RoboKiller puts spam callers to shame with a prescreening

Question: Would you pay for this service?

No matter how advanced our smartphone might be, iPhone or Android included, there hasn’t been a solution for ending the dreaded spam call. We, for one, regularly get notified that our vehicle’s extended warranty is about to expire.

While iPhones and Pixels alike have been able to tell us when a phone call is a spam risk, it’s not completely accurate. And the spammers have gotten smarter by using local area codes.

But what if there were a way to prescreen your calls? That’s exactly what RoboKiller, a combination subscription service and app for Android or iOS, aims to do. Better yet, you can score savings on a one-, two- and three-year subscription via StackSocial.

• RoboKiller 1-year subscription ($29.99, originally $39.99; stacksocial)
• RoboKiller 2-year subscription ($49.99, originally $79.99; stacksocial)
• RoboKiller 3-year subscription ($69.99, originally $119.99; stacksocial)

And here’s how RoboKiller works: Using an algorithm and a database, it can make a determination on the incoming call, mainly whether it’s a real person or a known spam number. It can even toss it into different categories — credit card offer or car insurance scam — directly within the app. And for calls that it isn’t sure on, it will pick up and ask them what they want, then send the call to you on your phone with a description of who it is. In our case, it let us know that a prescription was ready at CVS and that an Amazon Fresh order was out for delivery.

When it is a spammer, you can pick from a few witty and wacky responses to hit them with. A little bit of revenge, but also firmly letting them know not to call again. And generally, once they see RoboKiller, at least in our experience, they stop calling.

When you know you’re expecting an important call, you can also opt to pause RoboKiller’s intelligent screening of calls. As we’ve spent more time at home, we’ve been more inclined to take calls, and RoboKiller has been helpful in making sure we’re not wasting our time on spam calls.

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