35+ Phone Spam Statistics to Know in 2023
The mobile world can never be void of phone spam, as they are constantly on the rise. Scammers have chosen phone spam to be the order of the day to make quick money. Since the inception of the phone till date, there has been a massive increase in the use of phones and smartphone users. You're either making a call or browsing the internet with your phone. As per estimates, 55% of phone calls come from scammers.
Although many reasons surround phone spam, a few statistics have been elaborated on below. The article below looks at 35+ phone spam statistics from 2017-2022. These details will help you understand the various approaches spammers and hackers use and related matters. Let's dive in to understand better how to manage phone spam in the future.
Spam calls have been a significant problem in the mobile industry, and there is no doubt that it'll keep rising by the day. While it's prone to some countries, a few others just experience it at a lower rate. In 2021, statistics reported that the cost of spam calls in the year's first half was $29.8 billion.
2. Scam Calls are on the Increase Yearly.There's no doubt that with the daily innovations and advancements in tech, spam calls will also increase. Daily, one out of every 10 calls is a scam call. Statistics reveal that scam calls increase by the year. From the source's scam call trend, there was an increase of 118% in 2021 from 2020.
3. Scam Calls are Roping More Victims.Every day people keep falling victim to scam calls, no matter how careful they are. In 2020, statistics reveal that about 270% of people became victims of phone scams, unlike the previous year.
4. The Most Used Channels for Scams are Phones.With the daily increase in scam calls, one would see that phones are the most used channels. Although there are other channels, scammers prefer phone calls. This is because there's a tendency to convince a victim faster via phone than other channels. In 2021, there was a high rate of scam contact via phone. However, statistics showed that in Q1 2022, scammers used text and call channels to approach victims equally.
5. An Average Cost of a Spam Call on the Victim is $567.Scam calls are not free, as each call costs a victim a charge. Less wonder why some tech companies tend to flag such numbers to aid victims in avoiding or choosing to answer. From statistics, in 2021, the cost of scam calls on average was $567.41. This was a massive increase from the previous year's loss of $182.
6. The Use of Number Spoofing Has Become a Huge Problem.Number spoofing is when you receive a call from an unknown number that looks similar to the numbers where you live. This incoming call will share the same code as the neighborhood code. In 2018, statistics reported that nearly 70% of scam calls in the United States were done with neighborhood spoofing. Over time, the FCC introduced STIR to regulate this deception.
7. Southern States have a High Scam Threat.It's no news that the United States has the highest number of scam calls, with some states more prone than others. 2021, for example, statistics show that states in the south of the US had the highest number of scam calls recorded. Two states at the top of the list were Dallas, Texas, and Fort Worth.
8. $30 Billion was the Average Cost of Scam Calls in 2021.There was a massive increase in the cost expenses generated by scam calls in 2021 among US citizens. The cumulative money lost was around $30 billion, over a $20 billion increase from the previous year.
9. Spam Calls are Likely to Enter Brazil as Their Next Target.The usual trend in the history of spam calls is to target major world countries. This is because these countries have a larger population, with more people as possible hits. Based on geographical location, though, other common nations targeted asides from Brazil include Ukraine and Peru,
10. There was a Rise in the Percentage of Scam Calls by 22% in 2021.Before the reports in 2020, the increase was over 22%, accounting for 59.4 million victims in the United States who lost their money.
11. Most Victims of Scam Calls Lose their Money Through Phone, then Text.The money lost through scam calls is much higher than text messages or emails. Hence, a phone call is more convincing than a text message, so scammers use it frequently.
12. Russia and China have High Spam Rates.Russia is one of the most powerful countries in the world. From statistics, they have the largest source of spam. Approximately 24% of spam messages originate from IPs in Russia. China is also a fast-growing economic country with daily technological advancement. Statistics reveal that China has the highest live spam rate. Currently, there are over 9000 live spam issues in China.
Global Phone Spam Statistics
It's no news that globally phone spam has become the order of the day, with countries like Russia and China topping the A list. Detailed statistics have been outlined below;
13. In 2021, Robocalls Made up 60% of Calls.In 2021, spam calls upgraded their means of contact. The use of robocalling was implemented by online criminals to defraud victims of their personal information.
14. In 2021, There was a Spark of 59% in Covid-19-Related Calls.Without a doubt, the Covid-19 pandemic sparked numerous illegal activities across the globe, with cybercriminals rerouting their calls in that direction.
15. An Average of 18 Monthly Spam Calls were Received in the United States.According to the most recent survey, an average of 18 daily spam calls were noted from citizen reports. The rates are steadily rising.
16. Blocking Spam Calls Significantly Reduced the High Rates of Spam Calls.Although spam calls have been a problem for a long time now, there are defining steps in view to curb the menace. There have been significant changes in the last two years.
17. A Report of Over 200 Million Spam Calls was Recognized from a Single Individual's IP Address in 2021.India broke records with this statistic, as it was the first country where an individual made 200 million spam calls to various phone numbers. Unfortunately, many citizens of the country fell victim to these calls.
18. Scammers Target Legitimate Business Ventures More Often.A potential 62% of scam calls have impacted 12% of businesses. These calls came from con artists posing as other businesses to make deals with them and lying about their personalities.
19. UK Ranked 4th on the Most Spammed Country Lists in 2022.According to this record, the United States topped the list, hence why they work so hard to reduce the spam rate makes sense. Based on stats from the call platform, Truecaller, 2020, saw an increase of 159% in these spam calls. 48% were about sales, while the rest were bank related.
