Regulator moves to block overseas calls, where most robocalls originate. Consumers can also take...
CNET Article: The FCC Wants Scammers to Stop Calling You
What about other efforts to curb robocalls?
Alex Quilici, CEO of Youmail, which tracks and analyzes robocall traffic, said there are reasons to be optimistic that efforts to curb robocalls are working. He said the total volume of these annoying calls has dropped since its peak in 2019. Americans received 50.5 billion robocalls in 2021, a 14% lower volume than the peak year of 2019, with over 58 billion robocalls, but approximately 10% higher than 2020, with 45.9 billion robocalls.
"Overall, there's been a decline in robocall volume when you look at it over an extended period of time," Quilici said in an interview.
He attributes this to increased enforcement action by the FCC, the Federal Trade Commission and state law enforcement. He said that traceback efforts have helped identify scammers and that those efforts are leading enforcement agencies to shut down these operations and to impose hefty fines. He added that wireless operators are also taking a more active role in tracing and blocking calls, which has also helped.
