Here’s a shocking number to start your day: Americans received over 70 billion robocalls in 2024. That’s about 211 calls per person. As someone who writes about AI and digital strategy, I never thought I’d be sharing anti-spam tactics, but here we are – because this problem is too big to ignore.
The Scale of the Problem Is Staggering
Let’s put this in perspective. While Americans were drowning in robocalls, Canadians faced 6+ billion spam calls. Scammers didn’t just waste our time – they walked away with $10 billion from North American victims alone. Globally? The Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA) reported a mind-numbing $1.03 trillion lost to scams in 2024.
What makes this worse is that modern scams are evolving faster than traditional defenses. Thanks to record numbers of data breaches, AI and automation, these aren’t your grandmother’s obvious spam calls anymore. But here’s the good news: we can fight fire with fire.
After testing dozens of solutions, here are the four most effective tools I’ve found that actually work – and some even make fighting back fun.
1. Jolly Roger Telephone Company ($1.99/month)
Think of Jolly Roger as your personal army of chatbots designed to waste scammers’ time. Their AI-powered bots keep scammers talking in hilarious ways while you get on with your day. After nine years in the business, they’ve mastered the art of scammer-baiting.
Pro Tip: Record and save your favorite bot conversations. They make great educational material for teaching others about scam tactics.
2. Re: Scam (Free)
Here’s a brilliant idea: forward your spam emails to [email protected], and their AI bot will engage scammers in endless email chains. It’s like having a tireless assistant whose only job is to frustrate scammers. The impact? Over 45,000 replies were sent and nearly 3,700 hours of scammers’ time was wasted.
Power Move: Create a filter in your email to automatically forward suspected scam emails to Re:Scam while moving them to trash in your inbox.
Check out their website for more info here.
Daisy by O2 (Free)
Daisy is the sweet-sounding AI grandmother scammers who wish they never called. While you can’t subscribe to Daisy directly, you can report scam numbers to 7726 (spells “SPAM”). The service then uses tools being Daisy to investigate and combat these scammers.
Quick Tip: Save 7726 in your contacts as “Report SPAM” for easy access. You’ll get a confirmation text back if you’ve sent it correctly.
RoboKiller ($3.99/month)
Another veteran of the group, RoboKiller has spent seven years perfecting spam defense. Beyond just blocking calls and texts, it lets you customize AI responses to mess with scammers. Think of it as building your personal spam firewall with a sense of humor.
Why This Matters More Than Ever
We’re not just fighting annoying interruptions – we’re protecting our mental space and financial security. Every minute a scammer spends talking to a bot is a minute they’re not spending targeting vulnerable people.
Taking Action: Your Next Steps
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Choose at least one tool from this list to implement today.
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Save the spam reporting number (7726) in your contacts.
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Set up email filters to automatically handle suspected scam emails.
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Share these tools with at least three people you care about
The Bottom Line
You don’t have to be a tech expert to fight back against scammers. Whether you choose the free options or invest in paid tools, taking action is better than remaining vulnerable. The best part? You might even have some fun while making the digital world a little safer for everyone.
Found this guide helpful? Share it with friends and family – because the best way to fight scammers is to make their tactics known and their targets harder to reach.
Have a product or app you enjoy for combatting scams and spam? Tell us about it in the comments!
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