How to Stop Robocalls and Get Paid $500-$1,500 Per Call

Those annoying robocalls about your "car warranty" or "student loan forgiveness"? They might be worth $500-$1,500 each to you. Here's how.

The TCPA: Your Secret Weapon

The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) makes it illegal to call your cell phone using an autodialer or prerecorded message without your consent.

The penalty? $500 per call. $1,500 if they did it knowingly.

Get 30 robocalls? That's $15,000-$45,000 in potential damages.

What Counts as a TCPA Violation

• Robocalls to your cell phone without permission
• Prerecorded messages (even if a human comes on after)
• Autodialed calls (computer-generated dialing)
• Text message spam
• Calls after you've revoked consent
• Calls to numbers on the Do Not Call Registry (for telemarketers)

Who Gets Sued Under the TCPA

• Debt collectors - Calling about debts you allegedly owe
• Banks and credit cards - Marketing calls, fraud alerts to wrong numbers
• Healthcare - Appointment reminders to wrong numbers
• Political campaigns - Robocalls without consent (yes, really)
• Car warranty scams - If you can identify the company
• Student loan servicers - Consolidation robocalls

Step-by-Step: Building Your Case

1. Document Every Call

• Screenshot your call log
• Note the date, time, and phone number
• If possible, answer and record (check your state's recording laws)
• Write down what the robocall said

2. Identify the Caller

The hardest part is figuring out who's calling. Try:

• Answering and asking "What company is this?"
• Pressing 1 to "speak to a representative"
• Googling the callback number
• Checking if the call matches a known debt or account

3. Send a Cease and Desist

If you can identify the caller, send written notice to stop calling. This creates a paper trail - calls after that are worth more.

4. Find a TCPA Attorney

Like FDCPA cases, TCPA attorneys work on contingency. You pay nothing upfront. They get paid from the settlement.

Real Settlement Examples

• Capital One (2014): $75 million class action for debt collection robocalls
• Dish Network (2017): $280 million for Do Not Call violations
• Caribbean Cruise Line (2016): $76 million for robocall scam

Individual cases typically settle for $1,000-$10,000 depending on call volume.

The Revoked Consent Goldmine

Here's a powerful scenario: You gave a company your number, then asked them to stop calling, and they kept calling.

Once you revoke consent, every subsequent call is a violation. Some attorneys specifically look for cases with:

• Written proof you asked them to stop
• Continued calls after that request
• Documentation of each call

What Won't Work

• Landlines: TCPA cell phone protections don't apply to landlines
• Calls with prior consent: If you gave them your number and didn't revoke it
• Non-commercial calls: Charity calls, surveys, political calls (some exceptions)
• Can't identify caller: Unknown scammers are hard to sue

Take Action

Stop deleting those robocalls. Start documenting them. Each one is potential money.