2023 was the year when the tide finally began to turn against robocalls.
Robocalls fell by 23% last year, according to a report from Robokiller, an app that blocks spam calls and texts.
However, these annoying phone calls are still rampant, with 59 million of them bugging Americans coast to coast in 2023. The calls can also be more than a nuisance: An estimated $69 billion in losses was associated with robocalls for the year.
Although the reduction in robocalls is welcome news, some states continue to bear the brunt of this scourge.
In 2023, the five states that received the most spam calls were:
- Texas: 6.2 billion calls
- Georgia: 1.9 billion
- South Carolina: 900 million
- Oklahoma: 723 million
- Arkansas: 591 million
On a per-capita basis, Texas again led the way, with 260 calls per person. It was followed by Arkansas (235), Oklahoma (220) and a tie between Georgia and South Carolina, with 212 each.
Even in the above states, however, the frequency of robocalls was generally less than in 2022. According to the report:
“Government efforts to crack down on insidious robocalls are paying dividends. Notably, Robokiller observed a sharp decline in car warranty, student loan, and mortgage robocalls directly following government actions to shut down the robocall operations responsible for them.”
Unfortunately, many of these fraudsters are now making robocalls related to health insurance, debt collector and financial service scams, according to Robokiller.
Looking for more ways to silence unwanted calls? Check out our tips in “8 of the Best Ways to Stop Robocalls.”
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