Who Keeps Calling Me? How to Identify an Unknown Number

The phone rings. It's a number you don't know. It rings again the next day, and the day after. Is it a scammer, a wrong number, or someone you actually want to hear from?

Don't answer, and don't call back yet

Let unknown calls go to voicemail. Real callers usually leave a message. Scammers often don't, or they leave one designed to scare you into calling back.

Quick free checks

• Search the number in your web browser. Others may have reported it as spam.
• Check your contacts and old texts. It could be a doctor's office or pharmacy with a new number.
• Listen for clues in any voicemail: a name, a company, a callback number.

When you need more than a search

Free searches often come up empty for personal cell phones. A reverse phone lookup searches public records and can often show the name connected to a number, along with a general location. It's a simple way to decide whether to call back, block the number, or report it.

What to do next

• If it's a scammer: block the number and report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
• If it's someone you know: call back using a number you already have for them.
• If calls feel threatening: save the voicemails and contact local police.

Why older adults get more of these calls

Many retirees still have a landline and answer the phone politely, and scammers know it. Robocalls and "spoofed" numbers that look local are designed to get you to pick up.

Cut down on unwanted calls

• Add your numbers to the National Do Not Call Registry at DoNotCall.gov (it stops many legitimate sales calls, though not scammers).
• Turn on your phone's "silence unknown callers" or spam-filter setting.
• Ask your phone company about free call-blocking tools.

Never share personal details

If a caller asks for your Medicare number, bank details or a verification code, hang up. Look up the organization's number yourself and call them directly.