Relief from robocalls is coming, but spam texts are on the rise

Fewer unwanted robocalls are bothering Arizonans after the federal government recently required phone companies to add anti-spam technology to their systems.

Ninety percent of major phone providers have implemented some form of robocall filtering as of this month, according to a new report and updated figures from Arizona PIRG Education Fund, a consumer protection organization.

The effect: Robocalls in Arizona dropped to 84 million in September from their peak of 109 million in October 2019, a 22% decline, according to YouMail, a company that fights spam calls.

The efforts are a step in the right direction, but more needs to be done to prevent the “nasty invasions,” according to the Arizona PIRG Education Fund report.

About three-quarters of phone providers aren’t using the highest federal standard of robocall filtering, the consumer group said, and other methods of protecting consumers still need to be adopted.

The rise of spam texts is a looming problem as well.

Spam calls take a financial toll

“In addition to being annoying, illegal robocalls cost Americans $3 billion annually in wasted time and another $10 billion annually in fraud,” Arizona PIRG Education Fund consumer atchdog Teresa Murray said. “The industry isn’t doing nearly as much as hoped to fight the crime that for years has caused so much heartache and aggravation among consumers nationwide.”

Scam calls have taken a steep toll on some victims’ wallets.

In one case, two Arizona residents, allegedly using fake phone numbers, pretended to be law enforcement officers and threatened to arrest people to fraudulently collect at least $1.6 million, the Arizona Attorney General’s Office said.

New technologies block ‘spoof’ calls

The Federal Communications Commission ordered phone companies to install some sort of call verification technology by June 30 to block calls from spammers who “spoof,” or display fake local phone numbers on caller ID to trick people into picking up the phone.

In addition, the government required phone companies to block calls after Sept. 28 from any phone provider that failed to report its anti-spam efforts.

Arizona PIRG Education Fund found only 28% of phone providers had fully implemented the highest-standard caller ID protocols after the deadlines. Roughly 72% were partially using the federal technology or were depending on their own robocall filtering methods, according to the group.

If companies do not effectively block illegal robocalls, the FCC has said it will take enforcement action.

“The FCC must follow through with its promise to monitor how effectively all providers are reducing and blocking robocalls,” Murray said.

More anti-spam tools needed, report says

Other anti-robocall features should be offered to consumers by more companies, the study said. Of the 20 largest phone providers:

● Only 13 — including AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile — block known scam calls by default.

● Eight — including AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile — provide on-screen warnings that a call may be a scam, including AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile.

● Eight — including AT&T — allow customers to block all calls with no caller ID. Verizon and T-Mobile do not offer the service.

● Four — including AT&T and T-Mobile — show on-screen check marks next to every caller’s name or other verifications that a call is coming from the number that’s actually on the caller ID. Verizon offers the service sometimes.

“Phone companies should offer customers an array of free services to provide more protection,” the report said.

What’s next? Text scams are on the rise

Spam texting is the next frontier, the Arizona PIRG Education Fund report said.

Nearly 8 billion unwanted texts were sent to Americans in September, up from 3 billion a year ago, according to spam-blocker app company RoboKiller.

The FCC so far has not required phone companies to implement technologies to block spam texts, but industry groups are talking about it, according to the report.

“Phone providers and the FCC need to address the growing problem of robotexts,” the Arizona PIRG Education Fund said.

How to protect yourself from unwanted robocalls

● Register your phone number with the federal “Do Not Call” list. Go to www.donotcall.gov/register.html or call 1-888-382-1222 (TTY: 1-866-2904236) from the phone you want to register.

● Ask your phone company what services are available to protect you. If your phone company doesn’t provide the protections you want, look for a different provider.

● Hang up and call the AARP Scam helpline if you are unsure if something is a scam. The service is available from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. ET Monday to Friday at 877-908-3360.

● Report unwanted calls and texts to the Federal Communications Commission at https://consumercomplaints.fcc.gov.

● Report unwanted calls and texts to the Arizona Attorney General’s Office at www.azag.gov/complaints/consumer.