If you know what is a robocall, then you can attest to the sheer fact that they can be more than a nuisance. They tend to double up as the bad guys trying to get hold of your personal information or money. No wonder you should be wary of robocalls to avoid crying foul in the long run.

And that’s precisely what this simple guide will help you uncover today. As a good starting point, you need to know; what is a robocall? In a nutshell, they are merely automated phone calls meant to deliver prerecorded messages. While some are legal, such as those from politicians and charities, others are bad guys trying to scam you by using your personal information.

An important point to always remember is that the are different types of robocall scams you should know about. They include payday loans, free or low-cost travel packages, urgent charity requests, foreign lotteries, free trial offers and extended car warranties, to mention a few.

While scammers try not to give you the time to think about their pitch, there are a few ways to recognize a phone scam. If the caller says you’ve been specially selected for the offer, then there is reason to panic. Things are not any different if they tell you that you’ll get a free bonus if you buy their product or informs you that you’ve won one of their valuable prizes.

Now that you know what is a robocall, is there anything you can do about it? Well, some leading websites tend to publish a weekly top five list of latest scams in every industry. Such sites could be a remarkable resource to check if you suspect that you’ve received a fraudulent call.

It is also highly recommended that you put your number on the national ‘do not call’ registry to prevent most telemarketing calls. A rule of thumb when you don’t recognize the number calling you is to avoid answering it. There’s also the option of easily blocking future calls from the number dialing into your cell phone.