{"id":76419,"date":"2024-09-22T14:00:54","date_gmt":"2024-09-22T14:00:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/0cbcf61c5922e70c7983710bee3ed776"},"modified":"2024-09-22T14:00:54","modified_gmt":"2024-09-22T14:00:54","slug":"an-alarming-spike-in-scam-calls-originating-from-robocalls","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.timesamerica.net\/an-alarming-spike-in-scam-calls-originating-from-robocalls\/","title":{"rendered":"An alarming spike in scam calls originating from robocalls"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"article-gating gated-overlay show-gate\" readability=\"24.90543071161\">\n<div class=\"article-gating-wrapper\" readability=\"28.62265917603\">\n<p>Join Fox News for access to this content<\/p>\n<p>You have reached your maximum number of articles. Log in or create an account FREE of charge to continue reading.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-gating-legal tablet-desktop\" readability=\"21.43949044586\">By entering your email and pushing continue, you are agreeing to Fox News&#8217; <span class=\"waslinkname\">Terms of Use<\/span> and <span class=\"waslinkname\">Privacy Policy<\/span>, which includes our <span class=\"waslinkname\">Notice of Financial Incentive<\/span>. <\/div>\n<p><span>Please enter a valid email address.<\/span><\/p>\n<footer class=\"article-gating-footer\"><span class=\"waslinkname\">Having trouble? Click here.<\/span><\/footer>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"speakable\"><span class=\"waslinkname\">Robocalls are on the rise<\/span>, with Americans receiving just over 4.4 billion in April, according to a recent report.<\/p>\n<p class=\"speakable\">While not all these calls were harmful \u2014 some were linked to telemarketing campaigns, such as political campaigns, and others were public service or payment notifications \u2014 a huge portion were made by scammers, often promising to eliminate your taxes.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>I discuss the dangers of robocalls in detail and outline several ways to protect yourself.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"waslinkname\"><strong><u>GET SECURITY ALERTS, EXPERT TIPS \u2013 SIGN UP FOR KURT\u2019S NEWSLETTER \u2013 THE CYBERGUY REPORT HERE<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"image-ct inline\">\n<div class=\"m\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/343\/192\/1-An-alarming-spike-in-scam-calls-originating-from-robocalls-intro.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/686\/384\/1-An-alarming-spike-in-scam-calls-originating-from-robocalls-intro.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"192\" width=\"343\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/672\/378\/1-An-alarming-spike-in-scam-calls-originating-from-robocalls-intro.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/1344\/756\/1-An-alarming-spike-in-scam-calls-originating-from-robocalls-intro.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"378\" width=\"672\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/931\/523\/1-An-alarming-spike-in-scam-calls-originating-from-robocalls-intro.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/1862\/1046\/1-An-alarming-spike-in-scam-calls-originating-from-robocalls-intro.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"523\" width=\"931\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1280px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/720\/405\/1-An-alarming-spike-in-scam-calls-originating-from-robocalls-intro.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/1440\/810\/1-An-alarming-spike-in-scam-calls-originating-from-robocalls-intro.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"405\" width=\"720\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/wp.timesamerica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/an-alarming-spike-in-scam-calls-originating-from-robocalls.jpg\" alt=\"robocalls 1\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"><\/picture><\/div>\n<div class=\"info\" readability=\"6\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"7\">\n<p><span>A woman frustrated by robocalls&nbsp;<\/span> <span>(Kurt &#8220;CyberGuy&#8221; Knutsson)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2><strong>What you need to know<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>US consumers were hit with over 4.4 billion robocalls in April, up 3.4% from March, according to a&nbsp;<span class=\"waslinkname\"><u>report by the YouMail app<\/u><\/span>. On average, there were 146.9 million robocalls a day and 1,700 every second, an increase from March\u2019s 137.6 million a day and 1,592 a second.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Scam calls really shot up, jumping 73% from 345 million in March to over 710 million in April. This was especially noticeable because all other types of calls stayed flat or even dropped. With the surge in scam calls, unwanted calls hit 2.25 billion in April, making up more than half of all robocalls that month.<\/p>\n<p>Even with the increase, YouMail says we\u2019re now five months in a row with fewer than 150 million calls a day and six months straight with a year-over-year drop in robocalls. So, things were actually worse in 2023.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Robocall volume has been relatively steady now for almost six months despite some month-to-month fluctuations,&#8221; said YouMail CEO Alex Quilici.