Data and trends on robocalls, phone fraud, and scam calls in the United States
Phone scams remain one of the most widespread forms of fraud in the United States. Here are the key statistics you should know.
Americans received approximately 55 billion robocalls in 2024, according to industry estimates. That's roughly 170 robocalls per person, or about 4.6 per day on average. While STIR/SHAKEN caller ID authentication has helped reduce spoofed calls, scammers continue to adapt their techniques.
Phone scams cost Americans an estimated $39.5 billion in 2023, according to Truecaller research. The median loss per victim was approximately $1,400. Older adults (60+) lose the most money per incident, with average losses exceeding $9,000 according to FTC data.
Government impersonation scams (IRS, Social Security, Medicare) account for approximately 29% of all reported phone scams. Tech support scams represent about 17% of reports, followed by bank/financial scams at 15% and prize/lottery scams at 11%.
While younger adults (18-34) are more likely to lose money to phone scams overall, older adults (65+) lose significantly more per incident. Men and women are targeted at roughly equal rates, but the types of scams differ — romance scams disproportionately affect women over 60, while investment scams more frequently target men.
The area codes most frequently used for outbound scam calls include major metropolitan codes like 404 (Atlanta), 214 (Dallas), 713 (Houston), and 305 (Miami). However, this doesn't mean callers are actually located in these areas — scammers spoof popular area codes to increase answer rates.
The National Do Not Call Registry has over 249 million registered numbers. While it effectively reduces legitimate telemarketing calls, it has minimal impact on illegal scam calls, since scammers by definition ignore the law. The FTC receives approximately 4 million Do Not Call complaints annually.
Only an estimated 4-8% of scam call victims report the incident to authorities. This means the true financial impact of phone scams is likely many times higher than official figures suggest.
PROTECTION TOOLS
While no tool stops 100% of scam calls, these devices significantly reduce the volume of spam and robocalls reaching your phone.
Blocks 100,000+ known scam numbers automatically. One-touch blocking for new nuisance calls. Works with any landline phone.
Bilingual talking caller ID with one-touch call block. Compatible with Panasonic cordless systems. Blocks up to 250 numbers.
Premium call screening device with customizable block lists. Blocks robocalls, telemarketers, and spoofed numbers.
As an Amazon Associate, SearchPhoneNumber.com earns from qualifying purchases. Product prices and availability are subject to change.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Yes. 2026 phone scam statistics: how many robocalls, total fraud losses, most targeted demographics, and which area codes get the most spam calls.
SearchPhoneNumber.com provides comprehensive guides on phone safety, scam prevention, and caller identification. Use our free lookup tool to search any phone number.
RELATED GUIDES
LOOKUP BY AREA CODE