Robocalls are on the rise, with Americans receiving over 4.4 billion robocalls in April, according to a recent report.
While not all of these calls were malicious (some related to telemarketing campaigns, such as political campaigns, or notices of utility services or payments), many were from scammers, often promising to get rid of taxes.
We’ll explain in detail the dangers of robocalls and give you some ways to protect yourself.
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Woman annoyed by robocalls (Kurt “Cyberguy” Knutson)
What you need to know
U.S. consumers were bombarded with more than 4.4 billion robocalls in April, up 3.4% from March. Reporting via YouMail AppOn average, there were 146.9 million robocalls per day, or 1,700 per second, up from 137.6 million per day, or 1,592 per second in March.
Fraudulent calls soared, increasing 73% from 345 million in March to more than 710 million in April. This was especially notable as other types of calls remained steady or declined. The surge in scam calls drove nuisance calls to 2.25 billion in April, making up more than half of all robocalls that month.
Despite the increase, YouMail says it’s the fifth consecutive month that daily calls have dipped below 150 million and robocalls have declined year-over-year for six consecutive months, meaning things are only getting worse in 2023.
“Robocall volumes have remained relatively stable over the last six months or so, with some fluctuations from month to month,” said Umail CEO Alex Kirich. “This indicates that, thanks to the efforts of regulators and the industry, robocall volumes are significantly lower than they were a year ago.”
Illustration of a scammer at work (Kurt “Cyberguy” Knutson)
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Most of the scam calls were tax-related
The most annoying robocalls in April were all about taxes, with one campaign leaving recorded messages claiming that past-due taxes would magically disappear.
“Hello, sorry we missed you. This is Angie with US Tax Experts. I called last week and this is a follow-up to let you know about the new zero tax program we have available to you. It sounds like you probably have money coming due in the past that you can eliminate with this new agreement. So it’s basically uncollectible, but you have to choose to apply this month,” one robocaller said, leaving a call-back number.
Another scam claims that all past-due tax debts have been rendered uncollectible by an “Economic Recovery Program,” meaning that you do not have to pay back any past-due taxes.
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This robocall campaign is massive, with tens of millions of calls coming from thousands of different numbers every month. The scammers behind this campaign are breaking the rules of telemarketing, and according to countless spam reports, they’re targeting people who never requested a call.
To make matters worse, the calls sound like personal voicemails rather than pre-recorded messages. If you call the number provided back, you’re asked for upfront fees and personal information, with no response. These scams take advantage of delinquent taxpayers, giving them false hope of a quick resolution.
Illustration of a scammer at work (Kurt “Cyberguy” Knutson)
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4 ways to protect yourself from robocall scams
Below are some tips to reduce your chances of becoming a victim of a robocall scam:
1. Invest in a data deletion service: Scammers get hold of your contact numbers and other details because they are easily available on the Internet. No service promises to delete all of your data from the Internet, but if you want to constantly monitor and automate the process of continually deleting your information from hundreds of sites over a long period of time, a removal service can be useful. Check out my recommendations for data deletion services here.
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2. Be wary of calls from people you don’t know: If the call is from someone you don’t know, let it go to voicemail – scammers often use fake numbers to make it look like the call is a local call. Call blocking app Block suspicious numbers to reduce the number of robocalls you receive.
3. Never share personal information: If you accidentally answer a scam call, never give out any personal or financial information. No legitimate company would ask for that information over the phone.
4. Report the call: If you receive a robocall, report it to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) or your state’s equivalent. The more reports we receive, the more effectively we can crack down on scams.
5. Register your phone number with the National Do Not Call Registry. This is a free service that blocks calls from telemarketers. Once you register your phone number, telemarketers have 31 days to stop calling you. There are a few ways to do this. From the phone number you want to add to the “do not call” list, call the registry at 1-888-382-1222 or visit: contact address Click the “Register phone number” button. Enter the phone number you want to register.
You can register up to three phone numbers at a time. Be sure to enter your email address to accept the verification and start filtering out robocalls. Note that the Do Not Call Registry doesn’t stop all unwanted calls from political organizations, charities, debt collectors, etc.
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Important points about the cart
Robocall scams, especially those related to overdue taxes, are on the rise, so it’s important to stay vigilant. If you receive a suspicious call, don’t share any personal or financial information. Use a call blocking app and report the unwanted call to the FTC or other appropriate authorities. These steps will help you avoid becoming a victim of these scams. Despite April’s spike, the overall volume of robocalls is still lower than last year. Scammers are evolving, but continued efforts by regulators and telecommunications companies are starting to pay off.
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