Why Do Random Numbers Call Me and Hang Up? [Solved]

What Happens If You Answer a Call From a Random Number?

Scammers know that if they can get you on the phone, they have a better chance of getting money out of you. According to the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) latest data, 

Americans have lost $665 million to phone scams since the start of 2026, with victims losing an average of $1,997 per scam — the highest out of any contact method.

One of the methods scammers use to get you to answer their call is by using random numbers and “one–ring” scams, calling you and then hanging up before you can answer in an attempt to get you to call them back. 

If you engage with these calls, it can put you at serious risk of phone phishing scams, high phone bills, hacking, and AI-powered voice scams where fraudsters impersonate trusted figures or even family members. At a minimum, your number will be added to “active” scam lists and you’ll start receiving even more calls.

The good news is that modern spam call blocking technology has gotten better at identifying and preventing scammers from reaching you in the first place. But it’s not always a foolproof method for staying safe. 

Why Random Numbers Keep Calling You

It’s cheap, easy, and fast for fraudsters to make scam calls in startling numbers using AI bots, robocalling, auto-dialing, and Voice-over-IP (VoIP) technologies.

In July 2026 alone, Americans received over 4.35 billion robocalls — nearly half of which were scam and telemarketing calls. This number only includes recorded messages, not live calls from scammers or AI-powered calls. 

For their scams to work, fraudsters need you to pick up the phone. Yet, most people won’t answer a call from a purely random number. 

To help increase the chances that you’ll answer their calls, scammers use techniques to make random or unknown phone numbers appear more legitimate. 

Some of the most common methods used by phone scammers and spammers include: 

• Neighbor spoofing. “Spoofing” refers to any technology or method used to trick your phone’s Caller ID into displaying a different name or phone number than what’s being used to contact you. Scammers may “spoof” a local phone number or area code to make you believe the call is coming from a person or business that you know. 
• Contact list calls. Scammers also know you’re much more likely to answer calls from someone you know. They may use hacked data or leaked contact list information to spoof the number of a friend or family member. 
• Calls from your own number. This technique, also sometimes called “mirroring”, is meant to confuse victims by using their own number to call them. You probably don't expect to see your own number on the caller ID, so you may answer the phone simply to solve this mystery. 
• Private numbers. Many healthcare professionals and other businesses use private or restricted numbers to protect their privacy. Scammers can do the same (as easily as dialling *67 before the call) to trick victims expecting a call from their doctor or another professional into picking up. 
• One-ring scams. Rather than rely on spoofing techniques, scammers may call and hang up before you can answer in the hopes that you’ll call the number back to find out who it was.

Here’s the bigger problem: Phone calls from random numbers could be from anyone — a local business, your doctor’s office, or, in many cases, scammers. So, how do you block annoying spam calls while ensuring that legitimate callers get through to you?

How To Stop Random Numbers From Calling You

There’s no single perfect method to prevent all random numbers and other unwanted calls. 

Instead, the best way to reduce the number of spam calls you receive and minimize your risk level is to screen incoming calls, take advantage of spam-blocking tools from your phone carrier and third parties, and keep your phone number as private as possible. 

1. Screen incoming calls and block unknown callers 

The easiest way to avoid phone scams is to not answer unknown or random phone numbers. If you receive a call from a random number, ignore it and then block the number in your phone’s settings. 

But with the sheer volume of scam and spam calls being made every day, this can feel like an uphill battle. Plus, what happens when you’re waiting on a call from someone who isn’t on your contact list? 

Modern spam call protection tools like Aura’s Call Protection feature use two layers of security to block most scammers from reaching you: 

1. Check incoming calls against a constantly updated scam number database. Aura checks every incoming call against the most up-to-date database of known scam and spam numbers. If a scammer calls you from a number on the list, Aura will block the call without you having to do anything. 
2. Screen unknown callers using AI. When someone calls from a number not on Aura’s scam database (and not on your contact list), Aura answers on your behalf and uses AI to screen the call and make sure it’s legitimate. You can configure the screening process to ensure that the right calls get through. ‍

Learn more about Call Protection and try Aura free for 14 days to start reducing the amount of spam and scam calls you receive. 

2. Silence unknown callers on your Android or iPhone

Most modern cell phones  allow you to automatically silence unknown callers altogether. With this feature enabled, your phone will direct any calls from people not in your contact list to your voicemail. You can then listen to the voicemail, determine if it's authentic, and then add the caller to your contact list or call them back. 

How to silence unknown callers on iPhones:

• Go to Settings, and tap on Phone or FaceTime.
• Scroll down, and select either Never, Ask Reason for Calling, or Silence unknown callers. For FaceTime, you can only select Silence Unknown Callers. 

Note that if you make an emergency call, this feature will deactivate for 24 hours.

How to silence unknown callers on Android phones (Samsung, LG, etc): 

• Tap on the three dots in the corner of your phone app to access Settings. 
• You should see a Caller ID & Spam section, which may have a "block spam and scam calls" and/or "block numbers" option. 
• Here is where you'll find "Block calls from unknown numbers."

How to Silence unknown callers on landlines: 

On many landlines, you can block calls from anonymous users (who intentionally block their information) by dialing *77. This feature, called anonymous call rejection (ACR), will automatically block calls from people that hide both their name and number from caller ID.

