Robotexts Rebound To 12 Billion On The Heels Of Three Month Decreases, According To Robokiller Insights

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Oct 05, 2023, 13:30 ET

NEW YORK, Oct. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Robotexts jumped to 12 billion in September, a 9% month-over-month increase, according to Robokiller Insights. Meanwhile, robocalls plummeted to 4.6 billion in September, a 14% decrease from August. Despite the divergent paths, Robokiller predicts Americans will continue to receive a surplus of both SMS and robocall spam throughout the remainder of 2023.

Robotexts bounce back
As we approach the final months of the year, robotexts are making an unwelcome comeback. September trends indicate consumers are in for ample SMS spam this holiday shopping season. The robotext categories that increased the most from August to September were Amazon and Apple/iPhone impersonation scams, which increased by a combined 159%. This is no coincidence following the release of iPhone 15 and in the runup to Amazon Prime Day. Consumers should be aware that scammers design their scams to imitate relevant, well-known brands and will likely double down on these tactics between now and the end of year.

"As Americans are increasingly connected to their phones, scammers' ability to communicate and reach them via robotext and robocall has become easier than ever before," said Giulia Porter, Vice President at Robokiller. "While Robokiller did observe a decrease in robotexts from June through August, scammers are back, and we're likely to see more increases for the remainder of the year. Consumers should stay vigilant and take proactive measures to protect themselves from falling victim to these scams."

Robocall whack-a-mole
Robocalls dropped 14% in September, the latest dip in what felt like a spam call seesaw in 2023. More than a year after the infamous car warranty robocall was squashed, scammers appear to be attempting to find the newest scam and may be seeing success in the financial loan area. Debt collection and financial hardship loans rose to the top of the list in September for robocall scam types, representing ~320 million total US robocalls. While this is nowhere near the peak monthly levels of the car warranty scam, it's clear scammers are testing the waters looking for their next big hook.

How to stop phone scams
At Robokiller, it's our mission to create a world without spam. In addition to downloading the Robokiller app, follow these tips to protect yourself against spam texts and spam calls. Additionally, if your brand is interested in protecting against scams perpetrated under its name, contact our enterprise service team.

About Robokiller
With more than 12 million downloads and $740 million in losses prevented, Robokiller is the leading independent spam call and text blocker. Robokiller has been named a technical and mobile achievement leader 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 award-winning 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, Good Morning America, 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