SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) – If you have been receiving an alarmingly large amount of spam calls or texts, you’re not alone.
A study by Ben Treanor published in Time2play surveyed over 1,600 adults and found that they received an average of 3.7 scam calls and 1.5 scam texts per day. Furthermore, scam calls have led to 91% of Americans intentionally screening any call from an unknown number.
While 25% of respondents report to Treanor say that they use app’s to prevent unwanted calls, only 27% say the apps help. According to the study, even people’s best efforts to screen and block the calls fall short, and the calls continue to come through.
Treanor’s study breaks down averages per state, with Pennsylvania ranking highest in the nation at an average of 4.4 calls per day. The report puts Utah at 2.6 calls per day, which is a bit lower than the national average.
ABC4 reported in 2021 about the increase in scam calls in the US, writing that “the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has announced a public initiative to combat robocalls and spoofing.” Treanor’s study indicates that scam calls remain a problem almost halfway into 2022.
The Utah Department of Commerce hosts an education page on some of the most common types of phone scams targeting Utahns. It reads that often “Scammers will pretend to be a credible person or agency in order to convince you to give money or personal information.”
The education page includes specific details about several scams against Utahns, including how scammers “target the elderly by pretending to be a grandchild in some kind of trouble” and “have been known to use information gleaned from the actual grandchild’s social media to help them appear more legitimate and fool their victim.”
According to the Utah Department of Commerce, other frequent scams claim to be from the IRS or a local, state, or federal court. They recommend calling a confirmed IRS or court number to confirm any suspicious messages or calls.