&nbsp;&#8220;This suggests that the efforts of regulators and industry are helping to bring calls down to a significantly lower level than they were even a year ago.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div class=\"image-ct inline\">\n<div class=\"m\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/343\/192\/2-An-alarming-spike-in-scam-calls-originating-from-robocalls-body.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/686\/384\/2-An-alarming-spike-in-scam-calls-originating-from-robocalls-body.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"192\" width=\"343\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/672\/378\/2-An-alarming-spike-in-scam-calls-originating-from-robocalls-body.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/1344\/756\/2-An-alarming-spike-in-scam-calls-originating-from-robocalls-body.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"378\" width=\"672\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/931\/523\/2-An-alarming-spike-in-scam-calls-originating-from-robocalls-body.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/1862\/1046\/2-An-alarming-spike-in-scam-calls-originating-from-robocalls-body.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"523\" width=\"931\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1280px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/720\/405\/2-An-alarming-spike-in-scam-calls-originating-from-robocalls-body.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/1440\/810\/2-An-alarming-spike-in-scam-calls-originating-from-robocalls-body.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"405\" width=\"720\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/wp.timesamerica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/an-alarming-spike-in-scam-calls-originating-from-robocalls-1.jpg\" alt=\"robocalls 2\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"><\/picture><\/div>\n<div class=\"info\" readability=\"6\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"7\">\n<p><span>Illustration of a scammer at work&nbsp;<\/span> <span>(Kurt &#8220;CyberGuy&#8221; Knutsson)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"waslinkname\"><strong><u>4.3 MILLION AMERICANS EXPOSED IN MASSIVE HEALTH SAVINGS ACCOUNT DATA BREACH<\/u><\/strong><\/span>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Most scam calls were tax-related<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The <span class=\"waslinkname\">most troublesome robocalls<\/span> in April were all about taxes. One campaign left pre-recorded messages claiming it could make your tax debts disappear like magic.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Hey there, I guess I missed you. It&#8217;s Angie over at US Tax Experts. So, I tried you last week as well, and this is a follow-up notification regarding the new zero tax program that&#8217;s open for you. It looks like you possibly have some past money that&#8217;s due, which we can squash with this new deal. So, basically, it becomes non-collectible, but you must select to enroll this month,&#8221; said one robocaller, before leaving a number to call back.<\/p>\n<p>Another scam claims that all past-due tax debt has been put into a non-collectible status through some &#8220;economic recovery program,&#8221; meaning you won\u2019t have to pay back any of your overdue taxes.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"waslinkname\"><strong>CLICK HERE FOR MORE U.S. NEWS<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>This robocall campaign is huge, with tens of millions of calls each month from thousands of different numbers. The scammers behind it are breaking telemarketing rules, and based on countless spam reports, they\u2019re targeting people who never asked for a call.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>To make matters worse, the calls are made to sound like personal voicemails instead of pre-recorded messages. When you call back the number they provide, they hit you with demands for upfront fees and personal info, only to deliver nothing in return. These scams prey on people with <span class=\"waslinkname\">tax debt<\/span>, offering false hope for a quick fix.<\/p>\n<div class=\"image-ct inline\">\n<div class=\"m\"><picture><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/343\/192\/3-An-alarming-spike-in-scam-calls-originating-from-robocalls-outro.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/686\/384\/3-An-alarming-spike-in-scam-calls-originating-from-robocalls-outro.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"192\" width=\"343\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/672\/378\/3-An-alarming-spike-in-scam-calls-originating-from-robocalls-outro.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/1344\/756\/3-An-alarming-spike-in-scam-calls-originating-from-robocalls-outro.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"378\" width=\"672\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/931\/523\/3-An-alarming-spike-in-scam-calls-originating-from-robocalls-outro.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/1862\/1046\/3-An-alarming-spike-in-scam-calls-originating-from-robocalls-outro.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"523\" width=\"931\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1280px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/720\/405\/3-An-alarming-spike-in-scam-calls-originating-from-robocalls-outro.