One of the problems we face is Spam. It can come in the form of email, social media messages, or even phone calls . Although not usually a major security issue, it can occasionally be used by attackers to steal data and infect systems. In this article we are going to focus on spam or commercial calls that can be annoying. We are going to give some tips on what to do to avoid them.
What are spam calls
Spam calls can be said to be those unwanted calls that we receive both to mobile phones and landlines. They are usually advertising, where they try to sell us something, that we sign up for a service or that we make a change in something that we already have contracted. Although it is usually more annoying than problematic, sometimes it can be a problem.
These calls are sometimes repetitive . It is common for them to call us over and over again from the same number or from the same company. Even if we say that we do not want that service that they offer us, they call us again the next day or after a short time to offer us exactly the same thing.
Why do we receive calls like this? This usually happens when we put the phone number where we shouldn’t, after accepting terms that we don’t read or because of some vulnerability that exposes our number. A service we use may even sell our data to third parties and from there start receiving many related calls.
The problem is that these types of calls, rather than being a nuisance, can be dangerous. Hackers can use this means of communication to steal passwords. They can impersonate a legitimate organization and ask us to send data or even passwords to solve a problem.
How to avoid them
As you can see, commercial or spam phone calls can be annoying but they can also be a real problem for our security. It is important to prevent this from becoming habitual and receive them constantly. For this reason, we are going to give some essential tips to avoid spam calls on your mobile or landline.
Be careful with the terms you accept
A very common reason we receive calls like this is after we have agreed to terms . For example, when we register on a website, an online service or even a Wi-Fi network, we can accept things that we really do not want. The problem is that we don’t usually read them. There we may be accepting to receive calls or that our data is sold to third parties.
Our advice is to avoid putting your phone number on any online registry or platform you use. Only put it in those places that you know are reliable, that are not going to be a problem or after reading the terms of the contract. This will prevent your phone from reaching the wrong hands and starting to overwhelm you with phone calls constantly.
This problem also occurs with email. We may be agreeing on the terms that they send us advertising to our address or that they share it with other companies. Although this will not directly put our security at risk, it can be a nuisance.
Avoid exposing your phone number
Of course, you should avoid exposing your phone number on the web. A clear example is in social networks . Sometimes you can find platforms where you can put personal data such as email address, phone number, where you live… Do you really want all this to be available? You don’t know who can access that information.
Our advice is that you avoid publicly exposing your phone number on social networks. But you should also do it in any other place, such as public forums, comments on web pages, etc. After all, any data you put on the internet that is publicly available can be recorded by bots. They could use it to start calling you continuously or sending you advertisements via SMS.
This could also pose a direct problem for your security. They could start sending you text messages that are actually Phishing attacks with the aim of stealing your passwords. Therefore, avoid exposing your phone number publicly.
Do not use insecure applications or services
You should also not install unreliable programs . In many cases you will have to fill in fields with your personal data and even receive a code via SMS to verify your identity. Be careful with the software you use, as it could be a trap and put your security and privacy at risk.
Ideally, you should only install programs from official sources. For example you can go to their official website or use legitimate app stores like Microsoft Store or Google Play. This will help you avoid software that may have been maliciously modified. Reducing the risk in these cases is important to avoid spam phone calls.
Beware of fake SMS
It is common for hackers to send false, fraudulent SMS with the aim of obtaining information or stealing passwords. Be careful with the messages you receive on your mobile . Sometimes they can be a trap and the attackers only use this method so that you click on a link and confirm that there really is a user behind that phone and from there they start calling you.
They may even use these links to ask for more information, beyond just knowing the number. They can use it as bait to learn more about you, where you live, your name, age… Do not open links that you cannot verify. Fake links are widely used to obtain information and filter Spam.
block heavy numbers
One method to avoid spam calls when we are constantly receiving them is to simply block that number . Surely on some occasion they have called you more than once from the same number to offer you something that does not interest you. It doesn’t matter if you say no, they call you back another time.
Mobile phones allow you to block a phone number. It is something that you will be able to do with both iOS and Android. From that moment you will not receive calls from that phone. Of course, make sure that you really want to block it and you will not need them to call you in the future. Likewise, you can always reverse the situation.
In short, as you can see, spam calls are a common problem. Although they are not really dangerous at first, they are annoying. You can follow the tips we have given to prevent this from happening and your mobile from constantly being filled with unwanted calls.
