U.S. Consumers Received Just Under 4.3 Billion Robocalls in July, According to YouMail Robocall Index

2024 Volume So Far Has Decreased 9% Year-Over-Year, As Robocalls Continue at a Stable, Lower Level

IRVINE, Calif., Aug. 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. consumers received just under 4.3 billion robocalls in July, which represents a 4.1% increase from June and a 4.3% decrease over July 2023. In addition, for the first several months of this year, there have been 29.8 billion robocalls, down just over 9% from the 32.8 billion robocalls seen through July 2023.

July averaged 138.6 million robocalls/day and 1,604 robocalls/second, up 0.7% from June's average of 137.5 million robocalls/day and 1,592 robocalls/second. 

"Robocall volume continues to be relatively flat and down 9% so far in 2024 versus 2023," said YouMail CEO Alex Quilici. "The real question now is will they drop further as enforcement efforts continue?"

These latest figures are provided by YouMail, a totally free robocall blocking app and call protection service for mobile phones. The figures are determined by extrapolating from the robocall traffic attempting to get through to YouMail's millions of active users.

Scam Calls Decreased in July, while Telemarketing Calls Increased

This month saw a significant nearly 22% decline in scam calls and a large 16% increase in Telemarketing calls, while Notifications calls and Payment Reminders were almost unchanged on a daily basis.

Together, scam calls and telemarketing calls continue to represent just under 2.2 billion robocalls/month, slightly more than half of all robocalls. Scam calls appear to be running at levels slightly lower than a year ago, and substantially lower than previous years.

July 2024's Most Annoying Robocalling Campaigns

The most problematic robocall campaigns in July is a robocall calling claiming it's a follow-up to a lawsuit they inquired about, like the calls from this number:

I'm following up regarding a lawsuit you inquired about. Can you hear me, okay. I'm following up regarding a lawsuit you inquired about. Can you hear me, okay?

This call is most likely a scam based on its behavior and the content of the message it leaves. The overall volume for this call is large, in the tens of millions of calls each month from tens of thousands of different numbers. They do not clearly identify who they are, nor do they provide a mechanism to opt-out. Based on numerous spam reports from consumers, they appear to be calling people who never contacted the company or asked to be called, and they are calling them multiple times per day. 

This second robocall campaign leaves a pre-recorded message that there are issues with your approval for a significant personal loan, as in calls from this number:

Hello, this is an urgent message from the underwriting department at True Path Lending. Our contact number is (866) 659-3519. We are reaching out regarding your hardship loan application for $85,000. Our underwriting department requires additional documents to finalize your loan approval. So please call us back immediately at (866) 659-3519. Again, that's (866) 659-3519 to speak with a member of our team. Your prompt response is crucial to ensure the timely processing of your loan. Thank you.

The overall volume for this robocall call is also in the tens of millions of calls per month, calling from tens of thousands of different numbers. They have very similar calls that vary primarily in the name of the lending institution and the dollar amount of the loan. Based on numerous spam reports, it is also calling people who never applied for a loan and never consented to the call, and is asking for significant personal information. Some of the institutions mentioned say on their web sites that this is not them and they are being impersonated. This campaign is most likely a scam and is preying on people people who potentially have debts and are looking for any sort of solution to their problem.

The Source of This Data

These data points are provided by YouMail, a free call protection app for mobile phones. YouMail 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 provides US and UK consumers app-based call protection services through the YouMail, Another Number, and HulloMail apps. These 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. YouMail Protective Services leverages this sensor network to protect consumer-facing enterprises by detecting and helping shut down imposter traffic that can lead to financial or brand damage, as well as to protect carriers with robocall mitigation services that detect and help stop bad traffic originating, traversing, or terminating on their networks. This sensor network is also used to provide the YouMail Robocall Index™ is the nation's definitive source on telephone network activity and attacks. YouMail, Inc. is privately funded and based in Irvine, California. 

Contact:

Gabriella Troiani for YouMail
Lumina Communications
[email protected]

SOURCE YouMail Inc.