There’s good news: French citizens are increasingly resistant to the siren song of phone scams. Progress has been made in the fight against unwanted calls, with more people disregarding numbers they don’t recognize.
Changing Behavior and Regulations
In the past few years, French people have become more vigilant. Figures from Arcep, the nation’s governing body for electronic communications, show a steady decrease in the number of individuals who answer calls from unknown numbers. In 2021, the figure stood at 43%, dropping to 41% in 2022, then down to 35% in 2023. This suggests that the public is becoming more guarded, helping to reduce the success of these scams.
Part of the reason for this reduction is stricter regulations on sales calls. Now, telemarketers are limited to dialing out from numbers with specific prefixes. Also, their calling hours are tightly controlled. Sales calls can only be made from 10am to 1pm and 2pm to 8pm during weekdays. Calls on weekends and holidays are off-limits.
Blocking Unwanted Calls and Reporting Abuses
A range of tools have emerged to help individuals gain control over their phone lines. Products like Bloctel, Orange Telephone, and Signal Conso are instrumental in blocking unwanted calls and flagging abusive solicitation. These tools give users the ability to report bothersome calls and block numbers, providing a significant deterrent for unscrupulous salespeople.
Moreover, certain mobile operators and phones, including Free Mobile, offer real-time spam detection and filtering. These features can identify and block spam calls as they happen, ensuring a disturbance-free phone experience.
Highlighted Tool: The Orange Telephone App
The Orange Telephone app makes it easy to manage calls. This intuitive application not only identifies and blocks spam calls, but also provides specific caller information. It gives full details on premium rate charges, and allows quick access to emergency numbers. The best part? It’s available for both iOS and Android users.
Defensive phrases can also be used when answering calls from unknown numbers. These can often discourage solicitors from carrying on with their script.
Hi, my name is Disha and I’m a passionate writer and editor at “Jason Deegan”. With a keen interest in all things tech, I strive to bring you the latest news and updates from the world of high-tech.