robocall

Everyday

1. A robocall is an automatic phone call made by a computer, which plays a recorded message to many people at once, often to sell something, give information or trick people. tree →
2. To robocall is to make such calls. tree →

In the lessons

In online and phone safety lessons, robocalls can be scams: if a recorded voice says you owe money, a parcel is waiting or your account is locked, hang up, do not press any number, and tell an adult. Some robocalls are useful, such as school closure messages or appointment reminders. The word is common in the USA and Canada.

Examples

• We got another robocall about a car warranty. tree →
• The school sent a robocall saying it was closed for snow. tree →
• If a robocall asks for money, hang up. tree →
• Never press a number on a scam robocall. tree →
• Robocalls use a recorded voice, not a real person. tree →
• Politicians sometimes use robocalls before elections. tree →
• Grandma gets so many robocalls she stopped answering. tree →

Note

Countable: robocalls. Informal, mostly US and Canada; in the UK people often say «automated call» or «nuisance call». Safety rule: never give personal details to a robocall.