Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Our spring member drive has ended, but it's not too late to give. You have the power to help fund the essential journalism that keeps us all informed. Help us close the gap on our spring fundraising goal! GIVE NOW

New Report Shows Phone Scams Are At An All-Time High

NPR

The report from Truecaller, a spam-blocking app, shows that Americans felt victim to more phone scams this year costing them $10.5 billion, up from $8.9 billion the year before. One in six Americans reported losing money with an average loss of $244 per person. 

Men are more susceptible to the phone scams than women, young men in particular, with 62% of the victims being male.

There’s been an increase in persistent spam calls where the spammer will call two, three, or four times in a row. Americans reported seeing on average 32 calls and 11 text in a month – a 39% increase from the year before.

The most common phone scams usually have something to do with getting a great credit deal, having won something or that there’s a problem with their account.

The report also mentions that 92% of those who lost money reported taking some action, which may include downloading a spam blocker, cancelling a credit card or changing account numbers.

More of the report can befound here