ORLANDO, Fla. — Scammers and telemarketers are finding new ways to reach victims and the old ways of blocking them aren't working anymore.
“I get, like, three a day,” said Orlando resident Ryan Lofton.
And that’s on the low side.
Others said they’re getting up to 10 robocalls a day.
“They want to talk about my student loans or they want to talk about something with my account,” said Lofton.
Some said there’s been a recent spike in spam.
"It seems to be that people are just sharing more. So, we're hearing more frequently about the issue. But it's consistently annoying, there's no doubt about that," said Holly Salmons of the Better Business Bureau of Central Florida.
Many times, the number calling is similar to yours or even the exact same.
Salmons said that's by design to get victims to answer.
The BBB recommends keeping your number on the "do not call" list, but that won’t save you from scammers.
"If it's a robocall or if it is a scam calling in, they're not going to comply with the ‘do not call’ registry," Salmons said. "Even though you might have an app or something to protect you, it won't stop the numbers from coming in.”
Many have tried to block the computer-generated numbers they know are bad, but most of the time, the caller will roll over to a new number.
"It's just the new reality. I mean, what can you do? What kind of laws can you set? They're just going to figure out ways around it,” said Lofton.
Those who use their phones for work said robocalls are especially frustrating because they have to pick up to see if the unrecognized number is work-related.
"It's stopping me from answering, because every time I think it's business it's them,” said Marcus Bradley.
The BBB said the best solution is just to let it go to voicemail.
"If it's important, they'll leave a message,” said Salmons.
Bradley said “do not call” lists have not worked for him either.
"I mean, I don't know what to do because I've done it two or three times and I'm still getting the same calls," he said.
Anyone who has been a victim of a phone scam can report it on the BBB website.
Cox Media Group
