Election fuels 4.9 billion robocalls in October

[CRAIG NIGRELLI]

DID YOU RECEIVE MORE ROBOCALLS LAST MONTH THAN YOU HAVE IN A WHILE? YOU WEREN’T IMAGINING THINGS.

“Hi, this is Jennifer. I’m an underwriter with our approval department. I’m just calling to let you know it appears you’ve been prequalified for a personal loan of up to $72,000 with payments starting as low as $530 a month.”

AMERICANS SAW A BIG INCREASE IN ROBOCALLS JUST LIKE THAT ONE – RECEIVING NEARLY 4 POINT 9 BILLION OF THEM — AND YOU CAN THANK THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION FOR THAT.

ACCORDING TO DATA RELEASED FRIDAY BY YOUMAIL, OCTOBER WAS THE HIGHEST MONTH IN VOLUME FOR ROBOCALLS SINCE AUGUST 20-23.

OCTOBER’S NEARLY 5-BILLION ROBOCALLS WAS A 9 POINT 5 PERCENT INCREASE FROM SEPTEMBER.

OCTOBER AVERAGED 158 POINT 4 MILLION ROBOCALLS PER DAY.

YOUMAIL SAYING MOST OF THE INCREASE WAS ELECTION-DRIVEN.

THE COMPANY BREAKING DOWN THE TYPES OF ROBOCALLS. TELEMARKETING CALLS RISING OVER 21 PERCENT FROM SEPTEMBER – FUELED BY THE ELECTION – AND SCAMS JUMPING AROUND 18 PERCENT – BOTH TYPES MAKING UP ALMOST HALF OF ALL OCTOBER’S ROBOCALLS.

THE FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION SAYS ROBOCALLS ARE ILLEGAL – WHEN THEY ARE SALES MESSAGES FROM COMPANIES THAT DID NOT GET WRITTEN PERMISSION TO CALL.

THE AGENCY IS OFFERING STEPS ON HOW TO HANDLE THESE UNWANTED ROBOCALLS –-

THE FTC TELLS CONSUMERS TO HANG UP, DON’T TRUST CALLER ID, GET A BLOCK APP AND REPORT IT TO THE FTC.

YOUMAIL SAYS IT DETERMINED ITS FIGURES BY REVIEWING ROBOCALL TRAFFIC ATTEMPTS TO GET THROUGH TO ITS MILLIONS OF USERS ON THEIR ROBOCALL BLOCKING APP.

YOUMAIL’S CEO SAYING IN A STATEMENT THAT WHILE THERE HAS BEEN A BIG JUMP OVER THE PAST THREE MONTHS IN ROBOCALLS – THE TOTAL NUMBER THIS YEAR SO FAR IS DOWN 3 PERCENT FROM THE SAME TIME PERIOD IN 20-23.

AND WITH ELECTION SEASON WINDING DOWN – AMERICANS SHOULD EXPECT THE NUMBER OF ROBOCALLS TO DROP CONSIDERABLY OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.

FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS, I’M CRAIG NIGRELLI.

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