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How to Block Mortgage Spam Calls and Texts on iPhone and Android

Use phone and messaging filters to reduce mortgage spam, block individual senders, and report suspicious calls and texts. Learn why the Do Not Call Registry cannot stop scammers.
From TheFinanceBase Team12 min to read
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If someone calls saying you have a mortgage or loan application pending when you never applied, hang up. Don’t press a number to “unsubscribe,” click a link, or give an unknown caller personal or financial information. The FTC warned in August 2024 about calls using this claim. You can reduce other unwanted calls and texts with your phone’s filters, report suspicious messages, and register your number with the U.S. Do Not Call Registry—but none of these steps blocks every scammer.

The settings below are for U.S. users. Phone menus and features can vary by iOS or Android version, device, carrier, and installed apps. Check your phone’s current labels if they differ from those described here.

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What to do first when a caller claims you applied for a mortgage

A caller’s assertion that an application is pending is not proof that you applied. The FTC has warned about calls claiming that a loan application is in progress even when the recipient never submitted one. Treat an unexpected call or text as unverified, even if it uses mortgage terminology or sounds urgent.

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  1. End the call without interacting with its menu. For the loan-call pattern it described, the FTC advises hanging up rather than pressing a key to unsubscribe. An unsubscribe prompt can confirm that your number is active.
  2. Don’t share sensitive information. Do not provide your Social Security number, bank details, account credentials, or other personal information to an unknown caller. Don’t use a link or callback number supplied in an unexpected message to verify a claim.
  3. If you need to check whether a communication is genuine, make contact independently. Use a phone number or website you already know belongs to the lender, broker, or other company—not contact details in the suspicious message.
  4. Block or report the number or message. The steps differ for calls and texts, and reporting a message does not always block its sender.

A suspicious call does not by itself establish that someone opened an application in your name. If you have a specific reason to believe your identity or financial information was misused, don’t continue through the caller’s instructions; contact the relevant financial institution using independently verified details.

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Which blocking method should you use?

Different controls catch different things. Blocking a number is useful when the same sender keeps contacting you; call screening and spam identification can handle some unwanted calls more broadly. Text filtering is separate from call filtering, and the Do Not Call Registry is a legal request to compliant telemarketers—not a technical block on your phone.

Method What it can help with What it may miss or affect
Block a specific number or sender Repeated calls or texts from the number you block. Callers or senders using a different number; blocking is specific to the selected number or sender.
Phone screening or spam filtering Unknown calls or calls identified as spam by your phone or carrier, depending on the feature. Numbers not classified as spam, spoofed caller IDs, or legitimate first-time callers that are filtered or silenced.
Messaging-app reporting and filtering Messages the app lets you report or block. Calls, and messages that arrive through a different app or channel. Reporting alone may not block future messages.
Do Not Call Registry Sales calls from businesses that follow the rules and are covered by the registry. Scammers who ignore the law; it does not block calls on your device.

Filters can make it easier to miss a real call or text, too. A legitimate lender, broker, or closing contact may be reaching you from a number you have not saved. Review voicemail and filtered-call or message lists, and save numbers you are expecting when you can verify them.

Choose the control based on the kind of contact. If one number repeatedly calls, block that number. If you want to screen or silence a broader set of calls, use a phone or carrier feature that offers that option, understanding that its rules may differ from a simple block. For texts, use the messaging app’s reporting and blocking tools; a phone-call filter is not a substitute. Registry registration is a separate step for covered sales calls and does not replace device-level controls.

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How to block mortgage spam calls on iPhone

Screen, silence, or filter unknown calls

Apple’s current support instructions put these controls under Settings > Apps > Phone. The available choices can depend on your iOS version.

  1. Open Settings, tap Apps, then tap Phone.
  2. Choose the unknown-caller option that fits your needs. Ask Reason for Calling screens unsaved numbers before the phone rings. Silence sends them to voicemail instead of ringing through.
  3. If available, use Filter Unknown Callers to move missed calls and voicemail from unsaved numbers to the Unknown Callers list.
  4. To silence calls your carrier identifies as spam or fraud, turn on Spam under call filtering. Apple says identified calls are silenced, sent to voicemail, and moved to the Spam list.

