If you answer the phone and hear a recorded message instead of a live person, it's a robocall. If you’re getting a lot of robocalls trying to sell you something, odds are the calls are illegal. Many are also likely scams.
Alan Pearlman is just one of millions of Americans forced to suffer the dreaded robocall. “It is very intrusive,” Pearlman says. “And I think there should be penalties, there should be laws about this kind of stuff.”
It is illegal under federal law to use an automated dialing system to send out prerecorded messages, or sales calls without consent. According to the Federal Trade Commission, unless the company trying to sell you something got written permission, directly from you, to call you that way, the calls are illegal. Even if you do give permission, you can change your mind later.
Still, they persist. The FTC says they are working to increase consumer control over the calls, but it can take a while for authorities to actually track down the source of robocall. It’s cheap and easy for scammers and telemarketers to make robocalls over the internet from anywhere in the world according the FTC.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison says they want to know about these calls.
Please report these things to the attorney General's office,” Ellison says. “You can let us know at 651-296-3353.”
You can also report them to the FTC here.
One of the best regarded blockers, Nomorobo, is free to use but only on certain types of landline phones. There are wireless versions of it and other blocking apps, but they generally cost money for users.
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