3. Sign up for your carrier’s spam protection tools

Many phone carriers have additional spam protection tools that you can use to reduce the number of spam calls you receive. This is in addition to standard features, such as labeling known or suspected scam calls as “spam risk” or “scam likely”.

Depending on your carrier, you may need to download an additional app or pay a premium for the services. Popular phone carrier services include: 

• Verizon Call Filter 
• AT&T ActiveArmor® 
• T-Mobile Scam Shield 

Carriers offer limited free versions of their apps along with paid “premium” versions. Paid versions include additional features, such as identity monitoring, Safe Browsing, a virtual private network (VPN), and identity theft insurance. 

Aura’s all-in-one solution includes all these features, plus advanced online privacy, identity theft protection, and spam-blocking tools — try it free for 14 days to see if Aura’s right for you.

4. Try a third-party spam call-blocking tool

If you want more protection than your phone carrier provides, you may want to try a third-party call-blocking app. 

Available for Android and iOS devices, these apps specialize in limiting spam calls, but may also provide additional protection against identity theft, financial fraud, hacking, and scams.

Popular third-party spam call-blocking tools include Hiya, Nomorobo, Robokiller, Truecaller, CallApp, YouMail. 

However, beware that using these apps requires agreeing to their terms and conditions — which may put your privacy at risk. For example, CallApp’s Privacy Policy states that using the service requires you to upload your contact list, phone number, and email, and then reserves the right to “share information with third party partners for purpose [sic] of delivery of targeted advertisements.”

Note: The products above are described for educational purposes only — not as a recommendation from Aura. For AI-powered protection against scam and spam calls on your iPhone, try Aura’s Call Protection.

5. Keep your phone number private

While spam blocking tools can help protect your phone from annoying calls, the best form of protection is to keep your phone number private.

Scammers can get your phone number from public profiles on data broker websites and people search sites, social media profiles, or other online listings. They may even find your contact details on the dark web after a data breach. 

You can protect the privacy of your phone number in a few ways: 

• Remove your data from broker websites. Data brokers like USPhoneBook and Radaris are companies that collect and sell publicly available information — such as your phone number, address, and other details. You can manually remove your information from most data broker sites, or use a data removal service like Aura to automate the process. 
• Use an alternate or “masked” phone number. Whenever you sign up for a service that requires your phone number, consider using a secondary number. For example, you can get a cloud-based proxy number, a VoIP number, or a Google Voice account. This will give you access to any calls, while keeping your personal phone number private.‍
• Reduce your digital footprint. Your phone number and other personal information can easily spread to multiple websites without your knowledge. Tighten your social media settings, remove sensitive information from Google search results, and limit what you share online to reduce the amount of spam you receive. 

What about the National Do Not Call Registry? The Do Not Call list only tells legitimate telemarketers that you don’t want to be contacted, but it won’t help with scam calls. If you want to block telemarketers from calling, visit DoNotCall.gov and register your phone number. You can also call toll free at 888-382-1222 to add your number to the list.

What To Do If You Answer a Call From a Random Number

While answering a call from a random number increases your risk, it doesn't mean all is lost. How you handle the call will determine what steps you need to take afterward to stop things from snowballing.  

Here’s what to do if you accidentally answer a call from a random number: 

• Wait until the other person speaks (and don’t respond with “yes”). If you answer a call from a random number, wait before saying anything. If there’s a pause before someone speaks, it’s a robocall. You might just hang up right there. If someone asks, “Can you hear me?” you definitely want to hang up. This is a known scam in which fraudsters record your response in order to access online banking accounts or authorize payments.  
• Listen for the warning signs of a phone scammer. If you hear a delay when you answer the phone (and then a click), you've been autodialed. While this doesn't always indicate a phone scam, it can help warn you to be careful. Additional phone scammer red flags include unsolicited offers, threats of fines or jail time, and requests for personal information.
• Avoid giving out information to anyone who calls you. If someone calls you requesting sensitive information, deny them until they can prove their identity. You might even directly call the company that the caller claims to represent and ask for the person by name. 
• Report the scam number to the FTC. If you suspect or know for sure that you just encountered a phone or text scam, report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. The FTC shares information with other government agencies to help shut down scammers.
• If you gave up personal information: File an official identity theft report. Scammers don't need much information to commit identity fraud — but giving up your Social Security number (SSN), license details, or banking information can be especially destructive. Immediately report this to the FTC at IdentityTheft.gov and then follow the steps on how to recover from identity theft.
• If you sent money or disclosed financial information: Contact your bank. If the scam involves your bank details or credit card number, notify your bank of the potential for fraud. They will walk you through the fraud prevention process — such as closing accounts, disputing charges, and getting new cards. ‍
• Consider signing up for an identity theft and scam protection provider. If your phone number is in the wrong hands, this might not be the last time you deal with fraud threats. Hackers can use your phone number for all kinds of devious acts, so it might be time for more thorough online safety and identity theft protection.

The hard truth is that you'll probably never eliminate spam calls completely. However, with a few steps, you can vastly reduce the risk of spam calls (and the number of scam calls that you receive). 

For added security, consider Aura’s powerful scam protection features. With Aura, you get the most advanced, AI-powered scam protection and digital safety tools, award-winning identity theft protection, and 24/7 U.S.-based customer support.