If you’re feeling overwhelmed by robocalls and spam calls/texts, you’re not alone. And if you feel like there’s been an uptick in the volume of such disturbances, it isn’t all in your head.
Recent data from the FCC indicates that US consumers collectively receive around 4 billion robocalls per month.
The state receiving the most robocalls of all, though? That would be Louisiana. According to WhistleOut, residents of Louisiana get about 339 robocalls per person annually (with the state as a whole receiving 1,557,681,800 such calls).
Rockie Brockway, Director of Advisory Innovations with TrustedSec, says it’s becoming harder to tell what is or isn’t a robocall … but has some advice for sorting it out.
“With the rate that AI is being developed and with the sophistication with which it’s being developed, it’s getting harder and harder to tell when you’re actually talking to a person,” Brockway explains. “I like to have a list of my own financial institutions’ phone numbers next to me, or at least handy to access. That way, if you receive one of these AI calls trying to get you to divulge information, you can ask for their extension to call them back at the support line for the financial institution you recognize and know.”
As artificial intelligence gets more sophisticated, it also adds a new wrinkle into the mix. According to data from WhistleOut, nearly half of Americans doubt they could identify an AI-generated robocall, which only complicates matters going forward.
Brockway recommends not answering calls from numbers you don’t have saved into your contacts and only calling back the verified numbers of institutions you have dealt with before. Answering the calls only allows these bad actors to know your number is still active. Your other alternatives include adding your number to the “Do Not Call Registry” provided by the FCC and downloading the YouMail app, which features screening features to stop spam texts and calls. The app also removes your information from known spam lists and can even contact authorities if needed.
Brockway says the tried and true “do not call” registry, while not 100% effective, is still a helpful tool for curbing many of these calls. The registry is at www.donotcall.gov and allows you to input your phone number. While it may not make you bulletproof from robocalls, it will certainly lower the volume of calls you receive, according to Brockway.