U.S. Phones Hit by 2.61 Billion Robocalls in September, Up 214% from Last Year
YouMail Robocall Index™ Expands to Track Robocall Behavior by Area Code
YouMail, Inc.
Oct 19, 2016, 09:00 ET
IRVINE, Calif., Oct. 19, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. phones were blasted by 2.61 billion robocalls in September, more than doubling the total number of estimated monthly robocalls received nationwide from one year before in September 2015.
The total number of robocalls received in September 2016 equaled roughly 87 million calls per day, or 1,008 robocalls for every second of the month on average. These figures come from the latest YouMail Robocall Index™ report released today by YouMail, Inc., the leading provider of intelligent telecom services for consumers and small businesses.
YouMail is helping lead the fight against this growing national dilemma by:
Measuring the problem. YouMail has now extended its Robocall Index to provide additional details about robocalls in each area code, so anyone can now determine the scope of the problem in their home area codes.
Providing solutions for consumers and businesses. YouMail provides iPhone and Android apps that help users stop robocallers from calling their mobile phones by playing them an "out of service" message. YouMail also provides a reverse phone lookup service where anyone can research, identify, and comment on suspicious numbers.
Helping others provide services that block incoming robocalls. YouMail has recently announced an application program interface (API) that any telecom service provider or third-party developer can use to determine whether a number is problematic.
Having answered billions of calls for its users, YouMail uses algorithms to detect any automatically dialed calls and then aggregates that call data into the Robocall Index.
"We are committed to understanding the size of the nation's robocall problem, helping consumers and businesses stop annoying robocalls, and helping telecom service providers protect their subscribers," said Alex Quilici, CEO of YouMail. "The more consumers and service providers take advantage of the tools we provide, the faster we'll start making a real dent in the nation's robocall problem."
YouMail's latest robocall index is being published ahead of an upcoming public meeting of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Robocall Strike Force, which is set for Wed., Oct. 26 at the FCC Meeting Room in Washington, D.C. This industry-led group was convened to develop comprehensive solutions to prevent, detect and filter unwanted robocalls, the leading source of consumer complaints to the FCC.
Inbound Robocalling "Lowlights" from September
Columbus, Ohio, notched the biggest increase during the month with 25 million robocalls received in September, a 20% gain over August which catapulted Columbus from #31 to #22 on the Top 50 Most Robocalled Cities list. This increase may be due to political polling and campaign robocalls placed to the capitol city of Ohio, a fiercely contested election battleground state.
Atlanta continued its streak atop the YouMail 50 Most Robocalled Cities in America list for the tenth straight month, with 115.7 million robocalls received in September, a 3% increase over the previous month. The Top 10 Cities leading the list for September were the same cities that led the list in August, including New York (#2), Dallas (#3), Chicago (#4), Houston (#5), Los Angeles (#6), Baltimore (#7), Newark, NJ (#8), Philadelphia (#9), and Detroit (#10).
Southern states remained an ongoing hotbed for robocall activity, with 19 Southern cities reaching the Top 50 list, and with 14 of the Top 20 Most Robocalled Area Codes based in the South. Texas was the nation's most robocalled state in the country for the fourth straight month, with 295.6 million calls received in September.
Outbound Robocalling "Lowlights" from September
One national credit card company continued its reign as holder of the single most active robocalling phone number for the 13th straight month, with an estimated 20.9 million calls placed in September alone. In addition, one retail debt collector owns four of the Top 20 numbers that placed the most robocalls in the month of September.
California continued its dubious honor as the country's leading state for making robocalls, with 208.1 million calls placed in September. In addition, Los Angeles retained its top spot as the city producing the most robocalls, with 68.3 million calls placed in September, up by more than 600,000 calls from August.
Columbus, Ohio, surpassed New York City as the second most prolific robocalling city with 67.8 million calls made in September, an increase of 7.7 million calls over August. Other prolific robocalling cities in September included New York (#3), Atlanta (#4), Chicago (#5), Dallas (#6), Houston (#7), Phoenix (#8), Kansas City (#9), and Washington, D.C. (#10).
For more information about the YouMail Robocall Index or to view the latest report, please visit: http://robocallindex.com. To join the YouMail Robocall Index mailing list, please write to: [email protected].
About YouMail, Inc.
YouMail, Inc. is the leading provider of intelligent, cloud-based telecommunication services. The company's flagship service provides an intelligent call manager that replaces the subscriber's voicemail on iPhone, Android, and Windows phones. This service stops robocalls, provides free conference calls, and includes an automated virtual receptionist for handling other calls. Headquartered in Irvine, Calif., YouMail, Inc. was founded in 2007 and is privately funded.
Janette Ciborowski for YouMail
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