The Do Not Call Registry was established in 2003 by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) as a way for consumers to opt-out of telemarketing calls. The idea was simple: consumers could add their phone numbers to the registry and telemarketers would be required to stop calling them. While the registry has been effective in reducing the number of telemarketing calls, it has not been able to stop the proliferation of robocalls. In fact, the number of robocalls has continued to increase over the years, despite the existence of the Do Not Call list.
Here are some statistics that show how the Do Not Call list has failed to stop robocalls:
- The number of robocalls has increased dramatically in recent years
According to data from YouMail, a company that provides robocall blocking and tracking services, there were 58.5 billion robocalls made in the United States in 2019. That’s an average of 178.3 robocalls per person. In 2020, the number of robocalls increased to 78 billion, despite the pandemic causing a decrease in call volumes.
- Most robocalls are illegal
The vast majority of robocalls made to consumers are illegal. According to the FCC, telemarketers are only allowed to make robocalls to consumers who have given them prior written consent. However, many telemarketers ignore this rule and continue to make illegal robocalls.
- Many robocalls are scams
In addition to being illegal, many robocalls are scams. Scammers use robocalls to try to trick consumers into giving them money or personal information. According to the FTC, consumers lost over $1.9 billion to fraud in 2019, with the most common method of payment being wire transfer. Robocalls were a major contributor to these losses.
- The Do Not Call list is ineffective against robocalls
The Do Not Call list was created to give consumers a way to opt-out of telemarketing calls, but it has not been able to stop robocalls. One reason for this is that many robocalls are made by scammers who ignore the list. Another reason is that the list only applies to telemarketing calls, not informational or political calls. This means that organizations like political campaigns, charities, and debt collectors are still allowed to make robocalls to consumers on the Do Not Call list.
- Robocalls are a major source of consumer complaints
Robocalls are consistently one of the top sources of consumer complaints to the FCC and the FTC. In 2020, the FCC received over 3.7 million complaints about robocalls, making it the most common consumer complaint. The FTC received over 2.1 million complaints about robocalls in the same year.
- Robocalls waste a lot of time and money
Robocalls are not just annoying, they also waste a lot of time and money. According to a report by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the total cost of robocalls to the US economy was estimated to be $3 billion in 2019. This includes the cost of consumers’ time and the cost of implementing robocall-blocking technologies.
In conclusion, while the Do Not Call registry has been effective in reducing the number of telemarketing calls, it has failed to stop the proliferation of robocalls. Robocalls are a major problem in the United States, and they are not only annoying but also a significant source of scams and fraud. The government and other organizations have taken steps to try to address the problem, but more needs to be done to protect consumers from the harmful effects of these calls. Join us today to help stop them and you might get rewarded in the process!