- Robocalling is back to pre-pandemic levels, according to data from spam blocking service YouMail.
- Americans received about 4.6 billion robocalls in February, the highest volume since February 2020.
- The two main types of robocalls during February were about car warranties and health-related scams.
- Visit the Business section of Insider for more stories.
If it feels like you’re getting more robocalls then usual lately, you’re not imagining it: robocalls are back to pre-pandemic levels.
That’s according to new data from YouMail, a robocall blocking app that compiles robocall data in the US. YouMail found that Americans received roughly 4.6 billion robocalls in the month of February, a 15% increase from the month prior and the highest monthly volume since February 2020.
The two main types of robocall scams during the month of February were about car warranties and health-related scams. There were 339 million and 202 million calls regarding those scams, respectively, last month, according to YouMail.
The spike in robocalls is likely related to economies beginning to reopen worldwide. As YouMail CEO Alex Quilici told CNN Business last spring, call centers were operating with reduced capacity or closed completely, leading to a decrease in calls. Now, as the world continues to open back up, robocalls are having a resurgence as well.
YouMail’s findings align with a February SurveyMonkey survey conducted by Insider, which found that 46% of Americans reported receiving spam phone calls on their cell phone every day, and another 24% reported receiving them multiple times each week.
While there isn't a simple solution to ending robocalls altogether - the Federal Trade Commission has been fighting a battle against robocalls for approximately two decades - there are a few tricks that could help reduce the number of calls you receive. Experts recently told Insider's Walt Hickey that installing a mobile app designed to fight call spam can help block these types of calls.
In addition, you can add yourself to the National Do Not Call Registry, which is maintained by the FTC and can blacklist spam callers.
And if a spam call is able to reach you, it's important to be aware of the tricks scammers may use to gain access to your information or get you to pay up. The FTC keeps a comprehensive list of the types of tactics callers may employ, as well as the most common types of scams, to help you protect yourself.