Robocall Guide
How to report a robocall (and what reporting can’t do for you)
Reporting a robocall takes about two minutes and helps regulators go after the worst callers. But it usually won’t put money in your pocket. If illegal calls keep hitting your phone, you may also be owed $500 to $1,500 per call. That’s a separate path most people never hear about.
Free · No obligation · About 2 minutes · No fee unless you recover
If you’re sick of automated calls and want to do something about them today, this page shows where to report them, to the FTC, the FCC, and your own phone carrier, plus what details to include so your report actually counts. Then we’ll be honest about what reporting does and doesn’t fix, and where the money side comes in.
1. Report it to the FTC
The Federal Trade Commission is the main place to flag unwanted calls. There are two FTC tools, and which one you use depends on the call:
- For ordinary unwanted sales and robocalls: file at donotcall.gov. This is the same site that runs the National Do Not Call Registry, and it has a simple form to report a call.
- For scams, fraud, or someone trying to steal money or information: use reportfraud.ftc.gov. Think fake “car warranty,” phony Medicare, IRS imposters, or anything asking for payment or your Social Security number.
2. Report it to the FCC
The Federal Communications Commission takes complaints about unwanted calls and texts too, and its data helps shape enforcement against illegal callers. File at consumercomplaints.fcc.gov. It’s worth doing in addition to the FTC, especially for prerecorded messages, spoofed numbers (where the caller fakes the number on your screen), and calls that keep coming after you asked them to stop.
3. Include the details that matter
A vague report (“I keep getting spam”) doesn’t give regulators much to work with. When you file, have these ready:
- The calling number as it showed on your screen, even if you suspect it’s spoofed.
- The date and time of the call (your call log has this).
- What was said: the script, the offer, or what the recording claimed to be.
- Any company name mentioned, including who they said they were calling about.
These same details are exactly what a legal claim runs on, so keep your own copy. Don’t submit it and delete it.
Think this might be you?
Find out free if you have a case. It takes about two minutes and costs nothing.
See if you qualify4. Tell your phone carrier and turn on call blocking
Your carrier can’t pay you, but it can cut down the volume. Most major carriers offer free call-labeling and blocking tools, and your phone has built-in options too:
- Forward spam texts to 7726 (it spells “SPAM”). That reports the message to your carrier at no charge.
- Turn on your carrier’s blocking app or the “silence unknown callers” setting on your phone.
- Don’t press buttons to “opt out” of a robocall from an unknown number. With scam-style calls, that can confirm your number is live and bring more calls.
5. Register on the Do Not Call list
If you haven’t already, add your number to the National Do Not Call Registry. It’s free and permanent, and after 31 days legitimate telemarketers are supposed to leave you alone. Calls that keep coming after that can themselves be violations. See our plain-English walkthrough of the Do Not Call Registry and how to use it.
The honest part: reporting helps, but it rarely pays you
Reporting is genuinely useful. It feeds the FTC and FCC the patterns they use to fine and shut down the worst operations, and registering plus blocking can quiet some of the noise. What it usually doesn’t do is compensate you. The agencies act on behalf of the public, so any fines they collect go to the government, not to the person who filed the report.
A completely separate path can put money in your pocket. The TCPA lets you, the person who was called, recover damages set by law:
$500 per illegal call or text as a baseline, rising to up to $1,500 per call when the violation was willful, for example when you told them to stop and they kept calling. These amounts stack, so a steady stream of calls can add up fast.
You don’t have to prove you lost money, because the law sets the value per call. Every case is different, and prior results don’t guarantee a similar outcome.
The smart move is to do both: report the call to slow it down, and find out whether those same calls are worth a claim. They’re not in competition. Reporting protects everyone, while a claim is about what you’re personally owed.
How Max can help, free to find out
Max Morgan, Esq. is a Pennsylvania-licensed attorney who handles TCPA cases for consumers nationwide. He’ll review what happened for free, tell you honestly whether it’s worth pursuing, and if you have a case, take it on contingency, meaning his fee comes out of any recovery, not your pocket. No recovery, no fee.
You don’t need to be sure it qualifies. Tell us what’s been calling you and we’ll figure it out together.
Related: Do Not Call Registry · Do Not Call violations · What is a robocall? · How to sue a telemarketer
Reporting a robocall: FAQs
Where do I report a robocall?
Report unwanted sales and robocalls to the FTC at donotcall.gov, and scams or fraud at reportfraud.ftc.gov. You can also file with the FCC at consumercomplaints.fcc.gov. It’s fine to report to more than one.
What information should I include?
Include the number that called, the date and time, what was said, and any company name mentioned. Keep your own copy of these details, since they’re also the evidence a legal claim depends on.
Does reporting stop the calls?
It can help. Registering on the Do Not Call list and using your carrier’s blocking tools cut down some calls, and your reports help regulators act against repeat offenders. But reporting won’t instantly silence a determined illegal caller.
Will I get money for reporting?
No. Any fines the FTC or FCC collect go to the government, not to you. But you may be owed money separately: under the TCPA, illegal calls can be worth $500 to $1,500 each to the person who was called. That’s a private claim, not a report. Find out free if you qualify.
What’s the difference between reporting and suing?
Reporting tells regulators about a caller so they can investigate or fine them on the public’s behalf. Suing is your own claim for damages the law owes you for illegal calls to your phone. They’re separate paths, and you can do both, as many people do.
What information do I need to report a call?
The date, time, the number shown on your caller ID, what they were selling, and any company name or callback number they gave. Noting that your number is on the Do Not Call list also helps.
Find out in about two minutes
See if your calls are worth money.
Answer a few questions and Max Morgan, Esq. will tell you, free, whether you have a case. No cost, no obligation, no fee unless you recover.