Just Over 4 Billion Robocalls in January Mark 3.7% Monthly Increase, Says YouMail Robocall Index

January Robocalls Are Above 2020's Monthly Average Of 3.8 Billion Robocalls

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Feb 04, 2021, 09:00 ET

IRVINE, Calif., Feb. 4, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Americans received just over 4 billion robocalls in January, an increase of approximately 3.7% over December. In January, robocalls averaged 129.5 million calls/day, or roughly 1,500 calls/second, down 2% from 124.8 million calls/day and 1,445 calls/second in December. While it is very early in the year, this is a pace of over 48 billion robocalls for 2021, which would be greater than every year except 2019.

These latest monthly figures come from YouMail, a totally free robocall blocking app and call protection service for mobile phones.

"Robocall volumes appear to be resuming their slow journey back toward their pre-pandemic levels," said YouMail CEO Alex Quilici. "As call centers continue to open more widely, it's not surprising that robocalls are increasing."

January 2020 Saw An Increase in Scam Calls

In January, scam calls and telemarketing calls combined continued to account for roughly 60% of the month's total robocall volume, similar to past months. Unfortunately, the total number of scam and telemarketing calls exceeded 2.3 billion calls for the month, a very substantial number of likely unwanted and/or illegal calls.

Type of Robocall	Estimated January Robocalls	Percentage January Robocalls
Scams	1.8 billion (+8%).	46% (+2%)
Alerts and Reminders	1.1 billion (+7%)	27% (+1%)
Payment Reminders	.57 billion (-1%)	14% (-1%)
Telemarketing	.54 billion (-4%)	13% (-2%)

Top Illegal Robocalls in January 2020

The leading illegal types of robocalls in January continued to be those involving Car Warranties and Health-Related Scams. Warranty Scams in particular notched almost 100 million more calls in January than December.

Rank	Type of Scam	Estimated January Robocalls	Summary of Scam
1	Warranty Scams	265 million (+96m)	Scam payments/illegal solicitations
2	Health-Related Scams	179 million (-33m)	Identify theft/scam payments/illegal solicitations

"Winners" in January 2020

The cities, area codes and states with the highest volumes of robocalls in January were similar to what we've seen over the past few months. The biggest changes were Baton Rouge, Louisiana overtaking Macon, Georgia as the city whose residents get the most calls per person, and Tennessee replacing South Carolina as the state whose residents get the most calls per person.

Cities with the Most Robocalls:	Atlanta, GA (162.0 million, -3%) Dallas, TX (142.0 million, -1%)
Cities with the Most Robocalls/Person:	Baton Rouge, LA (32.8/person, -1%) Macon, GA (32.6 /person, -3%)
Area Codes with the Most Robocalls:	404 in Atlanta, GA (69.7 million, -2%) 214 in Dallas, TX (53.7 million, -1%)
Area Codes with the Most Robocalls/Person:	404 in Atlanta, GA (57.0/person, -2%) 215 in Macon, GA (32.8/person, -1%)
State with the Most Robocalls:	Texas (444.9 million, -2%) California (353.8 million, -1%)
State with the Most Robocalls/Person:	Tennessee (23.7/person, +14%) Alabama (23.5/person, +6)

These data are provided by YouMail, a free call protection app for mobile phones. YouMail recently won the American Business Awards' Gold Stevie Award for Technical Innovation of the Year, and the YouMail app was named the nation's best robocall-blocking solution in a competition organized by Geoffrey Fowler of the Washington Post.

YouMail blocks unwanted robocallers by making sure the user's phone doesn't ring, and then plays an out-of-service message that leads them to think they dialed an invalid number. YouMail identifies problematic numbers and robocalls using a combination of its recently patented audio fingerprinting technology, call patterns, and consumer feedback.

YouMail provides the YouMail Robocall Index to estimate robocall volume across the country and for specific area codes every month. This estimate is formed by extrapolating from the behavior of the billions of calls YouMail has handled for its users, and these statistics are regularly cited by the FCC as a definitive source for national data trends.

For a full ranking of cities, states and area codes, as well as details on the behavior of robocallers in each area code, please see http://robocallindex.com. To listen to actual voice messages left by robocallers, please visit the YouMail Directory. To join the YouMail Robocall Index mailing list, please write to [email protected].

About YouMail, Inc.

YouMail, Inc. provides security-first, cloud-based communication services for mobile phones. YouMail's free app-based service uses sophisticated, patented technology to block robocalls and phishing messages, protecting users from spam, identity theft, stalkers, and corporate fraud. Our premium call management services provide virtual receptionist and virtual number services, and they are designed for people who use their mobile phone for business. These services help them unify virtual numbers with their cell number, handle high volumes of mobile calls, and provide personalized answering experiences for their callers. YouMail's communications platform handles over a billion calls per year for over 10 million users, and our users range from everyday consumers to sole proprietors to the CEOs of the largest companies in America. The YouMail Robocall Index™, since its launch in in September 2015, has emerged as the nation's definitive source on robocalling data for telecom carriers, smartphone and app companies, and public policymakers. YouMail, Inc. is privately funded and based in Irvine, California.

Contact:
Rohan Notaney for YouMail
Lumina Communications
[email protected]
650-814-9651

SOURCE YouMail Inc.