2024 was a big year for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and its efforts to prevent unwanted robocalls and robotexts. 2024 actually saw a decrease in the overall number of robocalls in the U.S. from January through August. During that time, there were 38.8 billion robocalls to U.S. citizens, down 8% from 2023.[*] The number of consumer complaints of robocalls in 2024 also went down by about 33,000 compared to 2023.
In September, robocalls increased due to the 2024 election with Arizona, Michigan, and Pennsylvania ranking the highest for political spam.[*]
While the advent of AI unlocked tremendous productivity for the business world, it also assisted nefarious spam callers. These bad actors often used AI technology in 2024 to spoof calls and texts, adopting a fake identity and even cloning a fake voice, to sound convincing.
In early 2024, an AI-generated deep fake audio message of Joe Biden's voice was used to discourage New Hampshire voters from voting in the primaries. This sparked the FCC to pass a new regulation making AI-generated voices in robocalls illegal.
Let’s examine the current landscape of robocalls and robotexts as we head into 2025:
Progress with Tier 1 Carriers
In its 2024 Robocall Investigation Report, Transaction Network Services (TNS) announced that STIR/SHAKEN efforts have been successful to an extent. The top seven carriers have adopted STIR/SHEKEN fully, but the majority of VSPs still lag behind in call signing due to budget, resource, and SIP interconnectivity issues.[*]
As we move forward into 2025, TNS, the FCC, and the FTC will seek to provide smaller network providers with more adequate resources to enact STIR/SHAKEN methodology to increase the percentage of identified calls.
FTC Increasing Efforts Against Spam Calls
In 2024, the FCC issued several "cease and desist" warnings against voice service providers in an effort to mitigate illegal spam calls and texts.
The illegal robocall campaigns were for a marketing lending services scam, a scam that targeted student loan holders and a "National Tax Relief Program" scam. The FCC began issuing these warnings in 2021 and they have proved to be effective in ending a robocall campaign.
AI: A Double-Edged Sword
In 2024, AI made its presence known in the world of VoIP telephony and call center software. Many companies began using AI to automate conversations with customers, both over the phone and via SMS. However, mischievous actors also began using artificial intelligence to automate and spoof calls or texts.
Some fraudulent actors used AI to clone familiar voices in attempts to manipulate innocent call recipients into providing sensitive information.
To combat these efforts, the FCC has now made AI-generated robocalls illegal. Further, advancements in AI technology, such as those in TNS’ AI Labs initiative, offer tools like predictive analytics and voice biometrics that can help detect and prevent robocalls and spam texts.
Expect AI to play a role on both sides of spam calls in 2024, posing a threat in nefarious hands but offering a solution in the right ones.
What to Do If Scammed by a RoboCall
Paired with various government-sponsored mitigation efforts: several apps and other tools attempt to warn those most susceptible to falling victim to scam calls and texts.
According to TrueCaller–an app that helps its users reduce their risk of scams–as many as 68 million Americans, or 26%, report having lost money from phone scams. And as many as 1 in 3 Americans, or 33%, report falling victim to phone scams–while 20% report falling victim more than once.
TrueCaller in its report, noted after being scammed, folks did take measures to ensure it did not happen again. Most people downloaded a spam blocker/caller ID app, while others canceled credit card(s), charged, checked phone bills, and contacted mobile carriers.
There is plenty more one can do: such as reporting that number to the Federal Trade Commission FTC (and) placing yourself on the "do not call" list. These measures, while simple, may help to reduce your risk of being contacted again.
While they do not 100% reduce that risk, the chances are far slimmer of being contacted by the same bad actor after doing so. Most importantly, don't give scammers the satisfaction–ensure you hang up or don't even answer these kinds of calls, something that becomes simpler with the aid of some of the apps listed below.
Finally, other apps, similar to TureCaller can do wonders; and can alarm you of the probability of a scam. Whosecall, Hiya, Call Control, Eyecon, Drupe, and Should I Answer: all attempt to pull off this feat; and are mostly free. For more advanced features in the apps you likely need a subscription–but for simple spam identification, well, those are primarily free capabilities.
With scammers becoming more creative: it's best to stop it before it becomes a possibility (of being) scammed. So downloading such an app can do wonders, especially if you have elderly parents or (if you have) family members who merely feel more susceptible to getting scammed; become solid tools in a toolbox designed for combating robocalls.
