Robotexts reached 12.8 billion while robocalls soared to 4.8 billion in October, a combined 6% month-over-month increase, according to Robokiller Insights. The simultaneous spike can be attributed to scammers shifting their tactics — they’re inundating Americans with well-timed scams surrounding current events like holiday shopping and student loan repayments.
Delivery robotexts skyrocket as holiday shopping begins
With holiday shopping underway, scammers flooded consumers with robotexts related to delivery scams. These SMS ploys, intended to trick people into giving away their sensitive information, increased by 16% from September. Robokiller cautions Americans to keep an eye out for messages that look like they’re coming from well-known shipping companies, as they could contain fake shipping links or prompts to update shipping preferences.
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Robocalls increase as government efforts tighten
Even though robocalls overall increased in October, the federal government is confronting the problem head-on, specifically the growing concern that scammers will use AI to defraud consumers of their hard-earned money. Generative AI allows scammers to create deep fakes or even clone the voices of their loved ones to gain their targets’ personal information. The government hopes to combat robocalls that use AI with AI itself, but like other regulations, this will take time to implement. Therefore, it’s paramount that consumers stay vigilant when receiving unknown calls or text messages that may look suspicious.
“The government’s efforts to combat robocalls are ongoing but we’ve already witnessed tremendous success in shutting down well-known scams like the infamous car warranty call. The problem is, scammers are smart and shift tactics quickly,” said Giulia Porter, Vice President at Robokiller. “The usual seasonal trends like delivery-related scams caused an increase in October, but the bigger, emerging threat consumers need to be aware of is AI. Generative AI affords scammers the ability to mask their true identities and appear more trustworthy even as they steal money and personal information from you. We suggest consumers install a mobile security app like Robokiller to protect themselves from falling victim.”
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Mobile security protection can be an end-to-end solution
Robokiller is dedicated to protecting consumers from emerging phone scams by adding new features to its mobile security suite. Its recent addition of personal data protection gives consumers greater control over their online presence by empowering them to remove their personal data from data broker websites that scammers scour for targets. Visit the Robokiller website to learn more.
How to stop phone scams
At Robokiller, it’s our mission to create a world without spam. In addition to downloading the Robokiller app, follow these tips to protect yourself against spam texts and spam calls.