Let’s start at the very beginning when emails were the prime target for scammers and spammers. You get excited when you open your email and see “you’ve got mail,” but then you have to wait before opening the message, especially from an unknown sender.
Has the hesitation ended? No, it sure hasn’t. Instead, it has grown from an email to social media inboxes and phone calls. That’s right. Thanks to smartphones and technology, restricted calls replace a “grown-up” spam email sent directly to you via a phone call.
According to the Pew Research Center, nearly 57% of adults who own a cell phone receive unwanted text messages from marketing efforts and spam. Restricted phone calls, potential spam, and unknown calls don’t fall too far behind.
How many calls do you receive daily, weekly, and annually? Can you reclaim ownership of your phone number and permanently block unwanted calls and text messages?
It’s always best to start the conversation by understanding the who, what, where, when, and why. Let’s set out on this discovery adventure together!
What Is a Restricted Phone Call?
Facing the facts, a restricted phone call is bound to show up on your caller ID one day if it hasn’t already. Maybe you don’t know it as “Restricted.” Instead, you may be more familiar with a caller recognized as “No Caller ID,” “Unknown,” “Potential Spam,” or “Private Caller.”
When these calls are received, do you find yourself asking whether or not you should answer them? Maybe it’d be better to let the call go to voicemail? Come on, don’t most people who truly need to reach you leave a message for you to return their call?
Defining a restricted phone call may help you respond to these questions. Callers who intentionally do not want you to know who they are are the handlers behind restricted phone calls. Either that, or they don’t want to have their call history tracked.
People are wired to immediately put up their defensive walls and put on their investigative hats, thinking about what the person on the other line is hiding or considering their ultimate goal by making that restricted call.
This is not always for a malicious reason. It could be that the caller doesn’t want their phone number recorded or displayed on that Caller ID screen.
Who Is the Caller Behind a Restricted Phone Call?
Are you curious about the caller behind a restricted, unwanted phone call? Most calls are likely harmless, but some are intended to cause trouble.
Let’s touch on a few common motives to differentiate between those looking to cause trouble and those who are legit.
1. Scammers, Solicitors, and Robocalls
Scooby-Doo and the Gang may be pulling up in the Mystery Machine to solve this case. Who is behind the mask, committing fraudulent transactions by making restricted phone calls?
You are on the right track if you guessed scammers, spoofers, robocalls, or spammers. Robocalls are becoming more popular, too — letting the computers do the work. They accounted for nearly 60% of the spam calls in 2021 alone.
There are unjust people out there looking for a handout. To get it, they use their skills to trick people. And it all begins with a phone call.
One phone call could lead you to provide personal information such as your social security number, banking or financial information, credit card details, and more. It is not positive if they succeed and walk off with your information.
Identity theft affected 40 million Americans in 2022 and resulted in $43 billion in losses. These numbers are anticipated to grow year over year. Then, there is the continued increase of scams.
Some of the most well-known recurrences of spam calls include:
- Has your car warranty expired, or are you looking to renew?
- Tax scams, with individuals posing as IRS agents.
- Support scams involve callers pretending to be from a legitimate company or financial institution. These callers persuade recipients into believing they could have a virus on their computer or phone or that their personal information has been compromised.
2. Harassment
Bullying doesn’t end in school. It surrounds us. There are also stalkers and others who want to throw threats around, whether serious or not, and don’t want you to know the source.
If you receive a call that gives you the chills or activates your spidey senses, don’t ignore it. These could be calls that send threatening messages or some form of violence and should be reported immediately.
3. Businesses
Companies are in the business of making money, and non-profits are looking for donations. Both may utilize restricted phone calls to reach out to you, eager to announce the next promotion, deal, or campaign.
Other professions, such as those in the legal or professional fields, may reach out to you directly or return your call, too. For example, an on-call doctor could be using a personal line to respond to your medical inquiries; however, they’ve blocked their phone number as they prefer you respect their privacy in return.
