Potential spam calls: What’s the meaning & How to block spams

In today’s hyper-connected world, our smartphones are our gateway to the world. However, these have also become the access point to unsolicited digital communications. What had begun years ago as annoying telemarketing calls has now become a sophisticated ecosystem of “potential spam.” This is a barrage of robocalls, phishing texts and malicious links with the goal of harvesting personal data. In the case of families, that is not only a nuisance but a privacy risk that targets adults and children alike.

With this guide, you can be better equipped with the knowledge on how to know these threats, the technology they use and effective tools for blocking them so that you and your children can have a safer digital environment.

What does potential spam mean?

While “Potential Spam” mostly refers to a caller ID tag of spam calls, the term is broadened to encompass all forms of digital communication. In most cases, it means the incoming communication follows patterns associated with nuisance or malicious activity.

• Calls: Unwanted calls from unknown numbers, such as automated robocalls and telemarketers, can also be fraudulent and use “neighbor spoofing” (fake your area code to make it seem the call is coming from your area code).
• Text messages (Smishing): Unsolicited SMS or MMS messages that may contain suspicious links, fake offers, or emergency requests for help or personal details.
• Emails: Junk mail, phishing attempts, and attachments loaded with malware.
• Social media messages: Scammers now target adults and children via unknown accounts, sending direct messages, posts with malicious links, or comment spam promoting unsafe websites.

Together, these channels form a multi-layered ecosystem of digital threats. Understanding how your phone detects these risks is the first step to controlling them.

How do phones identify potential spam calls?

As spam evolves, so do the systems designed to intercept it. When your phone rings and says “Potential Spam”, “Scam Likely”, or “Spam Risk”, some complex real-time analysis is done by your mobile carrier and your phone’s operating system. Modern phones rely on multiple detection methods, and transitioning into this helps us understand why false positives or missed spam still occur.

• Machine Learning & Algorithms: Carriers analyze billions of calls to identify patterns. This can be a single number calling thousands of people in a short period of time, or short-duration calls typical of robocallers.
• Carrier databases: Databases are continuously being updated by millions of users who manually mark numbers as spam. If a number gets enough “block” or “spam” reports, then it gets a global flag.
• User reports: Every time someone reports a number as spam, that feedback strengthens the detection system. Over time, this crowdsourced data makes spam identification more accurate.
• STIR/SHAKEN framework: This is a protocol carriers use to verify that the number calling you is legitimate and not “spoofed” (faked). If a call does not pass this verification, often the call is labeled as spam.
• Audio fingerprinting: Some of the more advanced systems analyze the audio of the call itself (often using honey-pots, not your private calls). This helps to identify identical pre-recorded messages of scams from different phone numbers.

Types of spam calls

Spam calls exist in many forms, from the legal (but annoying) sales call to the illegal fraud attempt.

• Robocalls: These are auto-recorded calls. While some are necessary (pharmacy reminders), most can be annoying promotions for car insurance or other items.
• Phishing scams: Callers claiming to be a person that the caller trusts to get passwords or credit card numbers.
• Spoofing calls: In this call, the caller will fake their number ID to appear as if it’s originating from a neighbor. They will have the same area code and prefix as you, or be coming from a government agency.
• IRS scams: You owe us back taxes (or we will arrest you). These scams rely on fear tactics to pressure victims into paying immediately.
• Telemarketers: Salesmen and women who sell timeshares, solar panels, or vacation packages live on the phone.
• “Can you hear me?” scams: The caller asks a simple question to get you to say “Yes.” Then record your voice and use it to try to authorize fraudulent charges (this is rare, but it is a known tactic).

Spam calls are not only frequent but also persistently widespread. According to YouMail data from March 2025, approximately 2.6 billion calls that month were classified as “unwanted spam and telemarketing calls,” accounting for 54% of all robocalls during that period.

As these threats become more common, many people wonder why spam calls seem to increase instead of decrease, an issue that deserves special attention.

Why do you get so many spam calls?

There are several reasons your number might be targeted repeatedly:

• Data breaches: Your phone number was probably in a database that leaked from a company you did business with.
• Data brokers: Your information is legally sold by brokers to marketing firms.
• Random dialing: Auto-dialers do not necessarily want your number; they can just dial every combination of numbers in an area code.
• Active number confirmation: If you answered a spam call in the past, you confirmed the fact that your number is active. This makes it more valuable to other scammers.

What happens if you answer a potential spam call?

