Does Verizon Block Spam Calls?Receiving unwanted robocalls or spam calls can be irritating and often a security risk. Historically, robocallers have proven to be experts at evading attempts to curtail their activities, despite the numerous efforts. For example, a 3rd party spam calls prevention firm, YouMail, estimates that in 2020, close to 46 billion robocalls were made, marking a 22 percent decrease from 2019, yet that is still 50 percent higher than the figures recorded in 2017. And in 2021, robocalls were on the rise because, by June, 4.4 billion robocalls had been made, which is an average of 148 million spam calls per day.
The latest blocking efforts by Verizon began in March 2021 when the provider exchanged information with other service providers like T-Mobile and AT&T to help in verifying the accuracy of the listed caller ID number. It was also in the same period that the Federal Communications Commission, the regulatory body, announced that it had imposed a fine of $225 million to a robocalling telemarketing firm.
Although the sad fact is that robocallers are not likely to be eliminated anytime soon, the leading US carrier Verizon has developed innovative solutions to help its clients deal with the menace.
Free Call Filter App
Verizon has rolled out a free call filter service that is designed to serve both iOS and Android customers. It also serves select standalone smartwatches. The Verizon Call Filter is configured to help protect you from unwanted spam calls, allowing you to decide whose calls can come through. Call Filter app detects and blocks high-risk spam calls which it forwards to voicemail. The filter also alerts you when a call is likely spam and depending on the level of risk, automatically blocks robocalls.
For wireless customers, although the free Verizon’s Call Filter app blocks potentially spam, it also allows you to block nuisance or unwanted calls. However, the Call Filter is not accessible by Dual SIM-capable devices while you have both the physical Verizon SIM and eSIM active at the same time. For a Dual SIM-capable iPhone, you need to deactivate the physical card and access the Call Filter app through the internet-based My Verizon app. The Verizon Call Filter Free version is reserved for its post-paid customers and is, unfortunately, unavailable to its prepaid customers.
Call Filter Plus
You need to upgrade to the Verizon Call Filter Plus if you want to customize your block or spam list. The enhanced product comes with all the features found in the free version plus the ability to identify unknown callers by their name. You also have more control over incoming calls with a personal robocall block list as well as access to additional insights using the spam lookup feature and robocall risk meter.
Neighborhood Filter
The Neighborhood Filter is another useful feature from Verizon. It blocks all calls coming from a neighborhood, including legitimate ones, unless you have saved the phone number in your contacts. If a call you wanted to come through is blocked by the Neighborhood Filter, you can select the “Ignore Filter” feature in your post-call details and that number won’t get blocked in the future.
STIR/SHAKEN Technology
The Federal Communications Commission has warned all major carriers that they could face action for failure to make satisfactory progress towards thwarting spam calls or at least significantly bringing down the volume of robocalls. To that end, carrier Verizon has successfully developed it’s STIR/SHAKEN technology. The system helps to reducing the chances of blocking a good or genuine call as potential spam
STIR/SHAKEN call authentication technology helps the firm ensure customer’s calls are indeed emanating coming from whom the caller claims to be and thus reduce the numbers of fraudulently spoofed calls. Even before your phone rings, the technology verifies that a call is actually originating from the real number it’s posing to be. The STIR/SHAKEN technology is designed in a way that prevents spammers from hoaxing your local area code and make the call look legitimate.
Call Blocking
Does Verizon Block Spam Calls?Verizon has also instituted mechanisms for automatically blocking calls in the network but coming from invalid telephone numbers or a Do Not Originate (DNO) list. In the first place, such numbers should not even be making calls and Verizon terminates them in the network before they reach you. In addition, such blocked calls don’t go to your voicemail.
Nomorobo
Verizon Fios Digital Voice customers can also register with Nomorobo. This a 3rd party, free, service that helps identify known telemarketers and robocallers, and stops your home Fios Digital Voice phone from ringing. However, Nomorobo doesn’t work with the traditional Verizon voice service.
Conclusion
Does Verizon Block Spam Calls?It is important to note that Verizon doesn’t guarantee customers that all incoming spam or robocalls calls get detected as some still manage to get through. In addition, some numbers might get blocked by another service or app on your device.
