Why Spammy Traffic and Bot Farms Make Your Phone Feel Slow

The Hidden Reason Your Phone Feels Slower Than It Should

When your phone starts lagging, you probably blame your carrier, your old device, or too many background apps. But there’s another culprit that’s rarely discussed: the tsunami of low-quality, spam-driven internet traffic clogging global networks.

From click-bait news feeds to bot farms and AI web crawlers, junk traffic is flooding cell towers and backhaul networks — degrading user experience (QoE), wasting bandwidth, and even corrupting the datasets that modern AI depends on.

The result? Slower phones, less reliable apps, and a degraded digital experience for everyone.

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The Brain-Rot Economy: Why Click-Bait Rules the Web

Platforms like TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube are optimized for attention, not accuracy. That means the more emotionally triggering a post is — outrage, envy, or shock — the higher it’s promoted.

A 2023 study from the University of Copenhagen found that click-bait headlines increased engagement by over 300%, even when readers reported disliking the content. (ScienceDirect)

This “brain-rot economy” creates endless low-value traffic loops — humans doom-scrolling through manipulative content while AI bots copy, summarize, and regurgitate it, polluting the web’s data layer.

As The Verge reported, some networks now rely on “AI-written junk feeds” to drive ad impressions at scale. (The Verge)

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The Rise of Bots and AI Crawlers

Bots now account for over half of all web traffic — up from 35% a decade ago. According to Imperva’s 2025 Bad Bot Report, 52.6% of global traffic is non-human, with 37% considered malicious. (Imperva Report)

Bots and crawlers — from AI companies like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google DeepMind — hammer web servers, downloading millions of pages for training data. While legitimate crawling is essential, it still consumes the same physical bandwidth as real users.

Even more damaging are bot farms — automated systems built to fake engagement. Fastly engineers observed one rogue scraper requesting 39,000 pages per minute, crashing caching servers in multiple regions. (The Register)

Every one of those fake requests eats into CRAN (Cloud-Radio Access Network) capacity, consuming backhaul and slowing real user traffic.

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How Spammy Traffic Degrades AI Models

When AI models like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, or Meta’s LLaMA scrape the web for training data, they absorb everything — good and bad. But the more “bad” data there is (duplicate spam, fake news, low-effort click-bait), the worse these models perform.

Stanford researchers call this the “model collapse” problem: AI trained on AI-generated junk becomes progressively less coherent. (arXiv preprint)

That means spam doesn’t just slow your phone — it degrades the intelligence layer powering everything from your voice assistant to your Google Maps traffic prediction.

In short: low-quality data pollutes both the network and the AI.

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The Physical Impact: How Bot Farms Clog the Network

Cell networks operate on finite capacity. Every TikTok view, email, and AI request rides on the same backhaul links — the fiber that connects local towers to the broader internet.

When millions of fake or repetitive requests bombard the system, the effect cascades:

• Higher latency: Your phone waits longer for responses as routing tables fill with junk traffic.

• Cache overload: Content-delivery networks (CDNs) are forced to serve duplicate requests.

• Packet loss: More congestion means dropped packets, retries, and wasted power.

• QoE degradation: Your favorite apps feel laggy, video calls stutter, and pages time out.

A 2024 IEEE Network study quantified that non-human traffic can increase backhaul utilization by up to 25% — a measurable hit to real user experience. (IEEE Network)

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How This Feeds the “Dead Internet Theory”

A growing corner of the web believes we’re already living in the “dead internet” era — where most content is algorithmic filler or bot-generated noise.

A viral Reddit post in r/TrueReddit described how users can scroll through entire threads and realize no real humans are present — just automated responses, recycled memes, and SEO spam. (Reddit Discussion)

That’s not just creepy; it’s costly. Every fake click or bot view triggers ad impressions, driving billions in wasted advertising spend and bloating the data flows that pass through mobile networks.

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Why Your Phone Feels Slower — Even on 5G

So how does all this translate to your personal experience?

Because modern 5G networks are shared environments, they don’t distinguish between a human streaming Netflix and a bot scraping a thousand web pages. Both get bandwidth.

That means when AI models and bot farms flood the system, the available spectrum and backhaul get congested — leaving less throughput for you.

