Anyone who owns a phone has experienced it at one point. Whether via landline or a smartphone, random numbers pepper everyone’s call logs. Many of these numbers are from automated voices trying to get your credit card information.

“It’s so annoying,” said junior Gwyneth Smith. “It happens all the time, and It makes me not want to answer the phone at all.”

Don’t worry, though. Unless you have given a company express permission to call you, they are violating the law by calling with fraudulent intent. But while Caller ID generally prevents people from picking up an unknown call, telemarketers and others behind robocalls have nevertheless become more crafty in their persistent, bothering ways.

Here’s the deal: Essentially, these phone-calling miscreants are manipulating caller ID itself. Scammers frequently “spoof” phone numbers — in layman’s terms, they make it seem as though someone else is calling. Some replicate the first six digits of their target’s phone number. For example, if my phone number was 404-555-4444, many of the numbers calling would appear to also be 404-555-WXYZ, with only the final four digits varying. In some cases, it’s only the area code that matches the target. Some people have even experienced their own number calling them. Regardless of the specifics, the goal is always the same: get someone to answer.

The logic the robocall companies use is that people are more likely to pick up numbers that are similar to their own, or at least that are from the same area. In fact, the actual owners of these numbers are not calling you. They are being spoofed. Your own number has probably been spoofed numerous times without your knowledge to manipulate people with similar phone numbers.

What are the solutions? Unfortunately, there’s no catch-all for robocalls. As the head of the Do Not Call program at the Federal Trade Commission said, “Fighting illegal telemarketing calls is a cat and mouse game and these telemarketers aren’t giving up easily. We didn’t think they would.”

However, if the calls annoy you excessively, there are some measures you can take to stop them. First, be generally wary of numbers that are eerily similar to your own — they’re likely spam. Second, report them to the FTC. Write down the number and type it into Complaints.DoNotCall.org. Third, download the app your carrier offers, since most have them have some sort of blocker. Fourth, if you do happen to answer the call, do not give them your information, obviously.

Robocalls may be a First World problem, but they are certainly aggravating. Hopefully, they can be eradicated once and for all, but until then, take these preventative measures to heart. Though seemingly small, any help can contribute to stopping the people behind these grand fraud schemes.