While rightful calls will come through, they can still be cumbersome. Plus, you may not have signed up for their services or remember giving them your phone number in the first place.
4. Network or Service Failure
Sometimes, technology fails. There, we said it. Are you surprised?
Have you ever received a phone call, viewed the caller ID, and found the number familiar but can’t put your finger on why? This happens from time to time, and that number is recognizable because it is a saved contact in your phone book that isn’t registering at the time of the call.
Are Restricted Phone Calls the Same As Blocked Calls?
And the crowd responds, no. Restricted calls and blocked calls are not the same. Let’s review.
Restricted calls come from people hiding in the shadows, not wanting to be identified or found. Blocked calls, on the other hand, should not reach your caller ID. Why? Because you’ve blocked them for reasons of your own, with no intent of communicating with them.
Can You Dial Out as a Restricted Caller?
Ironically, yes. You can do so if you want to make a phone call but hide your number from the recipient. *67 is the magic number you’ll enter first, followed by the phone number you wish to call. Just remember your name won’t be displayed on the recipient’s caller ID, and your call may be ignored in return.
How Do I Block Restricted Phone Calls?
There is a light at the end of the tunnel! You no longer have to stand there, allowing unwanted callers to blast your phone.
Instead, you have the power to stand up against unwanted phone calls, including those from restricted callers, robocalls, scammers, and more. So, why not stand tall, take action, and implement the resources available to you to send away those annoying calls?
Blocking phone numbers does not take too much time. Here are ways that you can do so.
National Do Not Call Registry
One line of defense available to you is to add yourself to the National Do Not Call Registry (NDNCR). By taking this proactive step, you can enhance your sense of security and reduce the number of unwanted calls you receive.
It is worth carving out a few minutes of your day to do so. Better yet, it’s easy to register and free! Simply visit the government website.
The best part about the National Do Not Call Registry is that you only need to register once. That’s right, your registration does not expire. Well, unless you decide to change phone numbers. Then it’d be worth registering your new line.
Unfortunately, this is not a one-time block-all-action item. It helps keep your phone line clear of nuisance callers, who are like roaches, always finding another way in. That’s why the Federal Trade Commission has an active secondary reporting option available to you after you’ve been on the registry for a minimum of 31 days.
Call Blocking
Blocking is not a new science. People have been blocking each other for years. An alternative to the term is ignored. Before the internet, people blocked each other by not answering phone calls or the front door. Now, people block each other on emails, social media websites, and cell phones.
Call blocking is another option to decrease the number of restricted phone calls. It aids in slowing the call volume but doesn’t seize the calls forever. It separates the acceptable calls from the unacceptable. By utilizing this method, you can feel confident that you are taking effective steps to manage your calls.
The steps for blocking a caller differ on an iPhone compared to an Android, but the outcome is the same once the steps are followed and completed, stopping a specific incoming phone number from reaching your line.
Do Not Disturb
If you haven’t used the Do Not Disturb option on your smartphone, you should try it! This feature allows you to set the time frame for calls to be sent straight to voicemail.
Some use it during working hours, others during sleep. It is customizable and based on your preferences. And don’t worry; you can add phone numbers you want to still be able to reach you when this feature is active.
Call Labeling
Call labeling is a system that recognizes incoming calls. For those that are uncommon or unknown, call labeling gives sight to the recipient of the call via onscreen instructions. That’s why unknown callers are tagged accordingly as spam, restricted, etc.
Want to know at a high level how calls get labeled? The mechanics behind call labeling are based on several factors, including:
- Call volume and repetition
- Length of the call
- Number of consumer complaints
Contact Your Service Provider
If all else fails, contact your service provider. They may be able to help you. This may be a last-resort option. Some service providers are open to receiving your inquiry at no cost, whereas others may require a fee.
Can You Track Down a Restricted Caller?
