ROBOCALL
RADAR
MARCH 2017 REPORT
SUMMARY
Unsolicited robocalls are the #1 source of consumer complaints
to the Federal Communications Commission and Federal Trade
Commission. The FTC received 5.3 million robocall complaints in
2016 alone - a 30% increase since 2015. This incessant problem is
only getting worse due to a lucrative profit motive for scammers.
Every month, Hiya provides reputation information based on realtime analysis that identifies spammers in minutes. Hiya analyzes
more than 3.5 billion calls globally and references a database of
over 1.5 billion numbers to identify incoming and outgoing calls.
With this information, users can elect to block unwanted
robocalls from ringing through to their mobile device.
In this monthly report, we'll look at some of the data and trends
from March 2017, including: the number of spam calls identified
within the month, the top phone scams in the United States and
a look at spam across the globe. While robocalls constitute a
large share of all unwanted calls, in this report, the term
"robocall" should be interpreted as all unwanted calls.
PART ONE:
SPAM BY THE
NUMBERS
[MARCH 2017]
1.7 billion Robocalls
*
made to mobile
phones 3.5 billion
Total # of Calls & Texts Analyzed by Hiya
Globally
181 million
Total # of Spam Calls Detected by Hiya 15
Average # of Unwanted Calls Received per Person
4 Robocall Radar
*Robocall Radar is calculated by extrapolating the total
number of unwanted robocalls detected among Hiya's user
base as compared to the entire US mobile subscriber base.
PART TWO:
TOP PHONE SCAMS
IN THE U.S.
[TOP SCAMS IN THE US]
Most Common Types Of Robocalls
Can You
Hear Me
Scam
+1700%*
Jan-Mar
Featured Scam: Can You Hear Me?
Using Verizon’s well-known phrase, “Can you hear me now?”,
scammers are recording victims who say “yes.” The recording is
then used to authorize charges such as phone and utility
services, products, or pre-approved credit cards.
All it Takes is One Little "Yes"
How can a recording of “yes” give a scammer access to make
purchases on your behalf? Scammers may already have your
information – phone bills, credit card numbers – before they
make the first call. When you catch the unauthorized charges,
your “yes” can be used against you, countering your dispute, as
"you" provided a verbal approval for the charges.
*While this appears to be a huge increase in calls, media coverage caused a
significant increase in calls reported
6 Robocall Radar
[TOP AREA CODES UTILIZED BY SPAMMERS]
1. 202 (Washington, D.C.)
2. 614 (Columbus, OH)
3. 469 (Fort Worth, TX)
4. 312 (Chicago, IL)
5. 817 (Forth Worth, TX)
6. 832 (Houston, TX)
7. 210 (San Antonio, TX)
8. 281 (Houston, TX)
9. 909 (San Bernadino, CA)
10. 214 (Dallas, TX)
7 Robocall Radar
Area Code of the Month: 202 (Washington, D.C.)
As the IRS headquarters is located
in Washington D.C., many
scammers utilize numbers from this area
code to pose as agents from the IRS during
tax season and all year round. Robocall Number of the Month
Phone number:
614-212-7531
Outbound calls: 354,9697 Inbound calls: 26,295 Who is it: Comenity Bank Spam Category: Debt Collector Total days spamming: 255 8 Robocall Radar
PART THREE:
A GLOBAL LOOK
AT PHONE SPAM
[UNWANTED CALL RATES PER COUNTRY]
1. United States 23.95%
2. Brazil 19.73%
3. Hong Kong 17.91%
4. Mexico 14.49%
5. Spain 12.04%
10 Robocall Radar
6. Great Britain 10.18%
7. Italy 9.72%
8. Sweden 7.20%
9. Norway 5.55%
10. Germany 5.52%
Top Scams of the Countries with the
Biggest Mobile Spam Problem
1. United States - Internal Revenue Service
(IRS)
The caller pretends to be with the IRS and
demands money for unpaid taxes or will trick
the recipient into sharing private information.
2. Brazil - Extortion/Kidnapping
These scammers tend to be prison inmates
who call random phone numbers and demand
payment for the return of a "kidnapped" family
member or friend. 3. Hong Kong - Immigration and Customs
Scammers are posing as immigration officers
to trick new Hong Kong residents from the
mainland. Victims are accused of being
involved in the manufacture and sales of fake
passports. 4. Mexico - Extortion/Kidnapping
These scammers tend to be prison inmates
who call random phone numbers and demand
payment for the return of a "kidnapped" family
member or friend. 5. Spain - Bank Account
Callers pretend to be an official representative
of the bank and request sensitive information
or items which allow them access to the
victim's bank account.
11 Robocall Radar
6. Great Britain - Accident Claim
Scammers pretend to be from an insurance
company, claiming they received
information from the Motor Insurance
database to instruct the victim about their
accident claim. 7. Italy - Solar Energy
Fake agents pretend to be from a company
representing a utility service and ask for
account information to conduct a price
comparison. Ultimately, scammers enroll the
victim in a service they are representing.
8. Sweden - False Advertisements
Those looking for a place to rent are
becoming victims of false advertisements for
legitimate apartments. Scammers earn
money by requesting a deposit before the
victim can see the non-existent rental. 9. Norway - Business Directory Scam
Scammers target businesses, churches and
non-profit groups requesting information to
"confirm" their existing phone book listing.
Victims are sent fake invoices that threaten
legal action if the bills are not paid
immediately.
10. Germany - Senior Citizen Scam
Posing as police officers, scammers claim to
be protecting retirees from scammers and
request personal and financial information
for their protection.
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