For Central Florida realtor Tammy Jo Gaylord, unwanted calls have become nearly impossible to escape.

What began as roughly 20 to 30 calls a day has grown to as many as 80 to 90, she said. The calls often come from numbers that look like ordinary cellphones, until she calls back and discovers the number is disconnected.

“​​These spam calls, spoof calls, whatever you want to call them, have gotten excessively out of hand,” Gaylord said.

The calls are part of a broader wave of robocalls, spoofed numbers and scams designed to make people answer and then pressure them into giving up personal information or money.

Florida’s attorney general is proposing a new anti-spam law aimed at robocalls, unwanted text messages and AI-generated voice scams.

Beginning Oct. 1, telemarketers also will have to pay moreto access the federal Do Not Call Registry, the list telemarketers are required to check before making calls.

But the registry only works when callers follow the rules.

“Scammers, particularly those who are not in the United States, they don’t really care about our rules or our penalties,” Better Business Bureau CEO Holly Salmons said.

That means consumers still need to recognize the warning signs and know how to respond when a suspicious call gets through.

Salmons said answering an unexpected call can provide scammers with useful information.

“It does mark you as, at the very least, a line that is active,” Sammons said. “And that there is currency — there is value — to that in the world of scams.”

That does not mean answering one call automatically leads to identity theft. But it can tell a caller that a number is in service and that someone is willing to pick up.

Scammers may then continue calling, change tactics or try to determine which story will get a response.

The latest twist: Fake process server calls

Consumer advocates are also warning about a newer version of a familiar scam: callers posing as process servers.

The caller may claim that legal documents are being filed against you and that someone is scheduled to come to your home or workplace. The caller may ask where you will be, request that you confirm details about yourself or try to collect information about relatives.

The goal may be to gather personal information or eventually demand money to delay or stop a supposed lawsuit.

A legitimate process server is not likely to call out of the blue to pressure you into providing sensitive information or paying to make a legal case disappear. If you are concerned about a claim involving a lawsuit, lien or court case, verify it independently through your county clerk of court.

Do not confirm or complete personal information simply because the caller already knows part of it. Scammers may be using information exposed in a data breach to make the call sound legitimate.

Watch for these three red flags

• The call is unexpected: Be cautious when someone contacts you without warning about a debt, arrest, lawsuit, warrant, process server or other serious issue.
• The caller creates urgency: Scammers often insist that you act immediately, stay on the phone or make a decision before you have time to verify the claim.
• The caller uses fear: Threats involving law enforcement, court action, family members or financial penalties are designed to make you react emotionally instead of thinking through the request.

“​​If you receive a call from out of the blue that scares you, certainly if it scares you and they ask for money, regardless of the words coming out of their mouth, just remember these are all the classic hallmarks,” Salmons said.

What to do if you receive a suspicious call

• Hang up: Do not stay on the line while the caller pressures you.
• Do not confirm personal information: Never fill in missing numbers or details, including your Social Security number, address or information about family members.
• Verify independently: Call a loved one using a number you already have. For court-related claims, check with your county clerk of court using an official contact method.
• Do not pay to make the problem disappear: A demand for money to stop a lawsuit, arrest or legal process is a major warning sign.
• Do not trust a familiar voice alone: AI can be used to imitate a loved one’s voice. Hang up and contact that person or another trusted family member directly.
• Report the scam: Keep the caller’s number, message and any details you received, then report the incident to the appropriate consumer protection or law enforcement agency.

The subject of a scam may change, from debt collection to law enforcement to process servers, but the tactics remain consistent: an unexpected call, pressure to act and a fear-based demand for information or money.

The safest response is to slow down, disconnect and do your own homework before taking any action.