept into the scam, the most important thing to remember is to not share any information with anyone on the other line because you don’t know who that really is,” Thomas said.

To visit BBB’s scam tracker, you can visit their website here.

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