How to Get Rid of Scammers Calling and Texting You Every Day and Disrupting Your Business

You answered a spam call because it had your area code, and you assumed it was a client. Now you get up to a dozen scam calls and texts every day. You keep blocking them, but they always come from new numbers and it’s driving you insane.

 Sound familiar?

If it happened to you, know you haven’t done anything wrong. Scammers buy, sell, and trade phone numbers like currency. All it takes is one answered call for your number to be marked as “active” and passed around.

 The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ranks phone calls as the second-most-common contact method for fraud in 2024. Even worse, these scams had the highest per-person financial loss, with a median of $1,500 per victim.

As a small business owner, you use your phone for sales, scheduling, invoicing, and staying in touch with clients. You shouldn’t have to wade through fake messages and scam calls just to get work done.

If your phone rings or pings all day with spam and scam messages, here’s how to fight back scam messages and calls with tools that actually help.

How to Break the Cycle: Tools and Actions That Actually Work

Once scam calls and texts start, they can feel endless. Blocking them one by one often makes no difference because scammers constantly change numbers, spoof local area codes, and send texts from masked short codes.

So what does work?

Here’s a strategy that combines smart habits with real protection, including a tool specifically designed to address this growing problem.

1. Stop Answering Unknown Numbers

If you’re a business owner, it’s tempting to pick up every call, just in case it’s a client, a lead, or a delivery driver. But that’s exactly what scammers rely on. Just answering once is enough to mark your number as active. After that, it gets shared or sold to others running similar scams.

 If you’re not expecting a specific call, let it go to voicemail. Real clients and partners will leave a message. Over time, this helps reduce how often your number gets flagged or reused by scam networks.

Related: Call Spoofing: What It Is, How It Works, and How to Protect Yourself

2. Use Smart Call Blocking

 When your phone is part of your business, scam calls aren’t just annoying, they’re disruptive.

 Blocking each number manually rarely works, since scammers constantly rotate numbers or spoof ones that look familiar. You need a smarter system that filters them out before they reach you.

 If you use an Android phone, Bitdefender Mobile Security includes a Call Blocking feature that does exactly that. It uses a real-time, community-powered database to block known scam numbers automatically. When another user flags a number, that info helps protect you, too.

It also uses AI to detect unusual patterns—like spoofed numbers or shady call behavior—and can alert you on the spot. You stay in control by customizing what gets blocked: individual numbers, whole area codes, or anything that feels off.

There’s also a simple call log showing how many scam calls have been stopped recently, so you can see the impact immediately. If you’ve been missing real calls because of scammers, this kind of tool can help restore trust in your phone again.

Related: Block the Scam: Bitdefender’s New Call Protection Feature for Android Puts You in Control

3. Watch Out for Scam Texts

Texts can be even riskier than calls because they often carry links designed to steal your data. Messages like “Your package is delayed” or “Confirm your account” are meant to trick you into tapping. 

            Never tap links in unexpected messages. Use your phone’s built-in filters (Filter Unknown Senders on iPhone, Spam protection on Android) to hide risky texts.

And to keep dangerous messages from reaching you in the first place, Bitdefender’s Scam Alert technology (Android 6 or later) scans links in texts, chats, and notifications in real time. Most scam texts are blocked before they even hit your screen, so you don’t have to worry about clicking the wrong link.

Related: What to Do If Scammers Have Your Phone Number

4. Keep Your Number Safe from Future Abuse

• Avoid posting your phone number on your website, public forums, or social bios.
• Leave the phone number field blank when it’s optional in online forms.
• Don’t reply to suspicious texts—not even with “STOP.” That confirms your number is active.
• Be cautious with giveaways, surveys, or “business networking” platforms that request your number without a clear purpose.
• Keep an eye on data breaches. Many scams start weeks or months after your number leaks in a compromised platform.

Your Phone Is Part of Your Business

The line between personal and professional is thin when you’re running a very small business. Your phone isn’t just a phone, it’s your office, your bank, your calendar, your connection to clients , and your personal files.. That’s why Bitdefender Ultimate Small Business Security includes Mobile Security as part of its complete protection package.

It’s not just about blocking scam calls or texts. It’s about protecting your business from the full range of digital threats—scams, phishing attempts, data breaches, malware, and even accidental clicks. Whether you work solo or have a small team, Bitdefender Ultimate Small Business         Security gives you comprehensive security across every device, habit, and weak spot, down to the smallest detail.

Start your free trial now.