The STIR/SHAKEN call authentication framework is helping to reduce the overall volume of unwanted spam and scam robocalls, according to Transaction Network Services’ newly released annual report on robocall trends.
Between STIR/SHAKEN being more widely implemented and regulatory enforcement actions in 2022, unwanted robocalls were down 11% year-over-year, TNS said in its 10th annual report. Almost 75% of calls from Tier 1 operators were authenticated/signed.
However, robocalling bad actors ramped up their targeting of Voice Over IP providers to launch campaigns. TNS said that 73% of all unwanted traffic in 2022 originated from VoIP numbers, up from 61% in 2021.
“Overall unwanted robocall volume declined slightly, and with June 2023 marking the final stage in STIR/SHAKEN implementation, consumers can anticipate further progress in robocall mitigation,” said Mike Keegan, CEO of TNS, in a statement. But, he went on, TNS’ report “affirms that blocking robocalls through call authentication is only half the battle; the focus must expand to broader adoption of branded calling solutions that arm consumers with the information they need to trust calls from legitimate brands, and help businesses’ improve customer call answer rates and engagement.”
Branded calling builds upon the verification of the STIR/SHAKEN framework and takes it a step further, to affirmatively identify businesses or organizations who are calling — like doctors’ offices and school districts — so that they can reach their customers, who right now are often afraid to answer unknown numbers and can therefore miss important and wanted calls.
In addition, TNS noted that “the 2022 midterm elections were a reminder that bad actors are not solely using robocalls and robotexts to acquire money and personal information, but also to spread disinformation.” There were nearly 35 million robocalls to American voters in the 14 weeks prior to the midterm elections, and 625,000 robocalls on Election Day itself. In prior reports, TNS said that 36% of respondents in the lead-up to the 2020 election reported that they had received robocalls or robotexts with misinformation about how and when to vote in that election; for the 2022 midterms, 73% of respondents said that it was difficult to tell the difference between legitimate election-related robocalls and texts, and those with false or misleading information.
Even as robocall numbers see a decrease, the Federal Communications Commission is seeking to replicate its anti-robocalls efforts to also combat robotexting. The FCC took action last week against the increasing number of robotexts by requiring wireless network operators to block SMS that are considered highly likely to be fraudulent. (Those rules don’t impact scam texts that come via OTT messaging services such as WhatsApp.) While the scourge of robocalls has led to consumers rarely answering calls from numbers which they don’t recognize, robotexts are more likely to be read and garner a response.
The FCC said that it has seen robotext complaints from consumers rise more than 500% in recent years, from about 3,300 in 2015 to 18,900 in 2022. Those scammy texts about a supposedly missing package or a problem with an account “pose a unique threat to consumers,” the agency said in a release.” The rise in scam texts is directly resulting in more consumer fraud losses—an estimated $231 million for the first three quarters of 2022, according to figures cited by the FCC, up from $86 million for all of 2020.
