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How To Stop Robocalls From Bothering You

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - Robocalls are a major problem and experts say we can all expect more of them in the future - but some promising technology could cut down on the annoying calls.

For example, CBS2's Kenneth Craig points to such familiar messages as "This is an important message regarding your current credit card account" or "The reason of this call is IRS is filing lawsuit against you" coming to your phone from another machine.

Americans received 30 billion spam calls last year, and robocall blocking company Youmail predicts next year half of those calls will be scams.

READ MORE: FCC To Crack Down On Americans' 2.5 Billion Robocalls A Month

Scammers often spoof calls, disguising the digits to make it look like a familiar number.

"They popped in, one right after the other so fast," said Beverly Figueroa, who had her number spoofed.

Scam artists recently duplicated Figueroa's number and used it to spoof others.

"There must have been thousands of people called with my phone number," she said.

People who received robocalls thought she had called them, and many called her back.

Robocalls are frustrating, and there are several apps and features on the market that can stop many of them from reaching your phone.

Google just unveiled a new "call screen" feature on its latest Pixel phone. If there's a call from an unfamiliar number, you can have the phone answer for you.

Artificial intelligence asks who is calling and why. You get a transcript of who it is and then can decide to pick it up or mark it as spam.

1022robocall
(Credit: CBS2)

Phone companies are developing new technology that goes one step further. It's called stir/shaken and would require all calls to carry an authentic digital signature that would ensure the number you see in the caller ID is legitimate and not a spoof

Verizon says it will start rolling out the system later this year, other phone companies are expected to have it in 2019.
Many are hoping it will help bring an end to those annoying robocalls.

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