Spam calls are older than the Internet. In the past, fraudsters used telephone calls to sell their victims counterfeit or overpriced products or to fool them into believing false facts in order to enrich themselves financially. Today, when there are more technical possibilities and artificial intelligence plays an increasingly important role, spam calls are becoming more convincing and dangerous. We'll show you why spam calls can often be dangerous, what consequences they have and how you can prevent them.
Are spam calls dangerous?
A spam call doesn't always have to be dangerous, sometimes they're just annoying. We therefore have to distinguish between two basic types of spam calls: on the one hand, there are spam calls that aim to sell you products or services – whether you actually need them or whether they are overpriced does not matter for our distinction at first. So it's pure telephone advertising that you never agreed to.
Then there's phone scams; the classic is the grandchild trick. Scammers pretend false facts, for example, that an alleged well-known person (such as the grandson) is in need and absolutely needs (financial) support. This form of spam calls overlaps with phishing, a common type of cyberattack.
In recent years, spam calls have become more sophisticated due to technical advances, especially in the field of artificial intelligence (AI). Computer voices no longer sound wooden and robot-like, but more and more convincing. It is theoretically even possible for fraudsters to imitate a victim's known person, although this is rarely used in general telephone spam because it requires a lot of preparation.
In contrast to spam by e-mail, the variant by phone is more dangerous because direct interaction with the victim is possible in order to manipulate him. The manipulation is not delayed, as is the case with an email.
We will explain the consequences of the calls in detail in the rest of the article.
Spam Number List 2025
There are certain numbers that are known to be spam. So you can block them from the outset so that the call doesn't get through in the first place. Please note: this list is not exhaustive, and new spam phone numbers may appear at any time.
| Number |
Country |
Learn more |
| 08001144661 |
Germany |
Known for spam calls, potentially unwanted ads. |
| 04029996605 |
Germany |
Repeated calls reported, beware of this number. |
| 021198709935 |
Germany |
May contain unwanted advertisements or fraudulent offers. |
| +436646329056 |
Austria |
In connection with fraud. |
| 040756748009 |
Germany |
Known for spam, potentially unwanted content. |
| +43720229535 |
Austria |
Cost trap, beware of calls. |
| 01787405212 |
Germany |
Callers pretend to be health insurance companies, promising repayments. |
| +4367762016973 |
Austria |
Callers pretend to be a consumer center, data synchronization for sweepstakes. |
| +4367761918569 |
Austria |
Similar scam as above, beware of data queries. |
| 0031683113854 |
Netherlands |
Annoying and annoying calls, consumer advice centre pretext or lottery winnings. |
| 0031620122312 |
Netherlands |
Similar to the above, often without reporting. |
| 01787556032 |
Germany |
Callers argue with a change of health insurance provider and IBAN comparison. |
| +447851397260 |
United Kingdom |
Cost case, account data is required. |
| +447707527817 |
United Kingdom |
Similar to above |
| 06924742245 |
Germany |
Known for sales calls, products, or services. |
What is a spam call?
Spam calls are unwanted calls made by an unknown number. This form of fraud is older than the Internet – decades ago, fraudsters tried to enrich themselves financially through the notorious "grandchild trick". They pretended to be relatives of the victim and feigned an emergency situation that could only be solved by financial support from the person called.
This trick has stood the test of time, and with the rapid development of technology – especially artificial intelligence – scams are becoming more and more convincing and can be applied to more and more potential victims.
But there is not only the classic grandchild trick, the motives behind spam calls can be manifold:
– Criminal intentions can be behind it: Fraudsters could be after your personal or financial data;
– It can be aggressive and improper advertising calls by call centers that want to sell you a product or service;
– Or the call is about market research and surveys, which are not scams but can be annoying.
How can I block spam calls?
Automatically blocking spam calls is hardly possible. However, if you've been the victim of spam calls or have spam numbers calling you repeatedly, there are still a few options:
Block a phone number: The function of blocking a number and being able to mute unknown callers exists on every smartphone. In addition, you have the option of blocking numbers within apps such as WhatsApp or Telegram;
Use third-party apps: Apps for smartphones can also help in the fight against spam calls. Like the integrated function mentioned above, they block certain numbers on request, but also provide a caller ID with useful information about the caller when an unknown number is called;
Get signed up for the Robinson List: The
Robinson List is an independent consumer protection list where you can sign up to avoid receiving unsolicited advertising or phone calls. Registration is free of charge. Please note that this can reduce advertising calls – the entry does not offer spam protection against criminal fraud attempts;
Don't respond to calls from unknown numbers: While this measure doesn't block a spam call directly, it does prevent fraud attempts. If you ignore unknown callers, you also increase the chance that you will not be bothered by this number any further.
