(ABC 6 News) — Maybe it’s a call from the doctor’s office or your child’s school. So, you stop what you’re doing and answer — only to get aggravated. It’s a bogus debt reduction offer, or better yet — you won a phony cruise.

Sham calls are not only a waste of time; they’re also costing people their hard earned money. According to the FTC, in 2023, people reported losing a total of $10 billion to scams with phone scams causing the highest per-person loss, with a median loss of $1,480.

But there are simple things you can do to get fewer rings. First, check with your cell phone provider.

Nicholas De Leon is a technology writer for Consumer Reports and says your provider might be your first line of defense.

“The Federal Communications Commission requires your provider to have robocall-fighting technology. It’s free, or maybe you can pay a little monthly for more spam-blocking features,” De Leon says.

If you’re about to pull out your hair, you can make a dramatic move. Set your phone to only take calls from your contacts or from people you’ve been in contact with before. To do that on your iPhone –head to settings — phone –go to ‘silence unknown callers’ and swipe on. That means unknown calls should go straight to voicemail.

In addition, do not respond to unwanted texts from questionable sources. Also, check reviews and try a free scam blocker app. Before you download it, read the fine print.

“Double-check the privacy policies of these apps. They may be using your data, selling it, they may be using it in ways you’re not comfortable with,” De Leon says.

And if you haven’t already done so, sign up for the National Do Not Call Registry. You can do that online or by phone.

You may also be able to report unwanted or scam texts to your provider by forwarding the message to 7726 “SPAM” and complain to the Federal Trade Commision, your state attorney general, your state’s public service commission or consumer protection office.