My grandmother gets frequent calls from random companies trying to sell her things. Since she's older, she tends to answer every call, and the unwanted calls are making her increasingly frustrated. I'm not sure whether her number was added to marketing lists or whether scammers are simply dialing random numbers. What practical steps can I take to reduce these calls and help her handle unknown callers safely?
4 Answers
For a simple setup, give trusted people a distinctive ringtone and keep the default ringtone silent or muted for everyone else. That way she can notice calls from family without being interrupted every time a random number comes in. Also remind her never to share passwords, verification codes, banking details, or personal information with an unexpected caller.
Registering the number with your country’s official do-not-call list may reduce calls from legitimate telemarketers, although it will not stop scammers who ignore the rules. You can also ask her phone provider about spam filtering and consider opting out of marketing through data-broker services where available.
The most effective habit is to stop answering unknown numbers. Enable the phone’s built-in call-screening feature if it has one, or set unknown callers to go straight to voicemail. Legitimate callers can leave a message, while most robocalls will not get through. Make sure important contacts are saved so their calls still ring normally.
Check whether her phone provider offers call control or call screening. Some services ask callers to press a randomly chosen number before connecting, which blocks many automated dialing systems. You can usually add family, doctors, and other important contacts to a trusted-number list so they bypass the screening.
A separate number that only family and important contacts have can help too. Keep the public or older number for less important calls, and let unknown callers go through screening or voicemail.
Caller ID and number blocking are limited because scammers often spoof local numbers, so blocking each number usually won’t solve the problem by itself.