CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The war against robocalls is being kicked up a few notches.

AT&T announced that the company has blocked its 1 billionth robocall using software that blocks such calls from being originated on its lines. This helps consumers whose phones operate with any carrier.

Meanwhile, the Federal Communications Commission is taking a more aggressive stance and encouraging consumers to simply avoid answering calls from unknown numbers. This is significant.

And the FCC is closer to allowing companies to block phone calls on the receiving end if the calls are coming from a spoofed phone number or a number that doesn't really exist.

AT&T's progress in reducing robocalls -- which are computer-dialed calls with recorded messages that usually are aimed at selling you something or stealing your information or money -- comes seven months after the company rolled out its new system.

The software analyzes more than 1.5 billion calls each day that originate on its network. It looks for "suspicious activity," such as numerous, short-duration calls to numbers that the owners have registered on the National Do Not Call list. Legitimate businesses generally honor the Do-Not-Call list; robocallers don't care about violating this list, since most are trying to steal money or information from you anyway.

In recent weeks, the program has been blocking about 12 million calls each day, Monday through Friday, AT&T said.

"It's working on calls originating on AT&T lines, before they're received, and they could have been received by anyone, AT&T customer or not," said AT&T spokeswoman Holly Hollingsworth.

"The new data analysis program helps protect everyone with a phone number - wireless, wireline, etc. - because it works on the send side, not the receive side," she said.

The company's analytics work to avoid blocking legitimate automated calls, such those from school districts or medical offices.

"Our data science team took on a challenge to analyze and address the problem. We knew the winners would be our customers," Jenifer Robertson, senior vice president for technology strategy at AT&T, said in a statement.

This development comes as the FCC is stepping up its warnings about robocalls in light of new scams. One of them is called the "Can you hear me" scam that may be aimed at getting a call recipient to say the word, "yes." The FCC says the callers impersonate a company such as the recipient's bank or utility. When the call is answered, he or she is asked: "Can you hear me?"

"The caller then records the consumer's 'Yes' response and thus obtains a voice signature," the FCC says. "This signature can later be used by the scammers to pretend to be the consumer and authorize fraudulent charges via telephone."

The FCC is giving a stern warning to consumers.

"Don't answer calls from unknown numbers. Let them go to voicemail," the FCC said in a recent advisory.

The FCC is offering other advice too:

If you do answer a call and are instructed to hit a button to stop receiving calls, just hang up. Don't hit a button. It almost surely won't help and could hurt you. "Scammers often use these tricks to identify, and then target, live respondents," the FCC says.

If you get a call that you believe is a scam, write down the phone number and file a complaint with the FCC.

Ask your phone company whether it offers a service to block robocalls. "If not, encourage your provider to offer one," the FCC says.

If you've responded to a "Can you hear me" call, watch your statements from your phone company, bank and credit card company.

Register all of your phone numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry.

More phone companies, with both landlines and cell lines, are offering services like Nomorobo. This particular service is free for landlines that use cable lines. It's available for a monthly fee for cellphones.

Back at AT&T, the company introduced its free "call protect" program for cellphone customers who are able to use HD Voice on iPhones or Androids.

"It gives customers automatic fraud blocking and suspected spam call warnings," Hollingsworth said. With any incoming call, the recipient is alerted whether the call is suspected to be spam. The Cleveland area, and most of Ohio, offer HD Voice coverage. Customers can add the service through their account or app.

Meanwhile, the FCC is still looking for comments on its proposals to allow phone companies to block certain phone calls from being received. To comment on Proceeding 17-59 (Eliminating Unlawful Robocalls), go to:

Make sure to note your comments pertain to Proceeding 17-59.

Comments can also be written or typed out and mailed to:

Marlene H. Dortch, Secretary, Federal Communications Commission

Office of the Secretary

445 12th Street, SW

Room TW-B204

Washington, DC 20554

The FCC is also looking for suggestions on how to go after spoofed phone calls from international locations. Thieves often originate calls internationally to avoid U.S. law enforcement.