How the Do Not Call Registry actually works, why it doesn't stop scam calls, and the real signs of phishing.
Registering at donotcall.gov (free, permanent, no renewal needed since 2003) legally obligates legitimate telemarketers to stop calling you within 31 days. It does nothing about scam callers, because scammers are already breaking the law by definition — they're not going to comply with a registry either. The registry works well against real companies; it's not a scam-call fix.
Real phishing signals: a sense of urgency ("your account will be suspended in 24 hours"), a mismatched sender domain (hover over the sender name to see the actual email address, not just the display name), a link where the visible text doesn't match the actual URL when you hover over it, and requests to "verify" information a legitimate company already has and wouldn't need to ask for again.
"Spoofing" lets a scammer display any number they want, including your bank's real number or even your own. Caller ID matching a legitimate institution is not proof of legitimacy — hang up and call the number printed on your card or statement instead.
The IRS, Social Security Administration, and real law enforcement never demand payment via gift card, wire transfer, or cryptocurrency ATM. This single fact eliminates the majority of active phone scams currently reported to the FTC.