How Can You Stop Robocalls from Auto Dealerships on Your Cell Phone?

If you’re tired of receiving robocalls on your cell phone, you’re not alone. According to the Federal Communications Commission, unwanted calls are the number one consumer complaint.

As technology has advanced, telemarketers have become more savvy, too. One way you may be tricked into answering a robocall is if the number that shows up on caller ID is a “spoofed” phone number.

What Is Spoofing?

Caller ID spoofing
means the number that appears on caller ID is not the phone number the person is actually calling from. Spoofing technology allows the caller to change the information sent to caller ID.

In other cases, telemarketers will commit “neighbor spoofing,” which means they could be calling you from anywhere in the world, but the caller ID phone number will appear to be from your area code.

When a call is from your own area code, you’re less likely to associate it with a scam, which means you’re more apt to answer it. By getting you to answer the call in the first place, the scammer is one step closer to scamming you.

Caller ID spoofing is legal unless the action is intended to cause harm, to defraud or to wrongfully secure something of value. A person or company found guilty of illegal spoofing may be forced to pay penalties of $10,000 per spoofed call or text found in violation of the law.

Are Offenders of Unwanted Calls in Violation of the Law?

You may receive unwanted calls from car dealerships, glass repair companies, car warranty companies, or health insurance salespeople, all of whom want to sell you something at best or scam you at worst.

Companies that send unwanted text messages or unwanted phone calls could be held in violation of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, which prohibits unwanted electronic communication unless a consumer has provided express written permission to receive such calls or texts.

At least one car dealership has been sued in a class action lawsuit because it allegedly left “ringless” voicemails on the cell phones of consumers. Such phone calls never ring, but go directly to your phone’s voicemail system where a prerecorded message takes up space on your phone.

Violations of the TCPA can result in fines of $1,500 per violation if the business is found to have made the calls or texts in willful violation of the law.

How Can You Block Robocalls on Your Cell Phone?

The FCC has committed hundreds of millions of dollars to enforce the laws against illegal robocalls. As spammers learn more advanced technology that helps them commit fraudulent activity, the good guys at the FCC and your phone company are learning more advanced ways to foil these clever spammers.

The FCC has empowered cell phone providers to set a default that allows illegal or unwanted calls to be blocked before they even reach your cell phone. These default settings are based on call analytics designed to allow “real” calls through.

Phone companies also are urged to up their technological game by implementing caller ID authentication software that helps reduce the number of illegally spoofed calls that reach the consumer.

As a consumer who wishes to block robocalls on your cell phone, you can talk to your cell phone service provider to find out what blocking tools they may have available to you and ask about apps they recommend you download to block unwanted calls.

Will It Help to Place My Number on the Do Not Call List?

Don’t forget to make sure your cell phone number is registered on the National Do Not Call List. Telemarketers who follow the law will respect that list by not calling any landline or cell phone numbers that they are legally barred from calling.

Even if you think you registered your number a long time ago, it’s best to check because you might have changed phone numbers since the initiation of the Do Not Call List in 2003.

Should I Follow a Telemarketer’s Instructions to Stop the Calls?

If you answer a phone call from an unknown number, hang up immediately if it’s a telemarketer. If you answer and the person or a recording on the other end directs you to push a certain button to stop receiving such calls, just hang up.

If you follow the scammer’s directions to hit a certain button, the scammer will know a live person has been reached, which will probably increase the number of unwanted calls.

Join a Free Car Dealership TCPA Violations Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

You may be eligible to join this lawsuit investigation into car dealership TCPA violations under the following circumstances:

• You did NOT provide express permission in writing to the car dealership to receive the calls or messages.
  You did NOT purchase a vehicle from the dealership that is contacting you.

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