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Why am I getting so many spam calls and texts?
Updated 9 November 2026
Most likely because your phone number is on lists that data brokers sell. Sales databases, lead sellers and leaked databases pass numbers around, and every new list means a new wave of calls. Blocking apps hide the symptom; getting your number deleted from those lists is what makes it stop.
We do this for you. You don't have to do anything.
- Autopilot sends the request to every company we find, plus dozens of other data brokers that likely hold your data.
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- All you do is enter your name, confirm your email and give us permission. Free during the beta.
Where spammers get your number
- Sales and recruiting databases like ZoomInfo, Lusha and Apollo.io collect work phone numbers from LinkedIn, email signatures and company sites, then sell them. See our opt-out guides for the main ones.
- Data leaks. When a web shop or app you used is hacked, its customer list, phone numbers included, ends up for sale.
- Sign-up forms and giveaways that share your details with "partners".
- Random dialling. Some calls just try every number. Answering tells them yours is live, which gets it onto more lists.
What actually helps
- Get your number deleted at the source. Under GDPR every company must delete your data when you ask, and stop using it for marketing. This is the only step that shrinks the lists.
- Check if your number leaked. If it did, expect phishing texts that look like your bank or a delivery firm, and treat every link with suspicion.
- Don't answer unknown numbers, and never press a key or call back. It confirms your number is active.
- Use your phone's spam filter to quiet what still gets through.
Spoofed calls from numbers that look local
Many scam calls show a fake caller ID, sometimes a number close to yours, or even a real person's number. That's called spoofing. Blocking those numbers rarely helps, because the next call uses a different one. Removing your number from the lists that feed these callers does.
Questions
Can I make spam calls stop completely?
Not completely, because some calls dial random numbers. But most targeted spam comes from your number being sold, and that you can shrink a lot by having it deleted from broker lists.
Does blocking numbers help?
A little. Spammers rotate and spoof numbers, so blocking one rarely stops the next. Deleting your number at the source works better.
Is it legal for companies to sell my number?
In the EU they need a legal basis, and you can always object to marketing use and ask for deletion under Articles 17 and 21 GDPR. They must answer within one month.
More numbers on data brokers, breaches and scams: privacy statistics 2026.