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Robocalls Climb to Six-Year High as Fewer Carriers Deploy Required Protections

Weak compliance with federally mandated caller ID authentication leaves openings that scammers exploit.

The FCC has shut down about 1,400 phone providers for failing to protect consumers from illegal robocalls this year. But the calls keep coming. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)
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Overview

  • Americans received about 2.56 billion robocalls per month from January through September 2025, up from 2.14 billion in 2024, according to U.S. PIRG's analysis of YouMail data.
  • Only 44% of 9,242 phone providers reported fully installing the mandated authentication technology as of September 28, with 4,084 companies in full compliance.
  • The FCC blocked calls from 1,203 noncompliant providers on August 25 and reports roughly 1,400 shutdowns this year, yet unwanted call volumes continue to rise.
  • Money lost to scams that began with a phone call rose 16% in the first half of 2025 compared with a year earlier, with average losses around $3,690, FTC data show.
  • Robotexts totaled roughly 19 billion in 2024, and AI tools are enabling cheaper, more convincing mass fraud through bulk messaging and voice cloning.