How to stop unwanted calls

[Update on December 2013: Good news for Singaporeans wanting to block and avoid telemarketing calls! From 2 December 2013, you can register online at www.dnc.gov.sg to opt out from unsolicited phone calls. I guess this will finally put a stop to those calls and messages that do not go away despite countless times of unsubscribing from them!]


A call comes in, the caller ID indicates an unknown number. Do you pick it up? Sometimes, i'll get some undesirable calls which I instantly regretted picking up. They come in these forms:

1. Marketing"Hello, I am from xxxx bank..."
2. Unfriendly calls"&$@% ..."
3. Silent calls"..." (Where there is no sound and perhaps someone called you by accident)

So.. I did some research on how to stop such calls, and here are 3 ideas on how to stop these unwanted calls:

1. Prevention

Excuse the cliche, but prevention is better than cure. To avoid getting marketing calls, be careful when you give out your number to companies, who typically require you to provide your number from lucky draws, promotions, etc.

2. Opt out

In some countries, you can indicate to not receive such unsolicited calls by registering with the telephone preference service. It would be illegal for marketing companies to call you if you opt out.

Remember, these services should not require you to pay.

3. Change your number

In those countries where such services are not available ( like singapore), there are few things you can do.  Get equipped with a caller id, so you can identify unknown numbers and ignore them. Telemarketers usually move on to the next person on their list and would not call again. If all else fails, request a change of number from your service provider.

EUFASS