It’s the dominant pest in the tech world that no matter how many hands try to swat, will not go away: phones continuing to ring with unwanted illegal robocalls each day.
In the last two years, lawmakers in Washington D.C. said they were getting tough and even deploying high-tech solutions to combat the problem, yet one estimate found consumers received more than 75 billion robocalls and 225 billion robotexts in 2022 alone.
What happened?
For consumers willing to pay for peace, apps like RoboKiller can mute those unwanted calls, and the company says lately, business has been good.
“For better or worse, business is booming,” said Patrick Falzon of RoboKiller. “That’s not necessarily, I would say, a good thing for consumers.”
Falzon said blocking spam robocalls allows them to also track troubling trends.
These figures below from RoboKiller illustrate a robocall rollercoaster since 2021, complete with tall peaks and deep valleys, representing billions of calls each month. (You can also see the chart linked here.)
In the war against robocalls, the Federal Communications Commission was responsible for two pivotal strategies deployed and skirmishes in the last two years.
First, in September 2021, the FCC enforced a new law and guidelines on phone carriers, requiring them to either explain what they are doing to block illegal robocalls or implement new technology called STIR/SHAKEN, a call verification system.
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Then, on July 7, 2022, the FCC took legal action against certain companies responsible for the bulk of illegal robocalls nationwide.
Those steps, the FCC says, resulted in an “88% month-to-month drop in student loan scam,” and a “99% drop in auto-warranty scam” robocalls: two of the most popular scams calling consumers on a daily basis.
Experts like Falzon said they saw an immediate drop off after the FCC’s summer 2022 enforcement action.
And yet, our phones keep ringing.
Kevin Brasler with Consumers Checkbook says the FCC is in a tough spot.
“It’s like Whack-A-Mole. The crooks keep finding ways to circumvent the protections [the FCC] puts up,” Brasler said.
As evidenced in the chart above, RoboKiller says they found calls shot back up to nearly six billion this past March, months after the FCC’s victory lap.
The FCC did not respond to NBC 5 Responds’ questions for this story.
This month, it announced a new round of enforcement against a small communications company called “One Eye, LLC,” accusing it of playing a big role in making robocalls ring on your phone.
The FCC issued its “first ever” order that could “block all [phone] traffic” from One Eye to your carrier.
FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said the company was a major player in the robocall illegal economy.
“This company—what’s left of it—will now have a place in robocall history,” Rosenworcel said, when the FCC announced its enforcement against One Eye, LLC. “We can and will continue to shut off providers that help scammers. Because these junk calls are not just annoying, they are illegal, and facilitating them deserves serious consequences.”
One Eye LLC did not respond to our requests for comment.
But even if this FCC legal maneuver works, expectations are low for many that it will be the end.
“It’s generally just a matter of time until something pops up,” Falzon said.
Ways to Prevent Robocalls and Robotexts
With expectations low that regulators will stomp out robocalls permanently, there are some ways you can protect yourself.
Consumers can install robocall blockers, but oftentimes, those cost a monthly or annual fee.
Another option is to check with your phone carrier.
Some carriers have free services for its customers, like T-Mobile’s “Scam Shield,” which intercepts and blocks spam calls.
Steve Carlson, a spokesperson for T-Mobile said last year the company’s tech was busy.
“There were more than 40 billion spam calls on the T-Mobile network in 2022,” Carlson said, adding that Scam Shield, “identifies if a call is most likely to be a scam.”
And if an unknown call gets through, Brasler with Consumers Checkbook recommends self-restraint.
“If you don’t recognize a number, don’t pick it up,” Brasler said. “If you do pick up, and it’s not somebody you know, and you’re certain it’s not somebody you know, just hang up.”
Even if you recognize a phone number, remember that in many cases, scammers can spoof authentic ones, to make it look like they’re real, so consumer advocates say its best to screen your unrecognizable calls by letting them go to voicemail first.
And if you do answer a robocall, hanging up immediately may help prevent spammers from putting you on a list for future calls.
The FCC has more advice for stopping those unwanted robocalls and robotexts at this link here.
Consumers can also report the number or company to the FCC by filing a complaint (more information on that linked here.)
