Spectrum Block Robocalls Option — Is It Worth It?

Spectrum (also known as Charter Spectrum) is a U.S. company that specializes in providing cable TV (previously Time Warner Cable), internet, telephone, and wireless services to its consumers. As any telephone company out there, Spectrum is no stranger to the persistent pestilence that is illegal robocalls.

Robocalls are pre-recorded and auto-dialed phone calls that have gained notoriety due to their illegal counterparts—scam calls and unsolicited telemarketing calls. To illustrate how bad things got, YouMail’s Robocall Index estimated that in May 2020, four million robocalls were placed in the U.S. every single hour!

Spectrum has teamed up with the robocall-blocking third-party service Nomorobo to root out the troublesome scam calls and other types of illegal robocalls from their network. The behemoth task of curbing illegal robocalls is shared by other U.S. telephone providers and regulatory agencies, such as the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

Use Nomorobo to Stop Spectrum Robocalls

Spectrum Voice is a voice-over-Internet Protocol telephone service. If you’re a residential Spectrum Voice customer, you can use the Nomorobo voice feature at no additional cost on their landlines. This feature can screen and block incoming calls, such as illegal robocalls and any other type of unwanted calls. Yes, that includes those pesky telemarketing calls too!

You can manage the settings through Spectrum’s Voice Manager.

How to Block Robocalls on Spectrum With Nomorobo

Firstly, you’ll need to switch on the Nomorobo feature in your Spectrum account settings. You can request Spectrum’s customer service to do it for you, or simply do it yourself. Here is how:

1. Sign in using this link
2. Click on the Services tab
3. Select the Go to Voice Online Manager option
4. Choose which number you need to configure (if you have more than one) on the top right
5. Click on Settings
6. Select Privacy from the menu
7. Select Nomorobo and then choose the Terms & Conditions for the Nomorobo link
8. Click on Accept (make sure you ticked the box under the Terms & Conditions)
9. Select ON
10. Click on Save to confirm your choice

Report a Number That Should (Not) Have Been Blocked on Your Spectrum Network

If a robocall slipped through the cracks of your Spectrum network, you can report it on the Nomorobo site. This will help with the accuracy of the call filtering next time. Similarly, you should report phone numbers that were blocked but are still coming through or those that were blocked incorrectly.

To do so, follow these simple instructions:

1. Sign in to Nomorobo with your username and password (that you received on your email address after you activated your Nomorobo account)
2. Choose the option Report a Number
3. Choose A Robocall that wasn’t blocked, enter the necessary info, and select Send This Report, or
4. Choose A valid number that was blocked incorrectly, fill out the blanks with the required details, and select Send This Report

How to Differentiate Between Illegal Robocalls

We tend to think that all robocalls are illegal, but in fact, it is estimated that only 30-40% of the total number of placed robocalls are against the law. Automated phone messages can be legitimately used by all kinds of organizations—from an airline company informing you that your flight has been delayed to your favorite charity asking for a donation.

Needless to say, scam calls are illegal. So are telemarketing calls if the company calling you doesn’t have your written permission to contact you in such a manner. People often give consent to telemarketing calls when they sign a “terms and conditions” document without reading it first.

Have a look at the breakdown below for a more detailed overview of which calls are which are not.

Can You Request a Robocall Payout?

You can be eligible for a robocall payout or settlement.

For a start, all illegal robocalls should be reported to the Federal Trade Commission by filling out a form on this link. Make sure to give the accurate caller ID number, as well as any number you’ve been told to call back.

Secondly, if you know the identity of the caller (such as a telemarketing company that has disregarded your instructions not to call you again), one option is to contact a lawyer or law firm that specializes in consumer protection. They can help you file a lawsuit against the company responsible for the bothersome robocall.

If you don’t know who is behind the illegal robocall but would like to find out, or if you know the identity of the caller but would like to avoid going to a lawyer, DoNotPay has the perfect solution for you. With our Robo Revenge feature, retaliating against scammers and filing a claim has never been more straightforward.

On a side note, DoNotPay can help you with paying or lowering your bills, including your Spectrum bills.

How to Identify Other Common Robocall Scam Schemes

Illegal robocalls are the number one complaint to both the Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Trade Commission. Not only are frustrated consumers losing time and energy on unsolicited robocalls, but the overall financial damage is also significant. A report released by the caller ID and spam-blocking app Truecaller exposed that, in 2019, nearly one in six Americans lost money on a phone scam, with the total loss being $10.5 billion! It is, therefore, little wonder that scammers are so persistent in their illicit pursuits. The best antidote to this type of fraud is keeping American consumers informed and alert.

You can recognize a scam call by spotting some common themes and patterns:

• The caller is claiming they’re calling on behalf of an official and reputable government institution or company
• The caller is trying to convince you there has been a problem that can only be fixed if you make an immediate payment or reveal your personal or financial information
• The caller is telling you that you have won a prize or are eligible for additional benefits tied to your account but would need to confirm your financial or personal details first

The main takeaway is this—authentic companies will never request you to divulge your payment information through a robocall. If anything about the call strikes you as suspicious and you feel as much as a morsel of doubt, don’t disclose any personal information and hang up as soon as possible. If the caller is legitimate, they will call you back or leave a voicemail. A legitimate caller representing a government agency or a similar organization will always contact you in a way that makes it easy for you to verify their identity.

Get Revenge on Robocalls With DoNotPay

Hit the scammers where it hurts the most—their wallets. DoNotPay can show you how to take revenge on the wrongdoers and potentially win a settlement!

