U.S. Consumers Received Nearly 4.4 Billion Robocalls in December, 52.8 Billion in All of 2024, According to YouMail Robocall Index
In December 2024, American consumers received approximately 4.4 billion robocalls, reflecting a 7.8% drop compared to November 2024, as reported by YouMail’s latest Robocall Index.
According to YouMail, a total of 52.8 billion robocalls targeted U.S. consumers throughout 2024, representing a 4.2% decline from the 55.1 billion calls recorded in 2023. Despite these shifts, annual robocall volumes have consistently hovered between 50 billion and 55 billion over the past four years.
How Do Robocalls Work?
Robocall Trends in December 2024
On a daily basis, December averaged 140.6 million robocalls or roughly 1,627 calls every second. These figures marked a 7.8% decrease from November’s averages of 157.6 million calls per day and 1,824 calls per second. However, compared to December 2023, there was a significant 15.6% increase in robocall activity.
“The positive news is that overall robocall volume in 2024 fell by over 4% compared to 2023, even with a noticeable uptick in election-related calls at the end of the year,” said Alex Quilici, CEO of YouMail. “On the downside, the total volume still exceeds 50 billion annually, equating to nearly 200 calls for every adult in the U.S.”
YouMail, a free app designed to shield users from spam calls, texts, and voicemails, provided these insights by analyzing robocall traffic attempts directed at its millions of active users.
Decline Across Robocall Categories
In December, all categories of robocalls experienced decreases:
- Scam calls fell by nearly 18%.
- Notification calls dropped by 11%.
- Payment reminders saw a 6% decline.
- Telemarketing calls decreased by 3%.
Robocall Type | Estimated Calls (Dec. 2024) | % of Total Robocalls |
---|---|---|
Notifications | 1.22 billion (-10.9%) | 28% (unchanged) |
Payment Reminders | 0.89 billion (-6.0%) | 20% (unchanged) |
Telemarketing | 1.81 billion (-3.6%) | 42% (unchanged) |
Scam | 0.43 billion (-17.8%) | 10% (unchanged) |
Even with these declines, scams and telemarketing calls together accounted for more than 2.2 billion calls in December, or about 52% of the month’s total robocall activity.
Yearly Robocall Highlights for 2024
While scam calls dropped by 22% year-over-year, telemarketing calls surged by 25%, resulting in an overall 9% increase in likely unwanted calls for the year. Unwanted calls totaled approximately 25.6 billion in 2024.
Robocall Type | Estimated Calls (2024) | % of Total Robocalls |
---|---|---|
Notifications | 15.4 billion (-16.5%) | 29% (-4%) |
Payment Reminders | 11.8 billion (-10.6%) | 22% (-2%) |
Telemarketing | 19.3 billion (+25.6%) | 37% (+9%) |
Scam | 6.3 billion (-22.3%) | 12% (-3%) |
What You Can Do About Robocalls
- Block robocalls with an app. YouMail offers apps that can block robocalls such as YouMail, Another Number, and HulloMail. These apps are available in the US and UK.
- Report scams to the FTC. The Federal Trade Commission takes reports on scam calls.
- Report unwanted robocalls to the FCC. The FCC regularly fines illegal robocall operators. It also requires phone companies to stop caller ID spoofing.
- Educate family members on recognizing robocalls and scams. Many scam calls target certain demographics like senior citizens that may be more vulnerable to falling for a scam.
- Stop unwanted calls from legitimate companies by joining the National Do Not Call Registry. This list won’t stop scammers, charities, and businesses you’ve done business with before. However, it will reduce unwanted marketing calls. You may even get a cash bonus every time you get an unwanted call from a legitimate business and report it!
Data Source
These statistics come from YouMail, an app recognized for its call-blocking and spam-filtering features. The app blocks robocallers by preventing phones from ringing and playing an out-of-service message to discourage future attempts.
The YouMail Robocall Index uses extrapolated data from billions of calls managed by YouMail to estimate robocall activity at both national and local levels. These estimates are frequently referenced by the FCC to track robocall trends.
For more details, visit the Robocall Index at robocallindex.com or contact RobocallIndex@YouMail.com for updates.