As Ookla’s 2025 Speedtest Intelligence data showed, median download speeds in dense metro areas actually fell 12% year-over-year — despite carriers upgrading equipment. (Ookla Report)

Experts point to “silent congestion” — the untracked load of automated requests consuming network resources 24/7.

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Can Carriers or Platforms Fix It?

Telecom operators and tech platforms are starting to fight back:

• AI crawler management: Websites and CDNs now use advanced bot-mitigation firewalls. (Cloudflare Blog)

• Network slicing: Some carriers are testing network segmentation to prioritize verified user traffic over unknown sources.

• Data hygiene campaigns: Google, Reddit, and major publishers have started blocking AI scrapers via robots.txt — though enforcement is limited. (Axios)

Still, the economic incentive for spam remains enormous. As long as cheap data and programmatic ads exist, bot farms will keep thriving — often run out of low-regulation data centers in Eastern Europe and Asia.

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What You Can Do to Reclaim Speed & Sanity

While users can’t fix systemic internet pollution, there are practical steps to limit its impact:

• Use content filters like 1.1.1.1 or NextDNS to block known spam domains.

• Disable autoplay videos and infinite scroll in social apps.

• Restrict background refresh for non-essential apps.

• Favor curated sources or subscription models (e.g., Google News Showcase, Feedly Pro) to avoid low-quality content loops.

• Report suspicious feeds or fake accounts to help platforms retrain algorithms.

Even small steps like this can reduce your exposure to bandwidth-wasting junk traffic and make your phone feel faster.

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The Bigger Picture

The modern web runs on attention, and attention is finite. Every fake video, click-bait article, or AI-spam page competes for the same scarce resource — not just in your mind, but across the global internet backbone.

When we talk about “brain-rot,” we’re not only talking about cultural decline — we’re talking about network decay.

Until platforms start rewarding quality over virality, and regulators treat bot traffic as a real infrastructure problem, the web will keep feeling slower, dumber, and more polluted.

Because every time a bot loads another junk page — your phone pays the price.

Free Spam Call & Text Blocking Solutions Ranked 2025

Spam calls and texts aren’t just annoying—they waste time, invade privacy, and can even trick people into scams. With robocalls and phishing texts still on the rise in 2025, it’s more important than ever to use tools that filter out unwanted contacts.

The good news? You don’t need to spend money to protect yourself. Many free apps and built-in tools already do an excellent job blocking spam. In this article, we rank the best free spam call and text solutions, explain how they work, and help you choose the right one for your device.

What Makes a Free Spam Blocker Effective?

AppSheet Scam Emails: How Hackers Use Google’s Platform

AppSheet, a no-code development platform owned by Google, has earned a strong reputation among businesses that want to build apps quickly without coding. However, in 2025 it has been increasingly linked to phishing campaigns. These scams are not because AppSheet itself is a fraud, but because cybercriminals are exploiting its trusted infrastructure to deliver convincing phishing emails.

This article explains what an AppSheet scam is, how these phishing attacks work, and what individuals and businesses can do to stay safe.

Why You Get “Why Is Your Number in My Phone Book” Texts

If you’ve ever received a strange text message that says something like “Hey, why is your number in my phone book?” you’re not alone. Millions of smartphone users in the U.S. and worldwide are dealing with this same type of spam every single day. These messages may seem confusing at first, but they’re part of a bigger problem in mobile communication: SMS spam and scam attempts.

This article will explain why spammers send these fake personal messages, how they bypass carrier filters, why your location and mobile carrier matter, and what you can do to protect yourself.

Why Spammers Use “Phone Book” Texts

Scammers and spammers are constantly testing new ways to get people to respond. The “Why is your number in my phone book?” script is effective for a few reasons:

1. It sounds personal. Most spam is easy to identify, but a text that looks like it came from a real person makes you hesitate.

2. It creates curiosity. The question makes you want to reply, even if just to correct them.

3. It verifies your number. If you respond, you’re telling the spammer your number is active.

4. It starts a conversation. Once you reply, they can try to trick you into clicking a link, sending money, or giving personal information.

The Role of Carriers and Filtering

Major carriers like Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and smaller MVNOs all claim to have spam filtering technology in place. But spammers use tricks to get around them:

• Number spoofing: They send messages from random numbers so blocking one doesn’t stop the next.

• Text variations: Slightly changing the wording avoids keyword filters.

• VoIP services: Many spam texts come from internet-based numbers outside U.S. carrier control.