How can I block spam calls on Android?
If you have an Android phone, you need to follow these steps to block a number:
1. Open the Phone app.
2. Tap More → call history.
3. Tap the caller of the number you want to block.
4. Tap Bockieren/Report spam.
Spam Calls Block Samsung Smart Call
If you have a Samsung device, you can also use the Smart Call feature, which automatically tells you if a call might be spam. You activate spam protection in the menu under Caller ID and spam protection.
How do I block spam calls on an iPhone?
If you have an Apple smartphone, here's how to block iPhone spam calls.
1. Open the Phone app on your iPhone.
2. Tap the circled "i" to the right of the number you want to block.
3. A new menu will open, and at the bottom you will find the Block caller item.
4. Confirm that you actually want to block the number.
How can I block all unknown callers?
If you want to block all unknown numbers on Android, the following steps are necessary:
1. Open the Phone app on your iPhone.
2. Tap More Menu.
3. Settings → Blocked Numbers.
4. Enable Unknown.
If you have an iPhone, you can silence unknown callers. The calls are then routed to voicemail and appear in the call history.
1. On your iPhone, open Settings.
2. Go to Phone.
3. Scroll down and tap the Mute Unknown Callers menu item.
4. Activate or deactivate the function via the switch
Note that this will automatically block all unknown numbers. On the other hand, if one of your contacts calls you or someone you've recently spoken to but isn't saved to your contacts, it will continue to ring.
What are the consequences of spam calls?
At best, spam calls are just plain annoying. In the worst case, they can have unforeseen consequences, which we would like to introduce to you below, in the hope of being able to raise your awareness of the dangers.
Financial losses
If they are not promotional calls, the biggest motivation behind spam calls is the financial damage to the victims. This can be done by spam callers trying to steal information from you, such as credit card information or online banking credentials. Through social engineering, the scammers could also try to convince you to transfer large sums of money based on a made-up emergency. So they play with fear to get you to take action. Scenarios such as a relative in distress are popular, or alternatively,
large sums of money are promised after the victim pays a small amount. In this context, the so-called "Nigeria Connection", which has its origins as early as the 1980s, has become known. Originally, this began with letters or faxes asking recipients to help get huge sums of money out of the country – in return, they were tempted by a large commission, which of course never existed. Or there is a seemingly high monetary prize waiting for you, which you are supposed to receive after disclosing financial information.
Security risks
Spam calls and phishing can go hand in hand, and the scammer can use them as a gateway for cyberattacks such as installing malware on the victim's device. One scenario could be the IT employee of a well-known company like Microsoft. This pretends that a problem with the PC is known and that he needs access to the computer to fix the problem with software. But instead of the promised help, the fake employee installs malware on the device to spy on it.
Reputational damage
This possible consequence affects companies in particular. If a fraudster impersonates an employee of a reputable company – as in the case of the Microsoft employee (see above) – and causes damage, it can cause significant damage to a company's reputation – even if it ultimately turns out to be a dangerous spam call. Negative headlines are initially associated with the company name.
Stress and psychological consequences
Many spam calls in a row that don't want to end can have psychological consequences, even if they are "only" advertising. Although blocking a phone number may give the victim peace from certain spam phone numbers for a short time, this can only be short-lived. The spam calls thus take up valuable time of a person - especially if it is time with the family or important work. The expectation that a new call can follow at any time is undoubtedly stressful.
Identity theft
Scammers can use spam calls to try to steal sensitive data from you in order to misuse it for identity theft. This information includes name, address, social security number or bank details, but also access data or PINs for online accounts. Exposing this sensitive data on websites is always a double-edged sword, as it is necessary in some cases. But it can also happen to you that your data falls into the wrong hands due to a data leak.
If you're not sure how reputable a website is, a tool like Surfshark's Alternative ID can come in handy. Create an alternative online identity easily and quickly. First, you enter the desired gender, age, date of birth and country. Using this information, Surfshark will create an alternate identity as well as an email address that you can customize later.
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