20. Yorkshire is the Most Targeted Location for Spam Calls in Britain.Britain is not left out as one of its famous cities; Yorkshire is the most targeted location for spam calls. Statistics reveal that 66% of victims are called once; on the other hand, 20% receive more than once a day.
21. Americans Don't Trust Unknown Numbers.With the rate of spam calls increasing, it's only wise to identify a number correctly before answering. Research shows 87% of US residents reported not answering calls unless appropriately identified. Although number spoofing has made this step bit confusing, it's still a sure bet to curb spam calls.
22. Marketing Research Calls are No Longer Significant in the UK.Cybercriminals use a lot of tactics in contacting customers. From COVID- related calls to marketing research calls. From statistics, marketing research calls are no longer part of the UK's spam data. This showed a drastic drop from 3% in 2018.
23. On Average, One Spam Call is Received in Brazil Daily.Brazil is another world-leading nation with about 214.3 million people resident. With this massive number, statistics reports that it's the leading country in spam call per person globally. In 2021, residents of Brazil received an average of 32.9 spam calls per person monthly.
24. Fixed-Line Call Scams are on the Decrease.With the invention of handsets, the use of landlines has been on the decrease. You rarely find them in some countries anymore. Only a few organizations still use them. Before now, landline phones were top-notch for scammers, but over time, the rate began to drop. In 2017, scammers initiated 56% of phone scam attempts from landlines. In 2019, only 25% of scam calls were made from landlines.
Alarming Phone Spam Stats
Telemarketing has increased daily, as most business owners see it as one of the best ways to reach customers. Although in 2018, it wasn't so, as only 25% of robocalls came from telemarketers.
26. One Out of Five Lost Money to COVID-19-Related Calls.Furthermore, the pandemic was a trying period for all, especially the Americans. During this period, 17% reported losing money to a COVID-19-related spam call.
27. Most Businesses are Unaware If Their Calls are Being Flagged as Apam.Most times, a few numbers that are not spam are flagged as spam. You find out that sometimes when you call customers on your business line, they either reject or don't answer. Statistics show that 38% of businesses are unaware if they are being flagged as spam. On the other hand, 32% are aware and are willing to pay to get their ID-verified.
28. In 2019, There Was an Increase in the Wangiri Scam.Currently, Wangiri is a mega tool for cybercriminals. An unknown number calls you once and cuts. If you call back, they automatically access all vital information on your phone. If you eventually call back, Wangari is a call-back scam that saps you of important information. Between 2017 and 2018, Wangari grew by 250%. In 2019, it further increased by 58%.
29. Consumers are not Bound to Answer All Calls they Receive.Furthermore, not all calls received are picked up by consumers. Due to this approach, scam callers find it challenging to get across to their victims as often to convince them.
30. In 2019, Spam Call Duration Became Low.Spam calls have become a worldwide terror; it's no news that many people have now become aware of these calls and hang up immediately received. In 2019, statistics reported that the average spam call lasted only 11 seconds. They indicated that many people had become aware of spam calls and hung up immediately.
31. Personal Data, a Tool for Spam Calls.Cybercriminals never give up, as they devise new means daily. Research shows that scammers now use hacked data for phishing attacks on their victims via spam calls. They utilize personal data to persuade their victims.
32. Scam Callers Come After Their Victims with Concrete Data.Furthermore, research by scammers is on the rise. They tend to research their victims carefully before putting a call across. This, in turn, enhances their chance of succeeding. In 2019, 75% of victims who lost $1,000 to spam calls reported that the caller had critical personal information about them.
33. Scam Callers Collect Home Addresses.As mentioned earlier, the research by scammers gets more intense by the day. Research shows that 39% of scam call victims reported that scammers acquired their home addresses before calling. Also, in 17% of cases, victims said the spam caller knew their social security number.
34. Scam Callers Operate on Different Tactics.Scammers have moved from neighborhood spoofing to enterprise spoofing. Statistics show that these new tactics may lead to a 20% reduction in neighborhood spoofing.
35. In 2020, Many People were Fooled into Handing Over their Data.In 2020, many consumers were tricked into handing over their data to scammers. Statistics showed that the number of victims who handed over their data was 3 times more than in 2019.
36. In 2020, Scammers Obtained Credit Card Details Easily.Furthermore, 2020 also saw a rise in spam calls targeting financial details. Statistics show that victims who gave their credit card info to scammers were 6.5 times more than in 2019.
37. Between 2021 and 2022, Spam Text Statistics Rose 1000%.Asides from phone calls, text messaging is another channel for scammers. Between April 2021 and February 2022, spam text grew to 1,024%. This is an eye-opener to the increasing growth of phone spam. Therefore, smartphone owners must be educated about the evils of spam texts.
ConclusionCybercriminals are becoming more common every day. It's reasonable sense to be ready for their moves to prevent yourself from being a victim. The latest technique is phone scam calls. In America, victims have lost close to $30 billion, the same for Brazil, Russia, and China. Above, detailed statistics were mentioned. Please investigate them to get acquainted and avoid spam calls whenever you get them.
FAQsWhat types of phone spam are prominent in 2023?Robocalls, phishing, scam calls (like the IRS or tech support scams), and faked calls (faking the caller's identity) are some of the common forms of phone spam in 2023.
Has the nature of phone spam changed after 2023 compared to earlier years?The methods used by phone spammers are always changing. By 2023, it will be more difficult to discern between legal and spam calls since they will use more sophisticated AI-generated voice technologies to impersonate real human interactions.
In 2023, how will people normally react to phone spam?When receiving unwanted calls, people frequently ignore them, block the numbers, or report them to the appropriate authorities or service providers. However, some people fall for fraud due to spammers' seductive methods.
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