FORT LAUDERDALE – With the 2024 political campaign season behind us, robocalls and text messages will slow down.

But they didn’t all leave together.

A new report finds that phone companies aren’t doing enough to stop these pesky disruptions.

“If I agree it’s a scam, I’ll hang up,” Victoria Robinson said.

Like many people, Robinson hates sifting through unknown calls and texts. However, she feels she has no choice since she is looking for a job in Fort Lauderdale.

“I have to get it back because I don’t know if it can recognize spam, and it doesn’t,” Robinson added. “Maybe it’s an employer. I’m trying to find a job.”

George Cedeno said they were “made up like they were professionals, from professional establishments.”

Cedeno said he receives more than 10 unwanted calls and numerous unwanted text messages daily.

He said CBS News Miami was new.

“It’s frustrating,” Cedeno said. “You block, you silence, you put all kinds of things, you know, like that.”

But the calls continue to come in.

A report from watchdog group US PIRG says more than 50% of phone companies need to do more to prevent unwanted calls and texts, as required by the FCC. The report states that only 47% have completed the installation of anti-robo technology.

CBS News contacted the FCC, which says it is incorrect to state that most providers are not complying.

Here are some steps you can take to block spammers:

• Visit DoNotCall.gov and register your number.
• AT&T users can install an ActiveArmor Mobile Security app
• Verizon users can also adjust the spam filter settings to automatically block it and know where to send blocked calls.
• And while this won’t stop the call from coming through, you can always block the number that’s doing it, to avoid repeated calls or texts.

Even the most savvy can fall victim to a potential SMS scam.

“I also work in the IT business,” said a man named Kevin, whom CBS News Miami met in Fort Lauderdale on Las Olas Boulevard. “That’s why I’m a little aware. But even then, I found myself in a scam. I’m more alert but still, you know, I had this kind of situation.”

Scam calls have declined slightly since the law took effect, but scam text messages are on the rise, nearly tripling this year to 19 billion per month. The FCC only adopted its first rules focused on fraudulent text messages last year.

Joe Gorchow

Joe Gorchow joins CBS4 News as a seasoned reporter and anchor with extensive experience in live and breaking news. Joe’s competitive nature and passion for connecting with the community blend perfectly into his role at WFOR. It strives to provide the coverage our viewers deserve.