If you live in Colorado, chances are good that your anger toward robocalls is rising higher than Pikes Peak.
The Western state logs more complaints per 100,000 people about telemarketing calls — including robocalls — than any other state, according to the Federal Trade Commission.
The FTC recently issued its National Do Not Call Registry Data Book for Fiscal Year 2019 (October 2018 through September 2019).
On first blush, the report appears to offer good news: Consumer complaints about unwanted telemarketing calls dropped to 5.4 million in fiscal year 2019, compared with 5.8 million the year before.
However, the FTC says that sharp drop is largely a result of the 35-day government shutdown that began late last year and spilled over into 2019. During that time, consumers were unable log complaints with the FTC.
Despite that caveat, the FTC notes that the number of complaints dropped in 2019 for a second consecutive year.
Of the 5.4 million complaints lodged against telemarketing calls, 71% were in regard to robocalls. The FTC defines robocalls as any call that delivers a prerecorded message.
The states with the most complaints per 100,000 people were:
- Colorado (2,294 complaints per 100,00 people)
- Oregon (2,227)
- Arizona (2,211)
- New Jersey (2,188)
- Nevada (2,186)
The FTC also reports that this year, the most frequently reported robocall complaint focused on what are known as “imposter scams.” These calls involve a scammer who pretends to be someone you trust and asks you to send money, according to the FTC.
Complaints about imposter-scam calls began to rise in May and continued to climb throughout the rest of the year.
The second-most-reported type of robocall complaints involved calls about medical issues and prescriptions. Complaints about calls focused on debt-reduction programs finished third.
If you are tired of robocalls, fight back! We suggest ways to keep robocalls at bay in “7 Ways to Stop Robocalls in Their Tracks.”
You’ll also find more tips in:
How do you handle robocalls? Let us know in comments below and on our Facebook page.
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