If you’ve taken the time to read our tips here at CyberGuy to keep phone scammers at bay, good for you. One of these tips is to put your phone number on the national and state Do Not Call list.

However, you might find that you’re still getting calls from scammers. This is because the Do Not Call list primarily targets legitimate telemarketers and has limited effectiveness against scammers and illegal robocallers who often ignore the list.

This is what happened to one of our newsletter subscribers who told us that even though she took the time to put her number on that list, she still receives many annoying calls. “I repeatedly tell them to remove my number and stop calling, but they continue to call,” she said. 

She noted that caller ID indicates that these phone calls are coming from spoofed phone numbers. Even though she blocked these numbers too (another tip to ward off scammers), they’d call back from another number. So, why is this permitted? And how come being on the Do Not Call list is not enough? Let’s thoroughly answer this once and for all.

GET SECURITY ALERTS, EXPERT TIPS – SIGN UP FOR KURT’S NEWSLETTER – THE CYBERGUY REPORT HERE

How scam calls get through the Do Not Call list

Receiving calls from scammers when you’ve gone out of your way to prevent them from calling you can be rather frustrating.

Unfortunately, despite being on the Do Not Call list, you may still receive unwanted calls due to a few reasons:

Some types of calls are exempt from the Do Not Call regulations. These include calls from political organizations, charities and companies with whom you have an existing business relationship. Of course, if the scammer spoofs a government phone number, they may appear to be exempt from the Do Not Call list, even though they are not actually a legitimate government entity.

WHAT IS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)?

Scammers often disregard the Do Not Call list and continue to make unsolicited calls. These individuals and organizations engage in illegal activities and are not bound by the regulations set forth by the FTC. After all, these scammers are not really likely to follow the rules.

Sometimes, telemarketing companies or organizations may inadvertently call numbers on the Do Not Call list due to data errors or technical issues. Though, this is less likely.

Additionally, scammers can purchase phone numbers on the dark web, allowing them to target a wide range of individuals regardless of their registration on the Do Not Call list.

Again, because scammers can spoof phone numbers to make any number appear on the caller ID (even if it belongs to someone else), it’s much easier for them to bypass the Do Not Call list loophole.

A woman frustrated by a robocall  (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

HOW TO TRACE AND BLOCK ANONYMOUS CALLS 

How to keep scammers from calling you at all costs

While we’d like to think it’s enough to put your number on the national and state Do Not Call list, as we learned from this subscriber, it’s not a foolproof method. They can still find ways to get to you. That being said, don’t neglect putting your number on this list. Keeping scammers from calling you requires a combination of different strategies, and each one helps reduce the number of scam calls you’ll get over time.

1. Invest in personal data removal services: While no service promises to remove all your data from the internet, having a removal service is great if you want to constantly monitor and automate the process of removing your information from hundreds of sites continuously over a longer period of time. Remove your personal data from the internet with my top picks here.

2. Check to see if any websites you have an account with may have had a data breach recently. Changing your passwords frequently can help prevent more damage from being done. Also consider using a password manager to generate and store complex passwords.

3. Don’t answer calls from unknown numbers. Let them go to voicemail.

4. Use your phone’s spam blocker features.

5. Notify your mobile service provider about the calls and see what they can help you do.

6. Never reply or call back a number you don’t recognize. If the area code is familiar to you but not the rest of the phone number, it could very well be a scammer who is intentionally phone spoofing someone’s number within the same area code for the sole purpose that you’ll recognize it and feel more inclined to answer it.

7. Block robocalls and unknown numbers.

8. Report the unwanted calls to the FTC and your state attorney general’s office, especially if it’s a repeated number or person claiming to be from the same organization.

9. If the calls are still coming, consider changing your phone number.

10. Consult a consumer protection attorney if the calls really don’t stop.

11. Remember never to provide your personal information over the phone. If anyone calls you to ask for your sensitive data, do not give it over, even as trusting the person might sound or as legitimate as the reason may seem. These days, because scams are so prevalent, there shouldn’t be any company calling you and asking you for this information over the phone. Always do your due diligence.

A woman frustrated by a robocall  (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

HOW TO BLOCK THOSE UNWANTED AND ANNOYING SPAM EMAILS

Kurt’s key takeaways

Putting your phone number on the Do Not Call list is a great step in keeping scammers away. But it’s not the only way. It takes utilizing different strategies — and keeping up with those strategies — to send the scammers elsewhere.

If you could design a new feature for smartphones to prevent scam calls, what would it be? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact

For more of my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/Newsletter

Ask Kurt a question or let us know what stories you’d like us to cover

Follow Kurt on his social channels

Answers to the most asked CyberGuy questions:

Copyright 2024 CyberGuy.com.  All rights reserved.

