Over 4.25 Billion Robocalls in October Mark Nearly 12% Monthly Increase, Says YouMail Robocall Index

IRVINE, Calif., Nov. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Americans received over 4.25 billion robocalls in October, an approximately 12% increase from September. In October, robocalls averaged 137.2 million calls/day or roughly 1,588 calls/second, up 8% from 126.9 million calls/day and 1,469 calls/second in September. There have been just over 38 billion robocalls so far in the first 10 months of the year, a pace that suggests a yearly total of around 46 billion robocalls, down from almost 58.5 billion robocalls last year.

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

"Robocalls have continued to grow steadily as the economy recovers," said YouMail CEO Alex Quilici. "Unfortunately, if they continue this pace, they will have returned to pre-pandemic levels in the before the end of the year."

Robocall Categories Saw Spam and Telemarketing Increase Materially

In October, there were nearly 2.6 billion scam and telemarketing calls combined,  accounting for over 62% of the month's total robocall volume. There were nearly as many of these calls in October as there were all types of robocalls in April.

Top Illegal Robocalls in October 2020

In October, Car Warranty Scams, Health-Related Scams, and Government Imposter scams each had over 100 million illegal robocalls, with  Car Warranty Scams growing nearly 50% month over month.

"Winners" in October 2020

The cities, area codes and states with the highest volumes of robocalls in October were similar to what we've seen over the past few months. Interestingly, while Washington DC remains the city with the most robocalls/person with over 36, Macon, Georgia was a close second with just under 32, and Baton Rouge, Louisiana was third with over 28/person.

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. Our free app-based service uses sophisticated, patented technology to block robocalls and phishing messages, protecting users from spam, identify 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.