Unknown-caller screening and carrier-identified spam filtering are distinct controls. The first is based on whether a number is saved and the option you select; the second relies on your carrier identifying a call as spam or fraud. Carrier identification is not a guarantee that every mortgage solicitation will be caught. If you are expecting a call from a new lender, broker, or closing contact, keep an eye on voicemail and the filtered-call lists rather than assuming a silent phone means no one called.

Block one caller

Open the Phone app, find the call in your call history, and use the caller or contact controls to block that number. The exact control can vary by iOS version. Blocking a known number is different from screening all unknown calls; it addresses that number, not other numbers the caller might use.

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How to block mortgage spam calls on Android

Android call controls are not identical across phones. The following paths apply to phones using Google Phone; another manufacturer’s phone app may have different names or menus.

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Block one number or report it as spam

  1. Open Phone and go to your call history.
  2. Select the unwanted call.
  3. Choose Block / report spam, then follow the on-screen confirmation.

Use this for a repeated caller or a call you want to flag. A block on one number does not prevent calls from a different or spoofed number.

Block private or unidentified callers

  1. In the Phone app, tap More, then Settings.
  2. Tap Blocked numbers.
  3. Turn on Unknown.

Google says this blocks private or unidentified numbers; it still allows numbers that are not saved in your contacts. It is therefore not the same as silencing every call from an unsaved number. If you want broader screening, check whether your device or carrier offers a separate option.

Turn on caller ID and spam protection

  1. In Phone, tap More, then Settings.
  2. Tap Caller ID and spam.
  3. Turn on caller ID and spam protection. If your phone offers it, turn on Filter spam calls as well.

Google says some call information may be sent to Google to identify businesses or spam. Whether these features appear—and how they work—can depend on the device, Android version, and installed Google apps. Filtering can also hide a call you meant to receive, so check your call history and voicemail if you are waiting for contact about a mortgage.

How to block and report mortgage spam texts

On iPhone

In Messages, open the unknown conversation or find it in the conversation list and use the report option shown to report it as spam. To stop future messages from that sender, block the sender separately using the conversation’s sender or contact controls. Apple explicitly distinguishes the actions: reporting a message does not prevent the sender from texting again. Reporting behavior for SMS, MMS, or RCS can depend on carrier and region.

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In Google Messages on Android

  1. Open Google Messages.
  2. Touch and hold the conversation you want to stop.
  3. Tap Block and follow any confirmation prompt.
  4. To review or undo a block, open the profile or menu area and go to Spam & blocked.

Some Google Messages steps require Android 7.0 or later. If your phone uses another messaging app, its reporting and blocking controls may be different; don’t assume a block in one app covers texts in another.

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Report suspicious texts safely

The FTC recommends forwarding unwanted texts to 7726 (SPAM) where supported, reporting them through your messaging app, or reporting them to the FTC. Do not open an unexpected link or provide account or financial information in response. If a message could be legitimate, reach the company through contact details you already know are genuine, not through the message itself.

Reporting and blocking solve different problems. Reporting flags a message through the available reporting route, while blocking is the action intended to stop that sender from contacting you through that app or number. On iPhone, Apple says reporting alone does not stop additional messages. Keep an eye on the conversation list and any spam or blocked folder after taking either action, particularly if you are waiting for an expected loan or closing update.

Does the Do Not Call Registry stop mortgage scam calls?

No. The U.S. National Do Not Call Registry tells covered businesses that follow the rules not to make sales calls to registered numbers; it does not block calls on your phone and does not stop scammers who ignore the law. It can still reduce covered telemarketing calls, so it may be useful alongside phone controls.

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  • Registration is free and accepts cell and home numbers.
  • The FTC says a number generally appears on the registry the next day, but covered sales calls can take up to 31 days to stop.
  • Registration does not expire unless the number is disconnected or reassigned, or you ask for it to be removed.
  • Some sales calls may be permitted where there is an existing business relationship or written permission. Under the FTC rules described for the registry, you can ask a company to stop calling, and it must comply.

Register through the U.S. National Do Not Call Registry. If a covered telemarketer keeps calling after the waiting period, you can report the call; the registry itself is not a call-blocking service.

The Registry is most useful as one layer of protection against lawful, covered sales calls. It is not a way to verify whether a specific mortgage caller is legitimate, and it cannot force a scammer to follow the rules. A caller who keeps contacting you after registration may be outside the registry’s coverage or ignoring the law; use device controls and reporting routes as appropriate rather than expecting registration to silence the phone.

