Consumer Rights Protection Organization (PIRG) has released a new report showing that Americans receive tens of millions of scam and telemarketing calls and texts every day, reaching the highest level in years. These calls and texts are typically aimed at deceiving individuals for personal information or money, with artificial intelligence making scamming methods easier and more complex.
According to a report by CBS News, despite preventive measures being taken, these calls and texts are still on the rise nationwide. From January to September, Americans received an average of 2.56 billion robocalls per month across the country. Analysis of data from YouMail, one of the largest robocall blocking companies, by PIRG revealed that this number is higher than the monthly 2.14 billion in 2024, reaching the highest level in six years.
At the same time, the number of automated text messages received by Americans has also surged since 2021, as a crackdown on robocalls by the government led more telemarketers and scammers to turn to texts. PIRG’s data shows that the annual number of automated text messages received in 2024 was approximately 19 billion, nearly three times the around 7 billion texts in 2021.
These predatory texts are a daily nuisance for many people. According to data from the Pew Research Center, about one-third of Americans report receiving at least one scam call daily, and one-fifth receive a scam text every day.
Robocall scams come in various forms, as detailed in PIRG’s report. Teresa Murray, Director of PIRG’s Consumer Watchdog division, noted that these scams typically originate from criminal syndicates or specialized fraudulent operations with the aim of obtaining personal information, financial details, or actual payments from victims.
Murray stated in an email, “These calls and texts are low-cost and high-yield. As long as some people fall victim, scammers will continue trying.”
Some common scam scenarios include:
During tax season, fraudsters impersonate IRS officials or tax companies. Many imposters pose as banks and credit card companies to steal account information. Another common trap involves calls and texts that play on individuals’ concerns about unpaid loan balances or offer dubious debt relief opportunities.
Parcel delivery scams have become increasingly prevalent, with scammers posing as USPS, FedEx, and UPS, sending messages about issues with package deliveries. The texts contain a fake link, enticing victims to pay to ensure receipt of a bogus package.
While some emerge unscathed from scams, many are not so fortunate. Pew Research Center reported that about a quarter of Americans have given personal information to scammers after receiving scam calls, texts, or emails.
With the advancement of artificial intelligence, scamming methods have become more sophisticated and easier to execute. PIRG suggests that AI enables robots to send fraudulent texts to thousands of individuals simultaneously.
Murray lamented, “Bad actors always seem a few steps ahead of regulators and phone companies.”
Scammers utilize AI voice cloning tools to deceive individuals into believing they are conversing with friends, family, or government officials.
According to data from the Federal Trade Commission, losses from phone scams increased by 16% from the first half of 2024 to the first half of 2025. PIRG found that in just the first half of 2025, victims lost an average of $3,690 due to robocall scams and $1,452 due to text scams.
In 2019, the TRACED (Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence) Act was passed by Congress, directing the FCC to require phone companies to implement stricter technologies to monitor robocalls, including caller ID authentication. To track compliance, the FCC initiated a Robocall Mitigation Database, where companies should detail their efforts to combat illegal robocalls online.
However, the effectiveness of these efforts has been limited. PIRG found that as of September 28, only 44% of phone companies had installed the required software and adopted anti-robocall policies, lower than the 47% in 2024.
The author of the PIRG report wrote, “Considering it has been over fifteen years since the first federal laws were enacted to combat spam robocalls, one might expect more progress by now, but we still find ourselves unsure whether to trust caller ID and worry about missing important calls if we don’t answer.”