I need to permanently block somebody from my phone

Call your cell carrier. They can block a number for you.

Tap the i next to the entry for one of their calls in the call log. Scroll down and tap block contact.

No problem. I have dozens, if not hundreds of numbers blocked. Of course, most of them are bogus, I'm sure as the telemarketing / scammer scum often use fraudulent numbers, but it's better than nothing.

KiltedTim wrote:

No problem. I have dozens, if not hundreds of numbers blocked. Of course, most of them are bogus, I'm sure as the telemarketing / scammer scum often use fraudulent numbers, but it's better than nothing.

And there is a certain visceral satisfaction in blocking them.

If you’re an AT&T customer, you can also download and enable their Call Protect app. It will automatically flag and block some spam and fraud calls without you havjng to do anything.

Thanks for that. I've never had to block someone, so now I know how to advise others.

The article that you linked in explains blocking:

Block phone numbers and contacts on your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch - Apple Support