You’ve moved through the motions and have done everything you can to stop one or many restricted phone numbers from tangling your phone line, but it still doesn’t stop. Instead, different numbers are beginning to cycle through! So, what do you do next?
Reeling back through the facts, we have established that restricted callers do not want to be found, nor do they think you’ll spend your time looking for them. However, if they press their buttons too hard, this could be on your mind. You just want them to stop bugging you.
If you’ve reached this point, where your bottle is about to explode or where you’ve hiked to the tip of the mountain, you can take a few additional steps to find out who the caller is and what they want from you.
Don’t Ignore the Call, Pick Up the Phone
Ignoring calls is easy. When the phone rings, you glance over to see what the caller ID says, then decide to answer the call or let it go to voicemail. Smartphones even have the prompt now to send calls to voicemail, so you don’t even need to wait until the specified number of rings is reached.
This time, you’ll need to take a deep breath and gather the courage to face the person on the other line of the phone, assuming it is a person.
Here are a few scenarios of what will happen:
- Another voice will return your response from the other end of the call. This is the ideal situation so that you can lead the call and search for answers. Why are they calling you? Assess during this time if the call is legitimate or a scam.
- You’ll hear a loud beep as if a voice recorder is beginning or ending. This will not benefit you, so hang up.
- There will be an automated message on the other line.
Be cautious as you search for answers. Sometimes, things are too good to be true if the caller offers you a prepaid vacation or tells you you’ve won a sweepstakes you never put your name in for. Protect your personal information, and only provide it to trusted individuals, as most companies call you to verify or request it. It is typically the other way around.
Request Information From Your Service Provider
Did you know you can see your incoming and outgoing call history? Your smartphone displays a chunk of recent activity, but past activity is available, too.
Log into your service provider's app or website if you prefer not to have a voice-to-voice conversation. Or pick up the phone to call them and speak to a representative directly.
Your service provider won’t be able to tell you the caller’s name, address, or personal information (you wouldn’t want them to do that to you, right?). However, they are a resource for determining if the call is from a reliable source or potential spam.
Performing Reverse Phone Look-up
If you are still itching to find out who is on the other line and why, consider performing a reverse phone look-up. Here’s how it works.
A simple Google search is one avenue. It won’t necessarily get you the desired result, but it is a start if the number is registered. A nonregistered number is another story.
Third-party services are available to select from, depending on how far you want to dig and how big your wallet is. Some services are advertised as free, and others require a fee.
Research first if you decide to perform a reverse phone lookup from a third-party service provider. You may find yourself going from one scam with a restricted caller to another by using an unauthorized website or one that does not live up to your expectations.
*57 Feature
How about trying a tracing service, such as *57? Note before you do so, check to see if there is an additional cost with your service provider. This tracing service is not meant to be used often and may not be available with all providers.
Here’s how it works: The restricted number is dialed to you, and you let it ring. Once the ringing stops, pick the phone up and dial *57. You’ll be immediately notified if the tracing service worked or not.
To recap, this service only works if *57 is dialed after receiving the call. Should another incoming call come through during that time, or you make an outgoing call, this service will no longer be valid on the unwanted call you intended to trace.
Using Burner Apps in Place of Restricted Phone Calls
Burner apps give you freedom behind a phone number. You no longer have to hold multiple devices to have multiple phone numbers. Now, there’s an app for that.
This is a great alternative to consider if you want to trick scammers or compartmentalize your contacts between friends, family, work, etc. Consider this example: You can select a specific Burner number and associate it with websites, marketing, ads, etc.
The benefit is that you’ll receive text messages and calls to the Burner number, but you’ll keep your identity and sanity safer.
Sources:
How To Block Unwanted Calls | Consumer Advice
Cell phones and American adults | Pew Research Center
22 Alarming Spam Call Statistics 2023 (Growth & Cost)
20 Identity Theft Statistics That Will Shock You in 2024
Calling Restrictions: What They Mean & How To Get Around Them