Guides · updated 2026-08-27
How do I stop spam calls?
Three things, and only the third one lasts. Register on the free national Do Not Call list, which stops legitimate telemarketers and does nothing about criminals. Turn on the call filtering your carrier and your phone already include. Then remove your number from the people-search sites and data brokers that sell it, because that is where a new caller gets it. Blocking works one number at a time. Removing the listing turns off the supply.
1. Register, once, free
Put the number on the national Do Not Call list. It takes a minute, it never expires, and it removes the entire class of caller that obeys the rules. What remains after that is the class that never intended to.
2. Turn on the filtering you already pay for
Every major carrier offers call filtering, and both phone platforms can silence callers who are not in your contacts and send them to voicemail. This is where the immediate relief comes from. It also means the calls keep arriving; you simply stop hearing them.
3. Cut off the supply, which is the part that lasts
A phone number on a people-search listing is a number for sale. We track 503 sources that publish or trade personal details, and a phone number is one of the first fields they carry. Remove the listings and fewer new callers ever get it. How the opt-outs work. Or check where your number is likely listed, free.
If you live in California, one free state request reaches every registered broker at once, and 398 of the sources we track are registered. The California route.
What we are not going to claim
Nobody stops spam calls completely. Numbers are guessed, dialled in blocks and traded outside any jurisdiction that would act. Fewer calls is the honest goal, and the three steps above are in the order that gets you there.
Common questions
- Does the national Do Not Call list actually work?
- For legitimate telemarketers, yes. Registration is free, it does not expire, and a compliant company must stop calling you. It has no effect on a criminal running a scam from outside the country, because someone already breaking the law is not consulting a compliance list.
- Why do I still get calls after registering?
- Three reasons. Scammers ignore the list. Some callers are exempt, including charities, political calls, debt collectors and companies you have an existing relationship with. And your number keeps being sold, so new callers keep discovering it.
- Should I answer and press 1 to be removed?
- No. Any response confirms the number reaches a real person, which raises its value on the lists these callers buy. Do not answer, do not press anything, do not speak.
- Does blocking numbers help?
- A little, and it never keeps up. Spoofed caller ID means the next call comes from a new number, often one that looks local. Carrier-level filtering and the built-in silencing on your phone catch far more than a personal block list.
- What actually reduces the volume over time?
- Cutting the supply. Your number sits on people-search listings and in broker files that are sold and resold. Remove the listings and fewer new callers ever obtain it. This is slower than blocking and it is the only part that compounds.
- Should I change my number?
- Rarely worth it. A new number is quiet for a while, then it is bought, sold and listed like the old one. It also costs you every account that uses it for recovery. Fix the supply first.
Sources
- National Do Not Call Registry, registration and how it works · read 27 August 2026
- Federal Trade Commission, identitytheft.gov, on what to do when details are exposed · read 27 August 2026
Every figure on this page is either taken from a source above on the date shown, or measured by Cartograph on 2026-08-27. If something here is out of date, write to support@usecartograph.com.