SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Ever get a call from an unknown number with a recorded message on the other end of the line? Well, the Federal Trade Commission says they received more than 1.6 million robocall complaints in 2022 alone.
Angela Stancik says her grandmother was a victim of robocallers, estimating they took between $500,000 to $600,000 from her.
She brought her experience to congress after her grandmother took her own life.
"It is extremely hard to imagine a loved one committing suicide, but she did. Because these individuals preyed on her and on her good heart," said Stancik.
Those scammers instilled fear, leading to wire transfers, a reverse mortgage and draining her of her life's savings.
"My grandmother died with $69 in her bank account," said Stancik.
And it seems these calls are only increasing with some getting multiple a day, others accidentally giving financial information to these scammers.
So how do you stop the calls?
Here are some tips on what you can do:
- Put your number on the Federal Trade Commission's Do Not Call list.
- Hang up as soon as you get a robocall, and make sure you block that number.
- Download a robocall blocking app.
- You can also call your phone carrier and see what spam filters they offer on your network.
- Activate the Do Not Disturb function on your phone to prevent unknown numbers from calling you.
People buying new phones may notice they're also prone to these scam calls. That's because if the number they now have once to belong to someone else, and they were on robocall lists, the new phone is on those lists too.
There is no perfect solution to the problem, but attempts are being made.
The FTC is working with the Federal Communications Commission and State Attorney's General to try and stop robocallers, even targeting companies providing the technology used in robocall operations.
Problem is, the worst offenders are outside US borders and mostly outside the reach of the FTC.
WATCH MORE: FBI warns Sacramento about scam calls
