In the News

3.9 Billion Robocalls in December Mark Roughly 2% Monthly Decrease

Jan 6, 2021 PRNewswire

IRVINECalif., Jan. 6, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Americans received just under 3.9 billion robocalls in December, a decrease of approximately 2% over November. In December, robocalls averaged 124.8 million calls/day, or roughly 1,445 calls/second, down 2% from 127.0 million calls/day and 1,470 calls/second in November. There were just over 45.9 billion robocalls for the full year, down 21% from the almost 58.5 billion robocalls last year, and even 4% below 2018’s total of 47.8 billion robocalls.

These latest monthly figures come from YouMail, a totally free robocall blocking app and call protection service for mobile phones.

“Robocall volumes have reduced dramatically this year, with 8 out of the 12 months below 4 billion robocalls,” said YouMail CEO Alex Quilici. “While it’s taken a pandemic to reduce volumes materially, at least the public is dealing with substantially fewer robocalls this year than last.”

December Saw Another Decline in Scam Calls

In December, scam and telemarketing calls combined accounted for roughly 60% of the month’s total robocall volume. The good news is that scam calls were down another 5% in December, after a 15% decline in November.

Type ofRobocallEstimated DecemberRobocallsPercentage December
Robocalls
Scams1.7 billion (-5%).44% (-3%)
Alerts and Reminders1.0 billion (+3%)26% (+1%)
Payment Reminders.58 billion (+8%)15% (+1%)
Telemarketing.56 billion (+12%)15% (+1%)

Top Illegal Robocalls in December 2020

December had only two scam categories with over 100 million robocalls for the month: Car Warranty Scams and Health-Related Scams, with a big increase in Warranty Scams during December. Government Imposter Scams decreased in volume significantly, falling to less than 70 million scam calls in December.

RankType of ScamEstimated December RobocallsSummary of Scam
1Warranty Scams265 millionScam payments/illegal solicitations
2Health-Related Scams212 millionIdentify theft/scam payments/illegal solicitations

“Winners” in December 2020

The cities, area codes and states with the highest volumes of robocalls in December were similar to what we’ve seen over the past few months. Interestingly, even with the slowdown in robocalls, there were still four states with over 21 robocalls/person in the month: South Carolina (22.2), Alabama (21.1), Louisiana (21.7), and Georgia (21.4).

City with the Most Robocalls:Atlanta, GA (167.1 million, +8%)
City with the Most Robocalls/Person:Macon, GA (33.5/person, +11%)
Area Code with the Most Robocalls:404 in Atlanta, GA (70.8 million, +8%)
Area Code with the Most Robocalls/Person:404 in Atlanta, GA (57.9/person, +8%)
State with the Most Robocalls:Texas (454.6 million, +1%)
State with the Most Robocalls/Person:South Carolina (22.2, +0%)