Here's why you're getting so many spam phone calls

(MarketWatch)

The next time another unknown number unexpectedly rings your phone, send it straight to voicemail.

Or better yet, Pixel phone users can let their Google Assistant screen the call for them. The Google Assistant’s new call screening feature (built into the Pixel 3 phone debuting this month, and coming to the Pixel 1 and 2 in November) prompts you to tap “Screen call” when you get an incoming call from an unknown number. What’s more, the A.I. assistant will answer the call for you and send a transcript in real-time, so that you can decide whether to pick up or block it as spam.

Here’s how it works: The Google Assistant will answer the call for you, and an automated voice will alert the caller that you are “using a screening service from Google” and that you will receive a copy of this conversation. It will then ask them to state their name and reason for calling, which will be sent to you in real time. If the call sounds legit, you can: answer it or text a response (for example, “I’ll call you back later”). If it sounds sketchy or the scammer doesn’t identify themselves, then you can ignore the call, block the number and report it as spam Read more