Receiving a phone call with a number listed as “Restricted” is the virtual equivalent of a knock at your front door when you aren’t expecting company. It can be very off-putting not to know who is calling you or why especially if it happens multiple times daily.
Unfortunately, these rude and annoying calls are a very common experience for most people. The good news is that there are quite a few ways to fight back against these restricted calls.
What Is A Restricted Call?
A restricted call is a term used to describe whenever a person or company wants to block their number from the person they are calling. Under normal circumstances, a number or name will be provided via caller ID when a call is made.
The call log of your phone will also record this information. If the number is restricted, then this information won’t be provided, and the caller will remain anonymous. Furthermore, these calls can show up as anonymous on your phone log too, and you might not even be able to see the information on your monthly bill.
As technology progresses, these restricted calls have become more difficult to trace and even harder to block.
What’s the Deal With Restricted Calls?
Restricted calls are primarily used whenever an individual or company doesn’t want the person they’re calling to know who they are or trace the call back to them. The feature is usually part of a service that is simple to set up and is made available by all telecom providers.
One of the more common tactics for enabling a restricted call is entering in *67 before making a call. What will happen is that the call will go through as normal, but with “restricted,” “unknown,” or “private” appearing instead of your actual phone number.
If you’re calling a friend, though, you would most likely prefer them to see that it’s you to answer. So then, who exactly is it that needs to disguise themselves using this feature?
Who Uses Restricted Calls?
Although some people may use this tactic as a form of extra privacy, it’s most commonly used by robocalls, telemarketers, and bill collection agencies. That’s not to say that all instances of restricted calls are made to scam you out of money.
However, the caller is specifically choosing to disable their caller ID in an attempt to remain anonymous. It doesn’t make a lot of sense for someone you know and trust to go through the trouble of disguising their number.
Therefore, it is most likely someone you either don’t know making the call or someone you are trying to avoid. This raises the question of what you should do if you receive a restricted call.
Should You Answer Restricted Calls?
It won't always be a scammer or bill collector on the other end of a restricted call, but the chances are fairly likely that it will be. Answering a phone call from someone that is trying to hide their true identity is a bit like opening your front door to someone wearing a face mask. It’s not guaranteed that it will end negatively, but it’s not very likely to end up being beneficial either.
When it comes to a restricted call, it’s best to ignore it and let them leave a voicemail if they are so eager to make contact. If restricted callers do not leave a message explaining their call and how to reach them, it was most likely a scammer or robocall.
What Can You Do If You Constantly Get Restricted Calls?
Having your phone ringing almost nonstop throughout the day can be a highly irritating experience. Unfortunately, that’s starting to become a regular occurrence since it seems that robocalls and spam are on the rise lately.
A few laws have been created over the years designed to help reduce the number of these calls, but they are not effective at stopping all of the calls. So if you are frequently receiving these intruding calls, you will most likely have to deal with it yourself. There are a few options available for blocking these restricted calls.
Landline
If you are still using a landline and are constantly receiving restricted calls, it’s fairly easy to block them. All that you will have to do is dial *77 on your phone. You should hear a confirmation message that will tell you that the process is completed.
From this point on, whenever a restricted call is made to your phone, an automated message will tell the caller to unblock their number and try again. If you choose to disable this feature, you would simply dial *87 on your phone.
You’ll hear another confirmation message, and from that point, you’d begin receiving all calls again.
Cell Phone
Trying to block restricted calls on a cell phone can be a little bit more difficult than a landline. The most important factor at play is which service provider that you have for your phone.
For example, AT&T offers the optional feature of rejecting anonymous and restricted calls for its users. However, they may charge an extra monthly fee for enabling this service, depending on your plan.
Verizon is another provider that grants you the option of blocking restricted calls, but only if you are enrolled in their Smart Family Plan. If you are a Sprint or T-Mobile user, there currently are no plans or features that will block restricted calls.
Use A Call Blocker App
There are phone apps available for just about everything these days, including blocking restricted calls. There are plenty of call blocker apps out there, so make sure that you get one that provides the features you want.
The best call blocking apps create what’s called a whitelist that is based on the contacts in your phone. If you receive a call from a person on this whitelist, it will go through like normal.
However, if a number is restricted or unknown, then it will automatically be sent directly to voicemail.
File A Report
If you constantly receive restricted calls or the messages are threatening or aggressive, you may want to consider filing a police report. You might be able to determine the number via your phone records, but if not, the police may help.
Receiving dozens of calls daily, even without threatening messages, is a form of harassment and could result in legal action against the caller.
The Takeaway
It won't always be a scammer or bill collector on the other end of a restricted call, but answering a phone call from someone trying to hide their true identity is like opening your front door to someone wearing a mask. It may not end negatively, but it’s not likely to be beneficial.
It’s best to ignore restricted calls and let them leave a voicemail if they are so eager to make contact. If restricted callers do not leave a message explaining their call and how to reach them, it is most likely a scammer or robocall.
There are plenty of legitimate reasons why someone may wish to make a restricted call. If you are constantly receiving calls from a restricted number, there are a few things that you can do instead of just dealing with it or changing your number.
Your phone carrier might offer the feature of blocking these calls, but using an app is probably the best way to block them. These call blocking apps are typically only a few dollars a month and can save you the headache and annoyance of a constantly ringing phone.
SOURCES:
5 ways to block or hide your number when making calls | www.usatoday.com
FCC Stop Unwanted Robocalls and Texts | www.fcc.gov
Restricted Call: What Is It and Should You Be Scared? | cellularnews.com