U.S. Robocalls Set New National Record by Spiking 9.3% in August to 2.64 Billion

IRVINE, Calif., Sept. 13, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The nation's robocalling epidemic grew to 2.64 billion robocalls received by U.S. phones in August, marking a 9.3% increase over July and setting a new monthly record since the YouMail Robocall Index was launched in June 2015.

The new figure for August eclipsed the previous Robocall Index record of 2.5 billion monthly robocalls set in March 2016. The total for August equaled 85.2 million robocalls for each day of the month on average, or 986 robocalls placed every second somewhere in America.

These frustrating numbers come from the latest YouMail Robocall Index™ report released today by YouMail, Inc., the leading provider of intelligent telecom services for consumers and small businesses. The data is based on calls blocked and/or reported as spam by millions of YouMail subscribers nationwide.

Having answered billions of calls for its users, YouMail uses algorithms to detect any automatically dialed calls and then aggregates that call data into the Robocall Index. YouMail's free Smart Blocking feature protects subscribers by making spammers and other unwanted callers think their number is no longer in service.

"Our national robocalling problem is spinning out of control as American consumers and businesses are being forced to regularly endure billions of calls every month, creating an ongoing source of aggravation and a major drain on national productivity," said Alex Quilici, CEO of YouMail. "We are encouraging consumers to fight back by joining our user community to help block the incoming numbers of spam robcallers across the country."

Inbound Robocalling "Lowlights" from August

Texas was the most robocalled state in the U.S. with 298.3 million calls received, followed by California, Florida, New York and Georgia. Southern states were home to 15 of the top 20 most robocalled area codes, and Americans as a whole received an average of 7.6 robocalls per person in August.

On average, residents of Atlanta and Washington, D.C. got more than one robocall per person daily during August. Atlanta's 404 area code topped the list of the nation's most robocalled area codes on a per capita basis for the ninth straight month, with 40.4 robocalls received per person in August. Other top ten worst-hit area codes per capita included Washington, D.C. 202 with 33.5 calls per person/month; Baton Rouge, LA 225 (22.4 calls per person/month); New York, NY 347 (20.5); Macon, GA 478 (20.4); Memphis, TN 901 (19.8); Little Rock, AR 501 (19.0); New Orleans, LA 504 (18.4); Birmingham, AL 205 (18.3); and Dallas, TX 214 (17.0).

Outbound Robocalling "Lowlights" from August

California robocallers placed 206.7 million calls in August, surpassing Texas to become the state making the most monthly robocalls. Auto-dialers in Los Angeles placed 67.7 million calls during August, causing L.A. to unseat Chicago as the U.S. city making the most robocalls. Other hotspots for robocalling included New York, NY (63.9 million calls placed); Columbus, OH (60.1 million); Dallas, TX (56.0 million); and Chicago, IL (54.4 million).

Debt collections continue to dominate as the primary cause of U.S. robocalls, with debt collectors making up 17 of the top 20 robocalling phone numbers in August. A national credit card company continues to hold the most active robocalling phone number for the 11^th straight month. This single phone number has placed some 364.5 million calls over the past 12 months. In addition, one bank debt collector, one retail debt collector, and one student loan collector each own two phone numbers on the top 20 list.

How People Can Take Community Action

You can help stop robocallers by becoming involved, and you can take action to reduce the number of robocallers who call you. First, when you get a call from a strange number, don't answer it, and let it roll to voicemail. And if they leave a message, don't call them back right away.

Then, go to the YouMail Community Directory to look up that number and find out what others are saying about it. You can leave comments in the Directory and report on any numbers that have bothered you. Then, YouMail's smart blocking algorithms will combine these consumer spam reports with calling patterns to play "Out of Service" greetings to these robocalls, getting more and more phone numbers taken off robocaller lists.

For more information about the YouMail Robocall Index or to view the latest report, please visit: http://www.youmail.com/phone-lookup/robocall-index. To join the YouMail Robocall Index mailing list, please write to: [email protected].

About YouMail, Inc.
YouMail, Inc. is the leading provider of intelligent, cloud-based telecommunication services. The company's flagship service provides an intelligent call manager that replaces the subscriber's voicemail on iPhone, Android, and Windows phones. This service stops robocalls and includes an automated virtual assistant for handling other calls. Headquartered in Irvine, Calif., YouMail, Inc. was founded in 2007 and is privately funded.

Contacts:
Liana Hawes for YouMail
Gutenberg Communications
[email protected]
212-239-8477

SOURCE YouMail, Inc.