Phone carriers stepping up protection plans to prevent spam calls

Barb Allen says she gets bogus phone calls all the time

"Oh my gosh I probably get three or four every single day," said Barb Allen.

Mostly in the form of robocalls. According to the most recent industry numbers, consumers average nearly 1.7 billion mobile robocalls a month.

Cybersecurity expert Morey Haber says most major cell carriers now offer you some control.

"Cell phone carriers do have programs built into their own systems," said Cybersecurity Expert Morey Haber.

You might have to download an app, some carriers will automatically block calls, others provide an advanced caller ID and some alert you calls are likely spam.

Some services are free, others charge a monthly fee. It may depend on the service offered and your wireless plan.

Barb says she tried a free trial for spam alert from her carrier but did not believe the fee was worth it.

"Well, I was hoping that it would identify the calls a little bit better and then I would know, 'Don't answer that potential spam', but I found it wasn't all that reliable," said Allen.

Before you decide, Haber says, check the privacy policy to see what, if any, information the carrier is collecting or sharing. Read reviews and research limitations on the service.

Allen says, for now, she is using the settings that came with her phone but is not ruling out trying a carrier app again.

"If I thought it was very valuable and that they would block 80 percent of the calls, I would feel it would be valued to go ahead and pay extra for that," said Allen.