Stop robocalls on your landlines

By Katie Ritchie

Do you get robocalls at home? A reader wrote to me recently because he was getting robocalls on his landline. Although there are no 100% methods to block all robocalls, I found a few things we can all try. This will cut back on annoying robot and scammer calls.

Join the Do Not Call Registry. This massive database made waves in 2003, but it’s still around! The easiest way to register is to call 888-382-1222 from the number you’d like to register. It can take up to 31 days for telemarketers to take the hint. Unfortunately, this won’t stop con artists who operate outside the law, but it’ll cut the calls down.

If you have a Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) phone through your cable/internet company, you can use Nomorobo, a free landline service. Register by visiting www.nomorobo.com . The database currently blocks 1,557,000 robocallers and counting, so it’ll help a great deal.

If you have a traditional/analog landline, you can enable anonymous call rejection. Turning it on is easy. Remember in the days before caller ID when we dialed *69 to see who had called? Dial *77 from your landline phone and wait for the 3 beeps. This will block any calls which come in as anonymous, private, or blocked. You can also use this feature with a VOIP phone through Windstream or Comcast. Unfortunately, this method won’t help with scammers who spoof numbers, but it’s a start. If you need to turn this feature off, dial *87.

*Note: Dialing *77 from a cell phone will, in many areas, put you in contact with local police. Please don’t try this with your cell.