Scam calls decrease, but Americans are getting 12 billion robotexts a month
North Carolina Public Interest Research Group reported Tuesday that robocalls have been cut in half since a federal law was passed targeting scammers -- but Americans are getting more unwanted texts than ever.
The law passed in 2021 requires phone companies to use Stir/Shaken technology, which has carriers validate caller ID information before calls reach consumers. The measure prevents spoofing, or falsifying caller ID information to make it appear to have come from a familiar business or agency.
Data from the Federal Communications Commission reveals 1,932 out of 7,514 phone providers have installed the industry-standard Stir/Shaken technology, and 1,518 have partially adopted the technology. Another 3,062 have not installed the technology "but claim to be using their own robocall mitigation system." Others claim to be exempt from the requirements.
Since 2021, reports of robocalls received across the U.S. have decreased from 2.1 billion per month to 1.1 billion. Robotexts, however, have skyrocketed, increasing from 1 billion to 12 billion a month in the last year.
"Spam texts have increased more than tenfold as con artists and identity thieves find alternative ways to steal Americans’ personal information and money," according to a press release from NCPIRG. "The phone companies’ actions appear to be helping, but clearly, incomplete compliance has not solved our national robocall problem.
The FCC has already started to take action against robotexts, partnering with attorney generals across the country.
