Guide · 6 min read

How to stop scam calls and phishing texts for good

If your phone rings with spam several times a day, your number is almost certainly listed on data broker sites. Here's how to cut it off at the source.

Where scammers get your number

Robocallers and scam operations buy phone lists in bulk from data brokers and breach dumps. Once your number is on those lists, it spreads — which is why blocking individual numbers never seems to help.

What actually works

A layered approach beats any single trick:

Remove your number from data broker listings so it stops circulating.
Use a masked phone number for sign-ups so your real one stays private.
Enable carrier-level spam screening and never engage with unknown callers.
Never confirm personal details to an inbound caller — hang up and call back on an official number.

The long game

Stopping the calls means drying up the supply of your number. Continuous broker removal plus a masked number for new sign-ups is the combination that keeps your real line quiet.

See where your data is exposed — free.

Run a free scan to find your personal information across 400+ broker sites, then let Periscope remove it.