Truecaller has unveiled its inaugural monthly U.S. Spam and Scam Report. This comprehensive report, compiled from November 2022 to October 2023, provides a detailed analysis of fraudulent call trends in the United States.
Truecaller plans to update the report monthly, offering real-time data and insights on its website. According to the report, Americans struggle with an average of 2.1 billion spam calls monthly, translating to nearly six spam calls per person, each lasting over four minutes.
Shockingly, these calls led to an estimated 195 million hours wasted in 2023. The holiday season witnessed a peak in scams, ranging from fake charity donations to fraudulent delivery notifications and vacation upgrades.
The report categorizes U.S. spam and scam calls, revealing that malicious intent scams dominate, accompanied by legitimate sales calls, robocalls, online surveys, and political calls.
Credit card fraud, identity theft, medicare/insurance scams, social security fraud, car warranty scams, and debt collection scams topped the list of fraudulent activities in 2023.
Truecaller’s state-wise analysis sheds light on the top and bottom performers in terms of spam and scam calls. Mississippi, South Carolina, and Oklahoma lead in receiving the most calls, while Hawaii, New Hampshire, and Puerto Rico experience the least.
Highlighting the global nature of the issue, Truecaller notes that nearly 10% of spam calls originate outside the U.S., with India, Nigeria, Egypt, Colombia, Canada, and Peru being the primary sources.
This report serves as a wake-up call to the prevalence and sophistication of scams, emphasizing the need for continued vigilance against evolving tactics employed by scammers.
Regarding the report, Alan Mamedi, co-founder and CEO of Truecaller, said,
Fraudsters are targeting consumers through every medium on their phones, deploying sophisticated AI-powered scams via calls, texts, emails and direct messages on social media. With our new monthly data report, our goal is to inform U.S. smartphone users about modern-day scams on the rise and which markets are experiencing the most scams, so people can protect themselves. Truecaller has a long-standing mission to build trust in communication, and this monthly report reflects our commitment to that mission.