Data Shows Unwanted Robocalls Increasing in Frequency

If it seems as if you received more unwanted robocalls in July than you did in June, it’s not your imagination, according to newly released data.

YouMail is a free robocall blocker available as an app on smart phones, and the company just announced call numbers for July 2020. According to YouMail, consumers in the U.S. saw a 9% increase in robocalls from June to July.

More than 3.6 billion unwanted telemarketing calls were received by Americans in July, which averaged 1,356 calls per second.

Behind the Increase of Unwanted Robocalls

“Robocalls continue to grow as countries around the world open up again, which is not unexpected,” said YouMail CEO Alex Quilici in a press release. “While we don’t anticipate robocalls going back to peak levels, we fully expect the rising monthly trend to continue for some time.”

July’s numbers were boosted by scam calls that increased by 12% and telemarketing calls that went up 22% compared to June. As call centers around the world began to open, more robocalls allowed call recipients to push a button to speak with a live representative, YouMail said.

Of the scam calls received in July, the number one topic was car warranties, a category that topped health-related scams for the first time ever. YouMail noted that many health insurance scams have been tracked down and fined by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which effectively halted several of those telemarketing scams.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) warns that illegal robocalls also are being used by scammers who are tapping into Covid-19 fears. Scammers may imitate representatives from the Social Security Administration and try to offer fake Covid-19 tests to those on Medicare in order to obtain private personal identifying information that can be used for identity theft and other nefarious purposes. The FTC also encourages small business owners to be on the lookout for callers who claim they will help your business if you pay them money to appear in an online listing service, which doesn’t actually exist.

The FTC recommends that you hang up if you answer a robocall, and don’t press any numbers. Even if a recording advises you to press a number that will let you speak to a live person who can remove your number from their call list, doing so could mean you receive even more unwanted nuisance calls.

The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) protects consumers from unwanted telemarketers who use automated telephone dialing systems without first securing express written permission from the call recipient. Violators of the TCPA have settled class action lawsuits for millions of dollars.

How Do Robocall Scams Work?

Both legitimate telemarketers and scammers are able to find brokers over the internet who are willing to sell phone number lists. AARP talked to ZipDX founder David Frankel, who told the organization that even a million phone numbers can cost as little as a few thousand dollars. Even if only a handful of call recipients take the bait, the scammer could end up profiting from the robocalling scam.

To entice the call recipient into answering the phone, the robocaller may use computer software that makes the call appear to be from within the recipient’s own area code. People naturally trust local calls as originating from a legitimate source, and scam artists take advantage of this trust.

In order to take money over the phone in the form of debit or credit card, scammers create fake businesses that allow them to process such transactions. The FTC cites one example of a fake company that defrauded consumers of $5 million through the use of bank accounts for more than 40 shell companies that hid the true nature of the scam.

Join a Free TCPA Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

If you were contacted on your cell phone by a company via an unsolicited text message (text spam) or prerecorded voice message (robocall), you may be eligible for compensation under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act.

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This article is not legal advice. It is presented
for informational purposes only.