Robocalls Surge, Federal Lawmakers Take Notice

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Are you constantly reaching into your pocket to answer another call from a number you don't recognize? You're not alone.

According to YouMail, a call monitoring app, some 3.4 billion robocalls were placed in April. That's a record.

The surge has grabbed the attention of federal lawmakers.

Both the House and Senate held hearings on the issue, passing or introducing legislation to curb the intrusive calls.

According to the Business Insider, specific policies are in the works to address "neighborhood spoofing," an effective tactic used by robocallers to make the calls look like they're coming from your own area code. That way, recipients are more willing to answer. So far, policy has not been successful in preventing those.

While it won't prevent every call, authorities suggest adding your name to the FTC's "Do Not Call" registry and report the calls you get anyway.