The UK and US receive hundreds of millions of scam calls every year. The average person gets several per week. Despite years of regulation, better call-blocking technology, and endless consumer warnings, the problem is getting worse, not better. Here's why — and what you can actually do about it.
Why standard call blockers fall short
Call blocking apps and services work on a denylist model: they identify known bad numbers and block them. The problem is that scammers generate new numbers faster than blocklists can be updated. They also spoof numbers — making calls appear to come from legitimate local numbers, banks, or even the DVLA.
Telephone Preference Service registration (TPS in the UK, Do Not Call in the US) helps with legitimate telemarketers but does nothing against criminal operations, which by definition don't follow the rules.
The allow list approach: a complete paradigm shift
Instead of trying to block bad callers — an infinite problem — you define exactly who is allowed to call you. Anyone on your approved list can get through. Everyone else hears 'this number is not available' and that's that.
This is how corporate phone systems have worked for decades. It's how government offices work. It's how high-security facilities work. It's simply the most effective way to control who reaches you.
What this looks like in practice
Granny Phone applies this model to home phones. You log into a dashboard, add the numbers that matter — family, GP, pharmacist, trusted neighbours — and nobody else can ring. The phone simply doesn't ring for unapproved numbers. No voicemail. No 'press 1 to be removed from our list.' Nothing.
For anyone vulnerable to phone scams — elderly relatives, adults with dementia, anyone who's been scammed before — this is the most protective setup possible. A scammer cannot get through because the phone will not ring for them.
Objections and how to handle them
"What if someone important calls from a new number?"
They get the 'not available' message and can leave a voicemail, send a text, email, or simply call back once you've added their number. This is a minor inconvenience compared to the alternative.
"What about emergencies?"
Emergency services (999, 911, 112) are never blocked. And frankly, in a genuine emergency you're more likely to be calling out than receiving a call.
Step-by-step: block scam calls for good
- Switch your home phone to an allow-list system
- Add every number that should be able to reach you
- Tell people who call you regularly that you've switched to a managed system
- Update the list as needed from your dashboard
- Enjoy the silence