Why seniors get so many robocalls, and what helps

Why older adults get so many robocalls

The FCC's robocall guide defines robocalls as calls made with an autodialer or a prerecorded or artificial voice. Everyone gets them, but they cost older adults the most. A few reasons:

• Older adults lose more when a call works. In the FTC's 2025 data, older adults who lost money to a scam that started with a phone call reported a median loss of $3,000, and people 80 and older reported far more losses from phone calls than from any other kind of contact.
• The pitches are about money and health. Of the 2.6 million Do Not Call complaints the FTC received in fiscal year 2025, about 1.6 million were about robocalls, and the top topics were reducing debt, imposters, and medical and prescription calls.
• Answering can bring more calls. The FTC warns that pressing numbers to speak to someone or to be removed from a list will probably only lead to more robocalls.
• The number on the screen can be fake. Scammers use caller ID spoofing to make their calls look legitimate, so people are more likely to answer.

Sales robocalls are already illegal: the FTC says a robocall trying to sell you something is illegal unless you gave the company written permission. But a law doesn't deter people who already break it, which is why the tools below matter.

Some automated calls are legal

Not every recorded call is a scam. Under FCC and FTC rules, informational messages, debt collection calls, calls about school closings or flight information, and political robocalls to landlines can all be legal. A pharmacy or doctor's office may also use automated reminder calls. Save those numbers as contacts so filters and screening let them ring.

The free tools, and what each one does

1. The National Do Not Call Registry

Register your parent's home and cell numbers free at DoNotCall.gov, or by calling 1-888-382-1222 from the phone being registered. The registration never expires, and it can take up to 31 days for sales calls to stop. The FTC is clear about the limits: the registry doesn't block calls, and scammers making illegal calls ignore it. It still cuts down telemarketing from companies that follow the law, and 258.5 million numbers were on it as of September 2025. Many states have their own do-not-call lists too.

2. The carrier's free spam filter

As of October 2026, the three largest mobile carriers each include a free tool: T-Mobile ScamShield, AT&T ActiveArmor and Verizon Call Filter. Depending on the carrier, they label likely spam, send high-risk calls to voicemail and block numbers you choose. The FCC says phone companies may also block calls that fit suspicious patterns on their own, and that you can opt out if you're worried about missing calls you want. Our comparison guide covers each carrier's tool.

3. The phone's own settings

On an iPhone, Settings > Apps > Phone has a Screen Unknown Callers choice. Ask Reason for Calling has the iPhone answer unknown numbers and ring only after the caller gives their name and reason; Silence sends unknown numbers to voicemail. Google Pixel phones have Call Screen, which asks unknown callers who's calling and why. Many phones can also block a specific number.

4. Report the calls

Report unwanted calls at DoNotCall.gov, with the number on the caller ID and any callback number, even if you think the number was faked. You can also file a complaint with the FCC. Most carriers let you report a spam text by forwarding it to 7726 (SPAM).

Habits that cut down robocalls

1. Let unknown numbers go to voicemail. The FCC's first tip is not to answer calls from numbers you don't know. Someone with a real reason can leave a message.
2. If a recording starts, hang up. Don't press any buttons, even one that promises to take you off the list.
3. Never give personal details on a call you didn't make: no account numbers, Social Security or Medicare numbers, passwords or PINs, as the FCC advises.
4. Call back on an official number. If a call claims to be from the bank, Medicare or a company, hang up and call the number on a statement or the official website.
5. Be careful where the number goes. The FCC suggests reading a website's privacy policy and looking for an opt-out box before giving out a phone number.
6. Set a strong voicemail password, so the mailbox is harder to break into, as the FCC advises.

What call screening adds

Blocking and labeling tools mostly judge a call by its number: its reputation, spam reports, or your own lists. That works for numbers already known as spam, but a brand-new or faked number can get past it. The FTC notes that some robocalls will still get through call blocking, and that calls with a warning label still ring.

Screening works differently: it asks the caller to do something before the phone rings. The iPhone's Ask Reason for Calling and Pixel's Call Screen ask unknown callers who they are and why. Protect & Assist goes a step further for a parent: the caller has to name your parent, so dialers that don't know who they're calling are ended before the phone rings, which helps prevent robocalls from getting through. A robocall that does say your parent's name still reaches the yes-or-no step, where your parent hears who it claims to be.