Americans report more spam calls in 2024 than 2023

So far there have been 34.3 billion robocalls year to date with an estimated 56 billion robocalls in total for 2024 based on year over year trajectory.

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Robocalling in the United States is on the rise. According to data collected and analyzed by WhistleOut, a search engine providing unbiased search results, Americans receive 53 billion robocalls a year.

With the data as gathered from 1,000 Americans, there was a 7 percent increase in robocalls year over year from 2022 to 2023 from 49 billion to 53 billion robocalls. So far there have been 34.3 billion robocalls year to date with an estimated 56 billion robocalls in total for 2024 based on year over year trajectory, WhistleOut reported.

“We’re not going to stop until we get robocallers, spoofers, and scammers off the line,” Jessica Rosenworcel, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chairwoman said.

A robocall, which comes to cell phones and landlines, is an automated phone call that delivers a pre-recorded message, according to WhistleOut. Different types of robocalls include spam calls, telemarketing calls, scam calls, and debt collections.

WhistleOut reported that the top five states where Americans received the most robocalls per person were as follows:

  • Louisiana (339 calls per person)
  • Georgia (307 calls per person)
  • South Carolina (248 calls per person)
  • Alabama (248 calls per person)
  • Arkansas (238 calls per person)

“Our findings show an out-of-control robocall epidemic targeting Americans of all ages and backgrounds.”

WhistleOut

The FCC Robocall Response Team was created by Rosenworcel to combat the increase in robocalls and make it a consumer protection priority. The Robocall Response Team is “proposing and implementing impactful policy initiatives and pursuing strong enforcement actions,” according to the FCC website. The FCC is also taking the necessary steps to combat a growing trend of scam text messages.

Scam calls in particular have lead to financial losses for consumers. The robocalls use “a type of cyber attack where scammers use voice calls to trick victims into giving away sensitive information” so the agency is working closely with private, public, and international partners to combat such unlawful robocalls, WhistleOut reported.”Our findings show an out-of-control robocall epidemic targeting Americans of all ages and backgrounds.”

From the data collected, WhistleOut concluded that while Americans received various phone scams, the most common were: tech support scams (37 percent); IRS scams (33 percent); lottery scams (32 percent); vacation scams (31 percent), and extortion scams (19 percent). The FCC said consumers who think they have experienced a scam call should file a complaint with the FCC Consumer Complaint Center by selecting the “phone” option and selecting “unwanted calls.” The data collected is said to help the FCC “track trends and supports our enforcement investigations.”

“I’m a consumer, too,” Rosenworcel said. “I receive robocalls at home, in my office, on my landline, on my mobile. I’ve even received multiple robocalls sitting here on this dais. I want it to stop.”

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