One man says he received 552 robocalls in under a month. How Americans can protect themselves from endless spam calls

Turrise said he received 552 calls in February – all from different numbers. Each time he blocked one number, another appeared. He even tried writing down every incoming number to track the problem. Eventually, that became overwhelming, too.

“I shouldn’t have to run away and hide,” he said.

His experience highlights a frustrating reality for millions of Americans. Robocalls remain one of the most persistent — and potentially dangerous — annoyances in modern life.

Why robocalls are everywhere

Robocalls are automated phone calls that deliver a prerecorded message or connect you to a salesperson.

They’re commonly used by companies selling products or services, political campaigns, and even legitimate organizations like pharmacies or appointment reminders.

YouMail, a robocall protection app that tracks call data, says Americans received just over 3.8 billion robocalls in February 2026 alone (2), with 58% of those calls falling in the bucket of telemarketing or scams, the company said in a news release.

Spam robocalls may promote products like extended car warranties, medical devices or debt-relief programs. More troubling are robocall scams, where criminals try to trick people into sending money or revealing personal information.

In Turrise’s case, one call he received during a CBS interview involved a salesperson offering to ship him a medical device and bill it to Medicare — a red flag often associated with health-care fraud schemes.

The reason these calls are so common comes down to simple economics. Even if a small percentage of robocall scams succeed, it means big money to fraudsters.

Automated dialing systems allow companies — and scammers — to blast millions of calls at almost no cost. On top of that, many robocallers use “spoofing” technology (3) that disguises their true phone number, making it appear local or legitimate.

That’s why Turrise kept seeing new numbers every time his phone rang.

“It’s like a doorbell that rings by itself,” he said.

For Turrise, the issue remains unresolved. He has contacted the Federal Trade Commission, the Federal Communications Commission, the local police in Chicago and AT&T, but the calls keep coming.

Still, he’s not ready to give up the phone number he’s had for more than five decades.

“Maybe somebody will notice it,” he said of his decision to go public with his problem. “People will say, ‘Hey, that’s happening to me too.’”

When robocalls become scams

Scammers often use robocalls as a first step to target potential victims. Common tactics include fake Medicare offers or medical equipment, “urgent” messages from the IRS or Social Security, fraudulent bank or credit card alerts, or tech-support scams claiming your computer is infected — all designed to trigger urgency or fear so people respond before thinking carefully.

Watchdogs, including the AARP (4) and federal regulators (5), say criminals see older adults as more susceptible because of social isolation, health issues, trust in authority, or less comfort with fast-changing technology and online security practices.

Completely eliminating robocalls is difficult, but there are steps consumers can take to protect themselves.