by Robocalls increased significantly in frequency from 2018 to 2019 and nearly doubled from 2017 to last year, with little sign of lessening…
The number of robocalls hit an all-time high in 2019, totaling 58.5 billion. This figure represents a 22 percent increase from the year prior in 2018, and a whopping 92 percent increase compared to 2017. The number for this year might increase or decrease depending on a number of factors.
Robocalls Reached 58.5 Billion in 2019 in the United States
There were 58.5 billion automated calls placed in the United States last year. However, it’s important to point out that not all of these communications are ill-intended. A sizable percentage are legal and/or legitimate, with under half being scam and spam calls. In fact, fewer than half we’re actually illegal calls, nearly at parity with those placed for legitimate purposes:
- Scams 25.9 billion, 44 percent
- Alerts and reminders 13 billion, 22 percent
- Financial reminders 11.4 billion, 21 percent
- Telemarketing 8 billion, 14 percent
To tackle the growing nuisance, the United States Congress, federal regulators, and wireless carriers are all doing their part. The TRACED Act has been passed into law and federal agencies have given telecommunications companies expanded permissions to combat the problem.
Meanwhile, carriers are implementing what’s known as the SHAKEN/STIR protocol, which matches records to determine the legitimacy of phone numbers.
Additionally, tech companies have released a number of screening and blocking tools to consumers.
