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How do I stop scam calls to my parents' phone?

Short answer

Stop most scam calls in about thirty minutes: enable your carrier's free spam filtering, turn on 'Silence Unknown Callers' on iPhone or spam protection on Android, register the numbers at donotcall.gov, add a call-blocking device or provider service for landlines, and save trusted contacts so real callers show a name. Never press a key to opt out — it confirms the line is live.

Reviewed and updated by the Safe Retire Watch Research Team.

Part of our Phone scams hub.

Mobile phones: the exact settings

  1. 1Install and enable your carrier app: AT&T ActiveArmor, Verizon Call Filter, or T-Mobile Scam Shield. The free tiers block or label most known fraud numbers at the network level.
  2. 2iPhone: Settings → Apps → Phone → Silence Unknown Callers. Calls from numbers not in contacts go silently to voicemail.
  3. 3Android: Phone app → three dots → Settings → Spam and Call Screen → turn on 'See caller and spam ID' and 'Filter spam calls.'
  4. 4Save every legitimate contact — doctor, pharmacy, bank, family — so real calls ring through with a name.
  5. 5Turn on visual voicemail so messages are easy to review without calling back.

Landlines: what actually works

  • Ask the provider about free call-blocking services; most now offer network-level screening on request.
  • Add a standalone call blocker device that requires unknown callers to press a digit before the phone rings — highly effective against autodialers.
  • Consider an answering machine used as a screen: let it pick up, and answer only for known voices.
  • Turn the ringer down at night rather than unplugging, so emergency contact remains possible.

Registry, reporting, and expectations

  1. 1Register all numbers at donotcall.gov. Legitimate telemarketers must comply, which makes remaining unknown calls easier to classify as suspect.
  2. 2Report persistent numbers at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and inside the carrier spam app; carrier reports drive faster network blocking.
  3. 3Accept that no filter is perfect. Criminals rotate spoofed numbers constantly, so pair filtering with a hard household rule: unknown numbers go to voicemail.
  4. 4Check unfamiliar numbers with our free phone number reputation checker before returning a call.

Frequently asked questions

Does the Do Not Call Registry stop scam calls?

Not on its own. The registry binds legitimate telemarketers, and criminals ignore it. Its real value is diagnostic: once lawful marketing stops, almost every remaining unknown call is suspect, which makes a 'let it go to voicemail' rule much easier to follow.

Why do scam calls come from my own area code?

That is neighbor spoofing. Dialers fake a caller ID that matches the first six digits of your number, because local numbers are answered far more often. It tells you nothing about who is calling — a spoofed number can display any agency, business, or neighbor.

Should I change my parent's phone number?

It is a last resort. A new number reduces calls temporarily, but numbers are recirculated through data lists within months, and changing it disrupts doctors, pharmacies, and family. Filtering plus voicemail screening gives most of the benefit with none of the disruption.

Sources and further reading

Guidance on this page is based on current advisories from these authorities.

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