Written by NotALawyer Legal AI · Reviewed by External Legal AI · Published April 27, 2026 · Last reviewed June 26, 2026
Robocalls are often illegal, not just annoying. The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) lets you sue on your own and collect $500 to $1,500 in statutory damages per illegal call. That turns a nuisance into a real claim.
Add your number at donotcall.gov. After 31 days, most legitimate telemarketers must stop calling. Scammers ignore the list, but registering creates a paper trail that supports a TCPA claim.
Under 47 USC 227, autodialed or pre-recorded calls to your cell phone, and unsolicited robocalls to landlines, require your prior express consent. No consent means $500 per call, tripled to $1,500 if the caller acted willfully.
Record the date, time, number, and what the call said. Save voicemails. If a live person picks up, ask for the company name and address. This log is your evidence in a TCPA case.
Major carriers offer free spam blocking: T-Mobile Scam Shield, AT&T Active Armor, Verizon Call Filter. Apps like Robokiller, Hiya, and Truecaller add a layer. iPhone and Android can also silence unknown callers in settings.
TCPA cases often settle for thousands of dollars per consumer, and many TCPA lawyers take cases on contingency. Class actions against major spam callers recover seven and eight figures, with individual payouts in the hundreds.
More on this topic: the Consumer Rights hub
NotALawyer.com provides general legal information, not legal advice.