What Are “Spam Risk” Calls and Why They Are Dangerous

In today's digital age, many of us have encountered "Spam Risk" calls on our phones. These calls often come from unknown numbers and can be bothersome, interrupting our daily activities. 

But what exactly are "Spam Risk" calls, and why should we be wary of them? In this blog post, we'll delve into the world of these suspicious calls and explore why they pose a threat to our safety and security.

What Is “Spam Risk”?

A "spam risk" is a call from a number flagged by your mobile carrier as a potential spam. These are typically unwanted calls from unknown callers who may have found your number through online searches or call detail records. 

You can usually ignore such calls without consequences, but the system isn’t flawless. Some “spam risk” calls can go through to your mobile unflagged or all unknown callers can be marked as spam by your provider.

Be sure you take all the possible steps to protect yourself from dangerous spam callers just like you protect your data when browsing the internet. This way you’ll be able to use your phone carefree once again and never miss an important call.

Unknown Caller Meaning

What does an unknown caller mean? Some spam callers block their numbers on purpose to avoid having their numbers flagged by mobile carriers. Then they collect tons of phone numbers from leaked online databases and start making malicious phone calls. 

Legitimate companies and trustworthy people, don’t hide their caller ID when they have something important to discuss with you. So, the person who’s calling with a blocked number most likely is looking for the next scam victim. 

Also, calls from an unknown caller mean they aren’t in your contacts list, so you can be sure that you don’t know them and it might not be as important as you think it is.

Why Are No Caller ID Calls Dangerous?

Always take a pause before answering the phone, if you can’t see who’s calling you. Also, silent calls are dangerous and criminals can use such calls in a number of different ways to try and get money from you or other personal information like your insurance number.

Here’s why answering calls from an unknown caller can be dangerous to you and your bank account:

It’s a Social Engineering Attack

Criminals can use any information you give them to hack your devices, drain your bank account, or even deceive your family members. 

For example, a person pretends to be an employee of a bank and calls you to help you change your passcode claiming there was a cyber attack. If you give out your personal information it could lead to them emptying your bank account.

Also, criminals can just call to ask you very simple questions about your daily routine or life in general. As people often use their addresses or family/pet names as their passwords, such calls can lead to very bad consequences. 

Your Voice Is Recorded for Future Phone Scams

If you answer a “spam risk” phone call or a call with no caller ID on the call screen, most likely your voice will be recorded. Criminals can then use AI technology to make your voice say anything they like. 

For instance, they can pretend to be you and ask your loved one to borrow a large sum of money. If that person is very naive, they might just transfer the funds into the wrong hands. 

So, not answering the call is the safest way to protect yourself from cyber crimes and phone scammers wishing you harm. 

“I Answered a Spam Risk Call” – What Now?

If you’ve just answered a spam risk call but did not give out any valuable information, you still can be at risk. Responding to a spam call invites more hassle than it's worth, so don’t be tempted to answer your phone and see what happens. Here’s what happens when you answer a “spam risk” call:

• You receive even more spam calls. If you answer a phone call from an unknown caller who got your number from a leaked database, chances are that your number will be marked as “in use”. It means that you’ll be getting more calls from the phone number spammer in the future, as the criminals know a person is actively using this number.
• You get billed for overseas calls. Your spam caller might be calling from outside the US and you’ll have to pay the overseas charge if you answer that call. Think twice before you want to find out who’s on the other line or you’ll have to get that cash out.
• You waste your time. Yes, you might hear a voice on the other line, or you might just hear silence. Answering the “spam call” will do you more harm than declining. Don’t waste your time trying to catch the bad guys in the act.  

Just like you don’t open spam emails – don’t answer “spam risk” calls. Also, don’t try to call them back. It will bring more hassle to your life and subject you to more future scam phone incoming calls that you want to avoid.

How Can I Check if a Number Is Spam?

It can be hard to tell if the call you’re receiving is a spam risk call. If you get a suspicious call but you can see the number of your caller you can try and find out who that number belongs to. 

The easiest way to see if it’s a legit company calling you is to just google the number you see on your call screen. This way you’ll find out if it belongs to some organization because you’ll be given their “contact us” page as your search results. 

Also, keep an eye out for overseas calls by reading the number carefully. The first 3 numbers will tell you which country this phone number belongs to. If you’re now waiting for a call from a foreign friend – don’t pick up the phone.

How to Block Scam Likely Calls

There are some things you can do to blog these Scam Calls and callers from your phone and your life. If you think that your phone number is being used for spam calls, choose the best option for you and forget that it ever bothered you before:

• Use Built-in Features on Your Phone. Explore the settings app on your device to find out how to block scam-like calls on iPhone and Android devices. and enable call-blocking features that are already on your phone to silence and block spam calls.

Activating these features may cause you to miss calls from legitimate companies, but you can find these calls in your call log. If a message is urgent, the caller will likely leave you a voicemail.

• Download Scam Call Blocking Apps. You might want to use a spam call blocker app. Even though phone companies give alerts like "Spam Risk" or "Scam Likely," scam calls can still get through, disturbing your day and tricking you into talking to dishonest callers. 

These apps check the spam numbers list and use AI programs to stop unwanted calls from reaching you and silence unknown callers. Check out apps like YouMail, RoboKiller, and Hiya to find the application that best suits your needs.

• Stop telemarketing calls. If you haven’t already, add your phone number to the National Do Not Call Registry, a free service from the FTC. Registering your phone number on DoNotCall.gov removes you from telemarketer call lists, limiting the number of unwanted calls you receive.

What Does It Mean to Screen a Call?

Screening a call means checking who is calling before deciding whether to answer. It involves looking at the caller ID or other information provided by your phone to determine if you want to take the call or let it go to voicemail.

Build a habit of always looking at the number before you answer the phone. This can help you avoid unnecessary overseas charges, keep your data safe, and protect you from repeated social engineering attempts from criminals. 

Why Are “Spam Risk” Dangerous

To sum it up, "Spam Risk" calls represent a significant threat to our safety and security in the digital age. These calls, flagged by mobile carriers as potential spam or fraud, often come from unknown numbers of people who collect your personal information or get money.

By understanding the dangers posed by these calls and learning how to identify them, you can protect yourself and your loved ones from it ever getting out of hand. Even just answering such phone calls can subject you to being a victim of social engineering attacks and paying unreasonable charges. 

So take extra safety measures to ensure your safety and protect your data from phone criminals. Download spam-blocking apps, enable built-in phone features, and register with the National Do Not Call Registry to fight of unwanted spam risk calls.

Learn about the risks and take steps to protect our privacy and security, reduce the dangers of these tricky calls, and enjoy peace of mind while you go about your day with a clean call history.