How to Report Robocalls and Spam Texts to the FCC, FTC and Your State

Where to Report Robocalls, Spam Calls, and Texts: Quick Reference

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How to Report Do Not Call Violations and Robocalls to the FTC

The FTC runs the National Do Not Call Registry. Its reporting page accepts two kinds of reports:

• Do Not Call violations: once your number has been on the Registry for 31 days, you can report unwanted sales calls.
• Robocalls: calls that play a recorded message instead of a live person, whether or not your number is registered.

The form asks about the call and has you choose a category for what it was about, such as debt reduction, home security, or vacations. Keep your call log handy while you fill it out. If you haven’t registered yet, sign up at donotcall.gov or call 1-888-382-1222 (TTY 1-866-290-4236) from the phone you want to add. The FTC says registration does not expire.

Who Can Still Legally Call a Number on the Do Not Call List

Some callers may legally contact a registered number, including charities, political groups, survey companies, and businesses you’ve recently dealt with or given written permission to call. Debt collectors aren’t covered by the Registry either. If a debt collector is the problem, the FTC has a separate complaint process for debt collection. Even with an exempt caller, you can usually ask the company directly to put you on its internal do-not-call list.

How to File an Unwanted Calls Complaint With the FCC

The FCC enforces the TCPA’s rules on robocalls, robotexts, and caller ID spoofing. File through the Consumer Complaint Center, choose the Unwanted Calls/Texts option, and note whether your own number is being spoofed, blocked, or mislabeled. That last detail matters if a legitimate number of yours is being flagged as spam.

How to Report Spam Texts by Forwarding Them to 7726

The FCC says most mobile carriers let you report spam texts by forwarding them to 7726, which spells SPAM on a keypad. Check with your provider to confirm. Take a screenshot before you forward or delete anything, because the original text may matter later. Don’t reply or tap any links, except for replying STOP to a sender you recognize.

How to Report Illegal Telemarketing Calls to Your State Attorney General

Many states have their own telemarketing and do-not-call laws, and state attorneys general can sue violators. Under the TCPA, a state attorney general can also bring a federal case on behalf of residents. Use the NAAG directory to find your attorney general’s consumer complaint page. Our state telemarketing law guide covers what each state adds.

What to Include in a Robocall Complaint

A useful report is specific. Include:

• The date and time of the call
• The number shown on your caller ID
• Whether it was a recording or a live person
• Any company or product mentioned
• What you were asked to do or buy
• Any key you were told to press, callback number, or website named

Stick to facts. Write down what happened, not guesses about who is behind it. File a separate report for each call when the form allows it, since a pattern of reports tied to one number is more useful to investigators than a single summary.

What Happens After You Report a Robocall

What Reporting Can Do

• Feed enforcement. The FTC says it analyzes reports to identify patterns and take action against the people behind illegal calls.
• Improve call blocking. The FTC shares reported numbers with companies that build call-blocking tools.
• Support investigations and policy. The FCC says complaints guide its policy and potential enforcement actions, and it may share them with other agencies.
• Give you a dated record that can back up your own call log.

What Reporting Cannot Do

• Resolve your individual complaint. The FCC says it doesn’t resolve individual unwanted call complaints, and the FTC says it can’t respond to reports one by one.
• Pay you. A complaint is not a claim for money. Any money an agency recovers is handled through its own case, on its own terms.
• Start a lawsuit. A private TCPA claim is separate and has to be brought by you or through a case that covers you, such as a class action. Filing deadlines apply, so don’t wait too long to look into it.
• Stop the calls quickly. Enforcement takes time, and many robocallers switch numbers often.

If you want compensation, reporting is optional, and the lawsuit is what matters. Our guide on how to sue a telemarketer explains that route.

How to Document Robocalls for a TCPA Claim While You Report

The details a report asks for are the same ones a lawsuit needs, so keep your own copy of everything you submit. The call log and case-building guide gives you a place to record each call, and our evidence checklist explains what else to save. If your caller ID shows a label like “Scam Likely,” that label comes from your carrier. Our page on spam caller ID labels explains what it does and doesn’t mean.

How to Block Robocalls Without Losing Evidence

The FCC encourages people to ask their phone company about call-blocking tools and to consider blocking apps. Blocking is reasonable, but screenshot a number’s call history before you block it, since blocked calls may disappear from your log. For the rules that make these calls illegal in the first place, see the Do Not Call list law.

When to Consider a TCPA Lawsuit After Reporting Robocalls

If you know which company is behind the calls and you’ve received more than one or two, a report is a good first step, not the last one. Send us the same details for a free review of whether you have a private claim worth bringing.

Robocall Reporting FAQs

How do I report robocalls to the FCC?

File a complaint at the FCC Consumer Complaint Center, consumercomplaints.fcc.gov, and choose the Unwanted Calls/Texts option. The FCC uses complaints for policy and enforcement, but doesn’t resolve individual complaints.

How do I report a TCPA violation?

Report Do Not Call violations and recorded robocalls to the FTC at donotcall.gov/report.html, and unwanted calls or texts to the FCC. To get compensation for a TCPA violation, you need a private claim, which reporting doesn’t start.

Can I report telemarketers to both the FCC and the FTC?

Yes. The agencies have overlapping roles. The FTC runs the Do Not Call Registry and handles scam reports, and the FCC enforces the TCPA’s robocall and spoofing rules. Filing with both is fine.

What number do I forward spam texts to?

7726, which spells SPAM. The FCC says most carriers support it. Take a screenshot first so you keep a copy.

Will reporting robocalls get me money?

Not directly. Agency complaints can lead to government enforcement, but filing a report doesn’t pay you. Compensation for unwanted calls usually comes from a private TCPA lawsuit or a class settlement.