4 Steps To End Those Annoying Scam Texts and Calls You Get Every Day
If your caller ID shows “Spam Likely,” “Potential Scam” and overseas numbers, welcome to the club. According to the latest data from the YouMail Robocall Index, American phones received almost 4.2 billion unwanted automated calls in March of 2026 alone — that’s 135.7 million per day or 1,571 every second. Most come from scammers looking to pillage data and dollars.
A new MoneyLion survey of 998 American adults found that nearly one in five lucky respondents rarely receive scam calls and texts and the luckiest 4% never receive them at all. However, 9% get them monthly, 22% get them weekly and for more than 43%, it’s a daily bombardment.
If you’re among the maddened masses who can’t get a break from the bots, screaming at your phone won’t make it stop — although it does kind of feel good — but these tips can.
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Use Your Service Provider’s Tools
Your mobile carrier might offer the first and best defense through its integrated screening and security features, including identifying and blocking fraudulent and spam texts and calls. Nearly six in 10 respondents to the MoneyLion survey have never lost money to a scam and the following provider-based services can help you stay on their side of the survey.
AT&T ActiveArmor: Free for basic, $7 per month for premium
T-Mobile ScamShield: Free for basic, $4 per month for premium
Verizon Call Filter: Free for basic, $3.99 per month for premium
US Cellular Call Guardian: Free for basic, $3.99 per month for premium
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Consider Third-Party Apps
There’s no reason not to engage your mobile provider’s free anti-spam services, but before you upgrade to a paid version, consider apps available for iOS and Android, including:
These apps and others can offer more comprehensive protection than your carrier’s integrated tools, but sometimes at a higher cost through tiered pricing.
Silence Unknown Callers
CTIA (the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association) suggests blocking incoming spam calls and texts as they arrive, but as PC Mag notes, modern scammers can easily number-jump and the process is tedious and ineffective during periods of bombardment.
An easier approach might be to use your phone’s settings to silence unknown callers. It casts a wide net that can filter out legitimate communications, but they’ll still appear in your incoming calls and you’ll receive any voicemails that known and wanted callers leave.
Don’t Waste Your Time With the Do Not Call Registry
The Do Not Call Registry went live in 2003 and it might have worked wonders in the landline era. However, if you’ve registered your number to stop modern mobile spam, you've probably noticed it does absolutely nothing to stop the problem.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which manages the registry, concedes that registering your number prevents communications only from legitimate, registered telemarketers who comply with the law, not unscrupulous spammers — and certainly not illegal scammers.
Additionally, it doesn’t prevent incoming surveys or political, informational, charitable or debt collection calls.
This article was provided by MoneyLion.com for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, legal, or tax advice.
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