Just Under 4 Billion Robocalls in September Mark 4% Monthly Drop, Says YouMail Robocall Index
Robocall Volumes Are At Lowest Levels Since December 2020
IRVINE, Calif., Oct. 6, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Americans received just under 4.0 billion robocalls in September, a 2.3% decrease in volume over August. However, in September robocalls averaged 135.3 calls/day and 1,556 calls/second, up slightly from August, when robocalls averaged 130.9 million calls/day and 1,515 calls/second.
Americans have received almost 39 billion robocalls so far this year, averaging roughly 4.3 billion robocalls calls/month, putting the country on a pace to hit between 51 and 52 billion robocalls for the year. However, since STIR/SHAKEN and new federal robocall mitigation rules took effect on June 30, we have seen 11.3% fewer robocalls/month, though volumes are still in the general range they have been all year.
These latest monthly figures are provided by YouMail, a totally free robocall blocking app and call protection service for mobile phones. These figures are determined by extrapolating from the robocall traffic attempting to get through to YouMail's millions of active users.
"It is good news that we have seen three straight months with a decline in robocalls since the STIR/SHAKEN rollout on June 30th," said YouMail CEO Alex Quilici. "However, it's been a much less dramatic decline than many expected, with no signs that a big decline is forthcoming."
September 2021 Saw A Slight Decline in Spam Calls
In September the number of scam calls decreased by 2%, and telemarketing calls declined by 8%, but together they still added up to almost 2.3 billion calls.
Type of Robocall |
Estimated September Robocalls |
Percentage September Robocalls |
Scams |
1.5 billion (-2%) |
38% (flat) |
Alerts and Reminders |
1.1 billion (+3%) |
28% (+2%) |
Payment Reminders |
0.61 billion (-4%) |
15% (-1%) |
Telemarketing |
0.76 billion (-8%) |
19% (-1%) |
Top Illegal Robocalls in September 2021
As in past months, Car Warranty calls and Health-Related scam calls continue to be the top types of robocalls. Car Warranty calls continued to lead the way with 245 million calls, up 33 million calls from last month. Health-Related Scams calls decreased to 110 million calls, down only 8 million calls from the previous month.
Rank |
Type of Scam |
Estimated September Robocalls |
Summary of Scam |
1 |
Warranty Scams |
245 million (-33m) |
Scam payments/illegal solicitations |
2 |
Health-Related Scams |
110 million (-8m) |
Identify theft/scam payments/illegal solicitations |
"Winners" in September 2021
In September, there were several changes in the cities and states registering the highest volumes of robocalls versus August. Memphis, Tennessee returned as the most robocalled city on a per capita basis, beating out Washington, D.C., and area code 901 become the second most robocalled area code on a per capita basis. Tennessee has also returned once again as the most robocalled state on a per capita basis.
Cities with the Most Robocalls: |
Atlanta, GA (153.3 million, -1%) Dallas, TX (137.9 million, -1%) |
Cities with the Most Robocalls/Person: |
Memphis, TN (31.4/person, -1%) |
Area Codes with the Most Robocalls: |
404 in Atlanta, GA (65.6 million, +1%) 214 in Dallas, TX (52.6 million, -2%) |
Area Codes with the Most Robocalls/Person: |
404 in Atlanta, GA (53.6/person, +1%) 901 in Memphis, TN (31.4/person, -1%) |
State with the Most Robocalls: |
Texas (459.7 million, -1%) California (413.3 million, +8%) |
State with the Most Robocalls/Person: |
Tennessee (24,0/person, flat) South Carolina (22.7/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 protects consumers, enterprises, and carriers from harmful phone calls. YouMail protects consumers with app-based call protection services. YouMail protects consumer-facing enterprises by detecting and helping to shut down imposter traffic that can lead to financial or brand damage. We protect carriers with robocall mitigation services that detect when bad traffic is originating, traversing, or terminating on their networks. Our direct consumer solutions answer over a billion live calls per year across well over 10 million registered users, powering America's most robust telephone sensor network in identifying and providing zero-hour protection against illegal calling campaigns and cyberattacks. We also operate the YouMail Robocall Index™, the nation's definitive source on telephone network activity and attacks. 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.
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