Spammers frequently tried to weave narratives around pandemic-induced unemployment and the continually raging virus.
According to a RoboKiller report, customers received around 6.2 billion spam calls in August this year. The number is a 10% increase from the number of spam calls recorded in July. Additionally, 38% of these spam calls used caller ID spoofing technology. Similarly, spammers are increasingly relying on text messages to approach customers.
In August this year, spammers sent 20% more spam texts than they made calls. The report also notes that spam calls frequently relied on social security and COVID-19 related messages. Towards the end of summer, the spam calls also targeted vacation-related topics.
Spam texts are predicted to increase by 55% from 2020. The increasing number could lead to financial losses of $101 million—an 18% increase from 2020. On the other hand, Spam calls are expected to reach 71.5 billion by the end of this year, marking a 30% increase from 2020. Such calls could result in financial losses of around $615 million.
[4 minute read]