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1, https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/1440\/810\/3-An-alarming-spike-in-scam-calls-originating-from-robocalls-outro.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1 2x\" height=\"405\" width=\"720\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/wp.timesamerica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/an-alarming-spike-in-scam-calls-originating-from-robocalls-2.jpg\" alt=\"robo calls 3\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"><\/picture><\/div>\n<div class=\"info\" readability=\"6\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"7\">\n<p><span>Illustration of a scammer at work&nbsp;<\/span> <span>(Kurt &#8220;CyberGuy&#8221; Knutsson)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"waslinkname\"><strong><u>NEARLY 1 MILLION MEDICARE BENEFICIARIES FACE DATA BREACH<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>4 ways to protect yourself from robocall scams<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Below are some tips to reduce your chances of falling victim to robocall scams.<\/p>\n<p><strong>1. Invest in data removal service:<\/strong> Scammers get a hold of your contact number and other details because it\u2019s readily available on the internet. While no service promises to remove all your data from the internet, having a removal service is great if you want to constantly monitor and automate the process of removing your information from hundreds of sites continuously over a longer period of time.&nbsp;<span class=\"waslinkname\"><u>Check out my top picks for data removal services here.&nbsp;<\/u><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"waslinkname\"><strong><u>GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>2. Be cautious with unknown calls:&nbsp;<\/strong>If you don\u2019t recognize the caller, let it go to voicemail. Scammers often use spoofed numbers to make it seem like the call is local. Use<span class=\"waslinkname\"><u> call-blocking apps<\/u><\/span> to block suspicious numbers and reduce the number of robocalls you receive.<\/p>\n<p><strong>3. Never share personal info<\/strong>: If you accidentally answer a scam call, never give out personal or financial details. Legit companies won\u2019t ask for that information over the phone.<\/p>\n<p><strong>4. Report the call<\/strong>: Report any robocalls to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) or your country\u2019s equivalent authority. The more reports they get, the better they can target these scams.<\/p>\n<p><strong>5. Add your number to the National Do Not Call Registry:<\/strong> This is a free service that prevents telemarketers from calling you. Once you register your phone number, telemarketers must stop calling you within 31 days. There are several ways to do this. You can call the Registry at 1-888-382-1222 from the phone number you wish to include in the &#8220;do not call&#8221; list. Alternatively, visit&nbsp;<span class=\"waslinkname\"><u>donotcall.gov<\/u><\/span> and click the &#8220;Register Your Phone&#8221; button. Enter the phone number you want to register.<\/p>\n<p>You can register up to three phone numbers at a time. Be sure to provide your email to acknowledge the confirmation and begin eliminating robocalls. Remember that the Do Not Call Registry does not stop all unwanted calls, such as those from political organizations, charities and debt collectors.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"waslinkname\"><strong><u>WORLD\u2019S LARGEST STOLEN PASSWORD DATABASE UPLOADED TO CRIMINAL FORUM<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Kurt\u2019s key takeaways<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>With the rise in robocall scams, especially around tax debt, it\u2019s crucial to stay alert. If you get a suspicious call, don\u2019t share any personal or financial information. Use call-blocking apps and report unwanted calls to the FTC or other relevant authorities. These steps can help you avoid falling victim to these scams. Despite the surge in April, overall robocall volumes are still lower than last year. While scammers are evolving, ongoing efforts by regulators and telecom companies are starting to pay off.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"waslinkname\"><strong>CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Have you ever received a scam call about tax debt? What tipped you off that it was a scam? Let us know by writing us at<strong>&nbsp;<\/strong><span class=\"waslinkname\"><strong><u>Cyberguy.com\/Contact<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>For more of my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to&nbsp;<span class=\"waslinkname\"><strong><u>Cyberguy.com\/Newsletter<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"waslinkname\"><u>Ask Kurt a question or let us know what stories you&#8217;d like us to cover<\/u><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Follow Kurt on his social channels<\/p>\n<p>Answers to the most asked CyberGuy questions:<\/p>\n<p>New from Kurt:<\/p>\n<p>Copyright 2024 CyberGuy.com.&nbsp; All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Join Fox News for access to this content You have reached your maximum number of articles. Log in or create an account FREE of charge to continue reading. 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