Spoofed Spam Calls Increase By 3% (Again), According To RoboKiller

NEW YORK, Oct. 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Despite the FCC's anti-spoofing STIR/SHAKEN framework, spoofed spam calls remain a major concern. According to data insights from RoboKiller, the app that eliminates 99% of spam calls and text messages, 41% of spam calls in September originated from spoofed caller IDs. This marks a 3% climb from August and the second consecutive month-over-month increase.

STIR/SHAKEN has not yet been consistent in reducing spoofed calls since its June 30, 2021 release. Initial data were promising—the percentage of spoofed spam calls decreased by 5% in July—but didn't last. The percentage then increased by 4% in August and 3% in September.

What's Holding STIR/SHAKEN Back?

The most likely reason for STIR/SHAKEN's shaky start is that not all voice service providers are required to implement it (small carriers have until mid-2023 to do so). Without complete buy-in, loopholes will remain for scammers to exploit.

Another issue is that STIR/SHAKEN is not mandatory for carriers outside the United States. That said, the international deadline to implement a robocall mitigation program was September 28, 2021. RoboKiller will keep a close eye on whether that has any effect on spam totals.

Spam Again Increased As a Whole in September
Caller ID spoofing wasn't the only problem in September; spam as a whole increased, too. RoboKiller found that Americans received an estimated 6.5 billion spam calls and 7.9 billion spam texts in September. These totals mark month-over-month increases of 4% and 3%, respectively.

There Was a Spike in Political Texts in September
Interestingly, political text messages hit American phones the hardest in September, with 1.5 billion total estimated political texts received. RoboKiller received a large number of spam complaints regarding legitimate text messages from political parties and organizations, 8% from Republicans, and 3% from Democrats. Despite it being a non-presidential election year, RoboKiller identified an abundance of spam text messages surrounding political rallies, voter support, and fundraising efforts. RoboKiller's Mid-Year Political Message Report highlights how scammers took advantage during election season and continue to inundate Americans post-election.  

SEPTEMBER 2021 KEY PHONE SCAM TRENDS

Top Five Most Spam-Called States Per Capita:

State	Total Estimated Spam Calls	Estimated Spam Calls Per Person
Arkansas	84,393,078	34
Texas	790,150,944	33
South Carolina	134,510,053	32
Alabama	127,953,606	32
Oklahoma	102,285,474	32

Top Phone Scams Nationwide:

Robocall Scam Category	Estimated Spam Calls	% of Total Robocalls	Robocall Examples
Vehicle Warranty	1,053,950,272	16.91%	Listen to Recording
Social Security	210,665,400	3.38%	Listen to Recording
Religious	167,659,742	2.69%	Listen to Recording

*All audio examples are phone scams blocked and audio fingerprinted by RoboKiller

Top Five Most Spam-Texted States Per Capita:

State	Total Estimated Spam Text Messages	Estimated Spam Texts Per Person
Alaska	75,345,452	127
Idaho	67,260,349	46
West Virginia	65,257,663	43
Maryland	205,154,463	41
North Dakota	24,180,379	38

Top Text Scams Nationwide:

Spam Complaint Category	Estimated Spam Texts	% of Total Spam Texts
Amazon, UPS, & Other Delivery Scams	1,642,056,386	21.32%
Political	1,505,610,097	19%
Bank Scams	863,556,704	11.21%

Tips On How To Stop Phone Scams:

• Don't answer phone calls from unknown phone numbers, especially those that call or text at odd hours.
• Never provide personal, banking, or sensitive information over the phone to any caller.
• Don't follow any prompts like "Press 1" or click any links.
• Download a spam call and text blocker like RoboKiller to equip your phone with the latest phone-scam-fighting technology. Apps like RoboKiller use global databases of millions of known scams to prevent scammers from reaching you in the first place.

RoboKiller's Data Insights
RoboKiller's robocall and spam text insights are powered by a global database of millions of known phone scams and audio fingerprints. Data are estimated by monitoring observed robocall and spam text trends for Americans who have trusted RoboKiller to stop their spam calls. RoboKiller's proprietary data insights have been featured nationally by more than 300 media outlets, including The New York Times, ABC World News, NBC Nightly News, and many more.

For a comprehensive analysis of robocall trends in specific locations, details about particular phone scams, or any other related custom inquiries, please contact RoboKiller's robocall insights team here or at pr@robokiller.com.

For businesses still looking to comply with STIR/SHAKEN or enhance their robocall mitigation efforts, RoboKiller Enterprise offers flexible solutions that are effective and hassle-free. To learn more, visit https://enterprise.robokiller.com.

About RoboKiller
With more than 12 million downloads and $375 million in losses prevented, RoboKiller is the leading independent spam call and text blocker in the United States. RoboKiller has been named a leader in technical and mobile achievement by the Webby Awards, Media Excellence, Best in Biz, and more. RoboKiller was also named the most effective solution to robocalls by the FTC. RoboKiller is available for download in the Apple App Store and Google Play. To learn more, visit www.robokiller.com.

RoboKiller, a Teltech brand, is a division of Mosaic Group, an IAC Company (NASDAQ: IAC).

Media Contacts
Zapwater Communications
Teltech@zapwater.com

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SOURCE RoboKiller