The DoNotPay app features the amazing Robo Revenge, a tool that uses a virtual credit card that acts as a “bait” for the scammers. The virtual card creates a one-off, 16-digit number that looks like a real credit card number linked to a real bank account.

Our virtual credit card is not a conventional bank card and is not connected to your personal bank account, which means that your money is not on the line, and your safety isn’t compromised. You don’t need to reveal any personal information, which makes Robo Revenge the safest method to catch robocall scammers. When the fraudsters try to charge your fake credit card, they will get nothing, and you will get their personal information in return!

The next time a “scam likely” robocall asks you to provide your credit card details, do this:

1. Access the DoNotPay website in your web browser
2. Select the Robo Revenge option
3. Click on Create Your Card icon. This will generate a pseudo credit card number and other credit card details connected to DoNotPay’s virtual credit card
4. Give this credit card number and other made-up data to the robocaller and wait for the scammers to attempt a transaction on the virtual card
5. Wait for DoNotPay to uncover the scammers behind the illegal robocall and forward their details to you
6. Use that info to file a claim against them or rely on DoNotPay to generate a request for compensation/settlement on your behalf

At the moment, DoNotPay can only help you track down scammers that are operating from the U.S. It’s nearly impossible to take action against robocallers based overseas because they fall under the jurisdiction of another country. If you’re dealing with local scammers or illegal telemarketers, we highly recommend you haul them up in court and earn some cash along the way.

What to Do if You Get an Illegal Robocall

You can do plenty to prevent and significantly reduce the number of robocalls that you receive, but the occasional one might still surface. Since you cannot eradicate illegal robocalls completely, the best you can do is to learn how to manage them. We’ve collated a simple overview of the most important do’s and don’ts when you’re dealing with an illegal scam robocall.

You should note that registering your number on the Do Not Call Registry doesn’t immediately block all robocalls. Some organizations are still legally allowed to contact you through robocalls. Find out what the Do Not Call exceptions are.

How to Block Illegal Robocalls

Scammers don’t abide by the rules and regulations stipulated in the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, and they don’t particularly care about the Do Not Call Registry either—especially if they’re running their operations from abroad, safely outside the reach of U.S. laws. Nonetheless, there is no cause for despair. Thanks to fast-developing technological advancements, warding off such calls has now become much easier than it was ever before. Here are some of the most effective ways to protect yourself against robocalls spamming your cell phone lines and landlines.

1. SHAKEN/STIR protocol suite
2. Robocall-blocking device
3. Manual blocking of selected numbers
4. Robocall-blocking apps

SHAKEN/STIR Protocol Suite

The acronym SHAKEN/STIR (also known as STIR/SHAKEN) may not sound like it has anything to do with telephone companies and consumer security. And yet, it represents a suite of multiple procedures and protocols that has been mandated by the FCC in order to tackle spam calls and call spoofing.

When they’re deploying SHAKEN/STIR, telephone companies are essentially using a series of digital certificates and cryptography techniques to verify the validity of the call on a network level. If the call is labeled as spam or spam-likely, your network carrier can block it before it reaches you. Alternatively, the company can let the call through, but warn you that it might be a spam or scam call.

Robocall-Blocking Device

A more traditional yet no less effective method for your landline telephone is a robocall-blocking device such as the CPR V5000. This small and unassuming box packs a punch against unsolicited phone calls. You can use it to block chosen area codes, reject calls without a caller ID, filter out spam calls, etc.

For the robocall-blocking device to work, enable the Caller ID service on your phone so that the device knows which calls to block and which to let through. (Check with your phone company how to do that if you’re not sure.)

Manual Blocking of a Selected Number

Our smartphones are equipped with many life-saving features, but the one that takes the cake for us is a built-in feature to block a selected number manually. There is no limit to how many numbers you can block.

To block callers on your iPhone, do the following:

1. Open your Phone app
2. Tap on the Recents tab and access the list of your latest phone calls
3. Select the ‘i’ symbol next to the number that you want to block
4. Opt for Block this Caller
5. Confirm the blocking of his number

If you own an Android, the procedure is actually quite similar:

1. Open the Phone app
2. Select the three dots in the top right corner
3. Choose Call Settings
4. Select Reject Calls
5. Type in the number you want to block by tapping on the “+” button
6. Confirm this action

Robocall-Blocking Mobile Apps

There is a variety of robocall-blocking, spam-filtering mobile apps that you can download on your smart device. These three are getting the nod from us:

DoNotPay Protects Your Privacy and Finances

Sharing your credit card details online comes with certain risks, and it’s getting more difficult to tell good and bad websites apart. With DoNotPay’s virtual credit card generator, you will be able to protect your identity and bank account from cyber scammers.

Whenever you run into a suspicious email or website, generate a virtual credit card and proceed without worries. Our virtual cards also work like a charm if you want to avoid automatic payments after free trials.

A More Automated and Smoother Life With DoNotPay

If you could get a virtual assistant that can help you with life’s most draining tasks and save you a great deal of cash along the way, why wouldn’t you? Tidy up your to-do list and download our app on your web browser.

DoNotPay can assist you with:

• Canceling subscriptions or memberships
• Disputing traffic tickets
• Managing bills you can't pay right away
• Managing credit cards issues
• Getting refunds for delayed or canceled flights
• Fighting speeding tickets
• Suing people and companies in small claims court
• Challenging parking tickets
• Scheduling up a DMV appointment
• Skipping the queue when you're calling customer service
• Requesting recompense for other illegal robocalls