The end of the world just got a little closer. Apple confirmed that the much-anticipated second season of its postapocalyptic series Silo will start streaming on November 15th.

Based on the trilogy of novels by Hugh Howey, Silo is set in the distant future and follows the remains of humanity, who live in giant underground bunkers — the titular silos — to avoid the deadly world outside. The season 1 finale ended with a big twist that made it clear there’s a lot more going on than the show initially lets on. It also only covers part of the first book, so it’ll be interesting to see how much of the story the new season covers. Silo’s second season will see returning cast members like Rebecca Ferguson, Tim Robbins, and Common.

Just because Apple’s AirPods are designed for other Apple devices doesn’t mean they will only work on Apple devices. 

That’s right, you can use your AirPods on your PC or Android-running mobile device. It isn’t as simple as setting up AirPods with an iPhone or Mac, but it’s also not too complicated. 

Follow these steps to connect your AirPods to a Windows PC or Android.

GET SECURITY ALERTS, EXPERT TIPS – SIGN UP FOR KURT’S NEWSLETTER – THE CYBERGUY REPORT HERE

How to connect AirPods to a PC

• Insert the AirPods into their charging case, ensuring they’re at least partially charged.
• Open the top of your AirPod charging case, but do not remove the AirPods from the case yet.
• Tap and hold the circular button on the rear side of the AirPod charging case for a couple of seconds until the light inside the case blinks white.

WHAT IS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)?

The circular button on the back of the AirPod case  (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

• Now, open your PC’s Bluetooth settings by clicking the Bluetooth icon in the system tray (bottom right of the taskbar) or by searching for “Bluetooth” in your taskbar and selecting Bluetooth and other device settings.
• Click “Add Bluetooth or other devices” at the top of the settings screen.
• On the “Add a device” page, click the top option for Bluetooth.

Bluetooth and device settings on a PC  (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

• Click the AirPods option from the list of all Bluetooth discoverable devices.
• Wait around 30 seconds, and you should see a connection confirmation screen once your AirPods and PC are paired and connected.

ASK KURT: WHY IS MY BLUETOOTH CONNECTION ALWAYS SO SPOTTY?

Troubleshooting a failed connection

When you take your AirPods out of their charging case, they should automatically connect to your PC. If your AirPods are having trouble connecting to your PC, don’t panic. Close your AirPods case and your PC’s Bluetooth settings and simply repeat the pairing process outlined above. Your AirPods should automatically connect to your PC after a few seconds every time you remove them from the charging case. If, for any reason, they don’t, follow these steps:

• Open your PC’s Bluetooth settings by clicking on the Bluetooth icon in the bottom-right system tray of your taskbar. Alternatively, you can search for “Bluetooth” in your taskbar and select “Bluetooth and other device settings” when it appears.
• Scroll down to the Audio section under your Bluetooth list and click on the AirPods listing.
• This should reestablish the Bluetooth connection between your PC and AirPods.

Remember that Siri is Apple-only, so you won’t be able to use the voice assistant while your AirPods are connected to your PC.

HOW TO STOP ANNOYING ROBOCALLS

Pair AirPods with your Android phone

Connecting AirPods to an Android device is similar to connecting to a PC. Before doing anything, you’ll want to ensure that your AirPods are charged and housed in their case.

• Swipe down from the top of the screen on your Android device
• Touch and hold the Bluetooth icon
• Turn on Bluetooth
• Tap Pair new device

AirPods and an Android  (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

HOW TO USE SIRI WITHOUT SAYING ‘HEY’

• Open the lid of your AirPod case, but don’t remove the AirPods from the case.
• On your AirPod case, press and hold the button on the rear of the case until the case flashes a white light.
• Your AirPods should show up in your Bluetooth devices list.

If you can’t find your AirPods in your Android Bluetooth devices list, check for them under “Available Devices” in your Bluetooth settings. You can also refresh the Bluetooth list by clicking More and then “Refresh.”

DID YOU KNOW YOU CAN USE APPLE AIRTAGS WITH YOUR ANDROID PHONE?

Kurt’s key takeaways

And there you have it. Now, you can easily connect your AirPods to your Windows PC or Android device. Remember, if your AirPods don’t appear in your PC or Android’s Bluetooth device list, simply restart the Bluetooth pairing process. Also, note that Apple-specific features like Siri won’t be available with your AirPods if you use them from a PC or Android device.

What other Apple accessories or devices would you like to see become more compatible with non-Apple platforms and why? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact

For more of my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/Newsletter

Ask Kurt a question or let us know what stories you’d like us to cover

Follow Kurt on his social channels

Answers to the most asked CyberGuy questions:

Copyright 2024 CyberGuy.com.  All rights reserved.