How to report unwanted mortgage calls

For a U.S. call, the FTC directs consumers to DoNotCall.gov to report a call when they are not reporting a financial loss. Use ReportFraud.ftc.gov to report a loss or provide scam details. When possible, include the number that received the call, the caller ID number displayed (even if it may be spoofed), any callback number the caller gave, and the date and time.

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Caller ID can be faked, so the displayed number does not necessarily identify the real caller. That is one reason to report the details you observed rather than treating a number on screen as proof of who called. Reporting can help authorities track complaints, but it does not itself prevent the next call.

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Before reporting, note what you can reliably observe: which of your numbers received the call, the displayed caller ID, a callback number the caller gave, and when the call occurred. You do not need to treat the displayed caller ID as verified identity. If the caller left a voicemail, distinguish the number that appeared on screen from any number stated in the message. The FTC’s routes differ by situation: DoNotCall.gov is for reporting a call without reporting a financial loss; ReportFraud.ftc.gov is the route for a loss or scam details.

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Why mortgage spam can continue after you block and register

Filters do not all operate in the same place

A number block, an iPhone spam filter, a carrier’s call identification, and a text-message report are separate controls. A change in one place may not affect another channel. For example, blocking a caller in the Phone app does not automatically report a message in your texting app, and reporting a text does not necessarily block its sender.

Callers may use other or spoofed numbers

A block is most useful against the number you actually blocked. A caller who switches numbers—or makes the caller ID appear to be someone else—may get around a number-specific block. Caller identification tools can also miss calls they do not classify as spam.

False positives are possible

Silencing unknown callers or filtering spam can divert a legitimate first-time contact. If you are waiting for a lender, broker, appraiser, or closing professional, confirm how that person will reach you, save a verified number, and check voicemail and filtered-call lists. Keep in mind that caller ID alone is not a reliable way to verify a new contact.

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Should you use a carrier service or a call-blocking app?

Your wireless carrier may offer call-blocking or spam-identification tools, but features and availability depend on the provider. Optional call-blocking apps are another possibility. Before enabling either, check what calls or messages it filters, what it costs, what permissions or information it uses, and how its privacy policy describes that information. The FTC advises considering features, price, reviews, and privacy when choosing an app.

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These tools are optional; you can use built-in phone and messaging controls and the FTC’s reporting routes without buying a product. Avoid relying on a service simply because it labels a call “safe” or “verified”: the controls described here reduce unwanted contact but cannot establish that every caller is legitimate.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I stop calls about a loan I never applied for?

Hang up without pressing an unsubscribe key, and do not share personal or financial information. If you want to check a claim, contact the lender through a phone number or website you already know is genuine. You can then block or report the number; a suspicious call alone does not prove an application was opened in your name.

How do I block mortgage spam calls on my iPhone?

Open Settings > Apps > Phone and choose an available unknown-caller screening or silencing option. You can also turn on Spam under call filtering for calls your carrier identifies as spam or fraud. To stop one known caller, block that number from the Phone app. Review voicemail and filtered-call lists so you do not miss a legitimate new contact.

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How do I block mortgage spam texts on Android?

In Google Messages, touch and hold the conversation and tap Block. You can review or undo blocks in Spam & blocked. If you use another messaging app, its controls may differ. Reporting a text and blocking its sender are separate actions; you can also forward unwanted texts to 7726 (SPAM) where supported.

Should I press a number to unsubscribe from loan calls?

No. For calls claiming that a loan application is pending when you did not apply, the FTC advises hanging up rather than interacting with an unsubscribe prompt. Pressing a key can confirm that your number is active. Do not use an unexpected message’s link or callback number to verify the claim.

Does the Do Not Call Registry stop scam calls?

No. It is a free request to covered businesses that follow the rules, not a technical call block, and it does not stop scammers who ignore the law. A registered number generally appears the next day, but covered sales calls can take up to 31 days to stop. Use phone controls and reporting routes as additional steps.

The Bottom Line

Hang up on an unexpected claim that you have a pending mortgage application, and never press an unsubscribe prompt or share sensitive details. Use separate call and text controls to screen or block contact, check voicemail and filtered folders for legitimate messages, and report suspicious activity. The free U.S. Do Not Call Registry can reduce covered sales calls, but it cannot stop every caller or scammer.

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