Divergent Paths: Robocalls Decline While Robotexts Spike, According to Robokiller Insights

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May 09, 2023, 09:06 ET

NEW YORK, May 9, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The gap in volume between robotexts and robocalls widened in April according to Robokiller Insights, as Americans received 13 billion robotexts (an 8% increase vs. March) and 5 billion robocalls (a 13% decrease). Don't count out robocalls just yet, though — historically they slow down in April but pick back up soon after.

Robocalls drop in April for the third year in a row
Though Americans received fewer robocalls in April than they did in March, it doesn't mean robocalls will continue to decrease. In fact, robocalls jumped 23% the month prior, so consumers shouldn't expect a reprieve from robocalls just yet even with a monthly drop.

"Robocall volume dropped in April for the fourth consecutive year," said Patrick Falzon, General Manager of Teltech, creators of Robokiller. "We've noticed this seasonality and relish Americans receiving some reprieve, even if only temporary. No matter the case, we believe ongoing efforts by the FCC to address scam calls and scammers shifting their focus to robotexts will continue to prove useful in reducing robocalls."

Robotexts continue to increase
Robotexts, on the other hand, continue to climb, albeit at a more modest pace than prior months — they totaled 13 billion in April, marking an 8% increase. Robokiller anticipates this trend will continue to hold for the next few months and may spike again in the latter half of 2023 as it did last year, especially with another Presidential election on the horizon. The FCC has announced plans to combat robotexts, but these efforts will take time to develop and enforce and even more time for consumers to see an impact.

April 2023 key trends

Top robotexts nationwide:

Robotext category	Estimated robotexts	% of total robotexts
Delivery (Amazon, UPS, USPS, etc.)	1,363,722,638	10.37 %
Bank	444,260,150	3.38 %
COVID	223,787,498	1.70 %
Travel	210,798,427	1.60 %

Top robocalls nationwide:

Robocall category	Estimated robocalls	% of Total Robocalls
Telemarketer	4,206,409,707	81.46 %
Insurance	75,391,090	1.46 %
Health Insurance	73,841,958	1.43 %
Medical	63,514,411	1.23 %

Robokiller wins Stevie and Webby Award

In April, Robokiller was recognized by the Webby Awards for Technical Achievement and by the 2023 Stevie American Business Awards as a Silver winner for Achievement in Product Innovation and Bronze for Best Use of AI and Machine Learning.

Tips on how to stop phone scams:

Don't answer phone calls or texts from unknown numbers, especially those that call or text at odd hours.
Don't follow prompts like "Press 1" or click any links.
Never provide personal information like banking details or other sensitive information.
Download a spam text and call blocker like Robokiller to equip your phone with the latest technology to stop scams.

About Robokiller
With more than 12 million downloads and $600 million in losses prevented, Robokiller is the leading independent spam call and text blocker. Robokiller has been named a leader in technical and mobile achievement by the Webby Awards, Media Excellence, Best in Biz, and more. Robokiller was named the most effective solution to robocalls by the FTC.

Robokiller's robocall and spam text insights are powered by a global database of millions of phone scams and audio fingerprints. Robokiller's proprietary data insights have been featured by The New York Times, ABC World News, NBC Nightly News, and many others.

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).

SOURCE Robokiller