Have you noticed? Robocalls are down this year, thanks to recent FCC crackdowns, combined with better call blocking technology.
But for some families, they still haven't stopped, and the free blockers offered by cell phone providers are not enough to block them.
Kathy Brockman just wants some quiet time with her grandkids.
But she and husband Don are getting unwanted calls like its still 2009.
"I had over 200 probably in February," she said.
Her husband gets even more.
"I would say at least 300 since April 18th," he said, showing us an endless scroll of spam and suspicious calls on his phone.
Some of the calls say "No Caller ID," others say "Scam Likely."
That helps, and the Brockmans don't answer those.
But the caller ID for others claim they are from Medicare or a doctor's office.
"Yesterday I got one that said 'Healthcare,' and when I answered it, it was not healthcare," Kathy Brockman said.
They have checked with their cell provider, which offered a service to cut down some of the calls, but not all.
"He gets so irritated, sometimes irritated at me," she said. "And I am not the root of the problem."
What you can do to stop them
Robocall blocking technology has gotten a lot better the past 5 years, meaning fewer interruptions while you are home with your family or your pets.
Providers including Verizon, AT&T and T-mobile now offer free blockers.
But in some cases, that may not be good enough.
If so, consider downloading a call blocking app.
For an average of $3 to $5 a month (or free for a basic service in some cases), several services promise to block robocalls, while allowing known contacts to get through.
Top rated blocking apps for smartphones include:
Kathy Brockman is considering subscribing to one of them.
"I wish the companies that these people are calling for, I wish they could see his phone," she said, "and see all the calls he has taken, and know that this is harassment."
The good news is that there are so many ways to stop them now so you don't waste your money.
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