There are three main risks in answering a potential spam call:

• Your number is marked as active. By picking up, it will be marked that a human being owns the line. This sends your number to a “hot list,” and you start getting even more future spam calls.
• Social engineering: Clever scammers can trick you into giving them sensitive information. This can even be the last 4 digits of your Social Security Number in a matter of seconds.
• Voice recording: In some cases, scammers can record your voice to bypass voice biometric security systems.

How to block and stop potential spam calls (iPhone & Android)

For the most part, it is pretty easy to get rid of spam calls on both iOS devices and Android phones.

Filter unknown numbers

For iPhone:

Apple lets you block all calls from numbers that are outside of your Contacts, Mail or Messages.

1. Go to Settings > Phone.
2. Go down, then tap Silence Unknown Callers.
3. Toggle the switch to On.

For Android:

Android has a built-in spam filter that is proactive against known offenders.

1. Open the Phone app.
2. Access the Menu (3 dots) >Settings.
3. Tap Caller ID & Spam.
4. Toggle on Filter spam calls.

Transitioning from filtering to more direct action, you can also block numbers individually.

Block spam numbers

If a particular number is harassing you, then block it manually.

iPhone: Open Phone > Recents > Tap the (i) next to the number > Select Block this Caller.

Android: Tap Recents > tap the arrow next to the contact you wish to block, tap the three dots in the top-right corner, and tap Block/Report Spam.

Remove your number from online pages

Information brokers (such as Whitepages, Spokeo, and BeenVerified) will harvest your information and sell it. By removing yourself from such platforms, the spam reduces.

Method: Have a search on these sites with your name. Find their “Opt out” or Removal tab (usually in the footer). You often need to paste the URL of your specific profile to request removal.

Social Media: Ensure your phone number is not visible on your Facebook/Instagram profile. You can also use Meta’s removal tool to remove your contact info from their databases.

Apply third-party spam-blocking solutions

These apps maintain large, community-updated blacklists that block spam far more aggressively than most carriers.

• Applications: Truecaller, Hiya, Robokiller.
• Mechanism: They replace your normal caller ID information with their database information, which identifies “Spam” immediately. This often helps you automatically block spam calls before they ring.

What to do if you’ve engaged with potential spam?

Mistakes happen. Whether you answered the call or clicked a suspicious link, staying calm and acting quickly can mitigate the damage.

If you answered the suspicious call or message

1. Hang up immediately. Do not press any buttons, as this confirms that you are engaging.
2. Block the number using the steps above.
3. Report it Forward spam texts to 7726 (SPAM) on most major carriers.

If you shared some personal information or clicked on any suspicious link

1. Monitor and secure financial accounts: Check bank account and credit card statements daily to identify fraud on the account.
2. Change passwords: Immediately update the passwords for any accounts that may have been exposed or mentioned. Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) can help.
3. Scan for malware: If you clicked on a link on Android, scan your system for viruses (by using a trusted app such as Malwarebytes). This step ensures that no spyware was secretly installed on your device.
4. Freeze Credit: If you shared your Social Security Number, contact three Credit Bureaus (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion) to freeze your credit report.

Bonus: Parental guidance for digital literacy and family safety

Children are increasingly targeted by scammers, making digital literacy an essential part of modern parenting. Digital literacy is essential for children and the elderly to stay safe in the online world. Here is how you can start:

• Educating children about spam and scams: Teach kids “Stranger Danger” applies online. Say that they should never accept calls from numbers they do not know, as well as not open links in text messages. If someone is being overly friendly, they are likely trying to steal your data.
• Establish clear rules and regulations: Introducing the rule “Ask before you Click” among small children. If they have received a message with a link or a request for info, they must show it to a parent first.
• Use parental control tools: To be fully covered, consider using tools like FlashGet Kids. This reliable tool helps parents monitor their child’s call and message activity and block unknown contacts. Plus, parents can set device usage limits and receive alerts for suspicious keywords and behavior.
• Developing a family safety plan: Have regular check-ins, during which communication about any strange messages or calls should take place. Create an environment where a child feels safe reporting accidental clicks without fear of punishment.

Takeaways

“Potential Spam” doesn’t just mean you’re getting a call from an unknown number. Instead, it’s a warning system against an entire industry of data theft and fraud worldwide. As much as the number of these calls may overwhelm you, you are not alone. By using the built-in filter tools of iPhone and Android, erasing your digital footprint from data brokers, and using special parental control services such as FlashGet Kids, you can greatly minimize the risk. And the best weapon is always knowledge: be cautious of all calls you do not recognize, and educate your family to be the same.