Car Warranty Robocalls: Why They Keep Calling and How to Stop Them
If you own a phone in the United States, you have almost certainly received a call about your vehicle extended warranty. These robocalls have become one of the most widespread phone scams in America, generating billions of unwanted calls each year. Here is what you need to know about why they keep calling and how to make them stop.
Why Warranty Calls Are So Common
Auto warranty robocalls are cheap to make and enormously profitable. Scammers use automated dialing systems that can place thousands of calls per minute, cycling through massive databases of phone numbers. Even if only a tiny fraction of recipients respond, the profit margins are significant because the fake warranties they sell cost hundreds or thousands of dollars.
These operations often use spoofed caller IDs, making the calls appear to come from local numbers. This technique, known as neighbor spoofing, dramatically increases the likelihood that you will answer the phone.
The FTC Crackdown
The Federal Trade Commission has taken aggressive action against auto warranty scam operations. In recent years, the FTC and the Federal Communications Commission have:
- Shut down major robocall networks responsible for billions of illegal calls
- Issued multi-million dollar fines against companies behind warranty scam operations
- Required phone carriers to implement STIR/SHAKEN call authentication technology
- Worked with state attorneys general to prosecute offenders
Despite these efforts, scammers continue to adapt by moving operations overseas and using new spoofing techniques.
How to Block Warranty Robocalls
Take these steps to reduce the number of scam calls you receive:
- Register your number on the National Do Not Call Registry at donotcall.gov
- Enable your phone carrier free call-blocking tools (AT&T ActiveArmor, T-Mobile Scam Shield, Verizon Call Filter)
- Install a reputable call-blocking app on your smartphone
- Do not answer calls from unknown numbers; let them go to voicemail
- Never press any buttons during a robocall, as this confirms your number is active
What to Do If You Already Answered
If you engaged with a warranty scam caller and provided personal or financial information, contact your bank or credit card company immediately to dispute any charges. File a complaint with the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov and report the call to the FCC at fcc.gov/consumers/guides/stop-unwanted-robocalls-and-texts. Monitor your credit reports for any unauthorized activity.
Help others avoid the same scam by reporting the phone number on WhoCalledMe.io. Our database tracks millions of reported numbers so that Americans can quickly check whether an incoming call is legitimate or a known scam.