Interestingly, spam volumes often spike in areas with weaker cell service or coverage gaps (dead zones). In places where mobile networks are less robust, filtering tools may also be weaker.

Dead Zones and Spam Risk

Why talk about spam on DeadZones.com? Because the two issues are connected:

• Dead zones reduce carrier oversight. In weak-signal areas, your texts may route through different towers or fallback systems, making spam filtering inconsistent.

• Travelers are prime targets. If you’re roaming or jumping between networks, scammers know you might not recognize local numbers.

• Carriers prioritize signal over filtering. In low-coverage zones, spam blocking is less effective because carriers focus on maintaining connectivity first.

This is one more reason why mobile dead zones aren’t just frustrating for calls and data—they can also increase your exposure to spam and scam texts.

What Happens If You Reply?

Responding to a “Why is your number in my phone book?” text might seem harmless, but it can lead to:

• More spam. Your number gets sold to lists marked as “active.”

• Phishing links. The scammer may send you a URL to steal logins or install malware.

• Social engineering. They may pretend to know you, pushing the conversation toward scams like fake investments, romance scams, or crypto fraud.

The best response is no response at all.

How to Protect Yourself

Here are proven steps you can take to reduce text spam:

1. Never reply. Ignoring spam is the first defense.

2. Block and report. On most carriers, forward spam texts to 7726 (SPAM) to report them.

3. Use your carrier’s spam filter. Verizon Call Filter, AT&T ActiveArmor, and T-Mobile Scam Shield all include SMS protection.

4. Install third-party apps. Tools like RoboKiller, Truecaller, and Hiya help block texts that slip through.

5. Be cautious with apps. Some free apps sell your number lists, which then fuel spam campaigns.

6. Check if you’re in a spam-prone area. If you live in or travel through dead zones, be extra careful since filtering may be weaker.

The Global Scale of SMS Spam

Spam texts are not just a U.S. issue. Globally, over 100 billion spam texts are sent every year, and the number is growing. Countries with limited mobile regulation or weak carrier technology are hit hardest.

Interestingly, spam rates also rise in areas with popular tourist destinations. Why? Because tourists are less familiar with local numbers, making them easier to trick.

How This Relates to Mobile Dead Zones

At DeadZones.com, we collect reports of poor coverage and network gaps. While most people think about dropped calls and lost data, another hidden side effect is the increased vulnerability to spam and scams.

• Weaker networks mean weaker protection.

• Switching between towers can expose gaps in filtering.

• Unreliable SMS routing may let more spam slip through.

In short: bad coverage isn’t just an inconvenience, it can also be a security risk.

What’s Next? Smarter Filtering with AI

Carriers are beginning to use AI-powered filtering to identify suspicious texts faster. Instead of relying only on keywords, these systems analyze:

• Message patterns

• Frequency of sends

• Geo-location of numbers

• Response rates

The goal is to stop spam before it ever reaches your phone. However, these systems also require strong and stable network connections—another reminder of why eliminating dead zones matters.

Conclusion

That strange “Hey, why is your number in my phone book?” text isn’t from a confused friend—it’s from a spammer trying to trick you. The best move is to ignore, block, and report it. But there’s also a bigger picture: spam risks rise when you’re in mobile dead zones where carrier filtering is weaker.

By understanding both the psychology behind spam and the technical weaknesses in mobile networks, you can better protect yourself. And by reporting dead zones and coverage gaps on DeadZones.com, you’re helping improve the mobile experience for everyone—not just in terms of dropped calls, but also in defending against spam and scams.

iPhone Call Spam Screening: How to Block Unwanted Calls

iPhone Call Spam Screening: How to Block Robocalls and Junk Texts

If you're overwhelmed by robocalls and spam texts, you're not alone. According to spam analytics firm YouMail, U.S. consumers received an estimated 54.5 billion robocalls in 2024, or about 165 calls per second. Spam texts are just as bad — RoboKiller reports that Americans got 94 billion spam texts last year, a 12% increase from 2023.

Fortunately, Apple’s iPhone spam screening tools and third-party apps can help you regain control over your phone.

Why Spam Calls and Texts Are Surging

• Scammers are getting smarter. Many spam calls now spoof local area codes or even real business numbers to trick you into answering.

• Text spam is easier and cheaper. A single scammer can send thousands of phishing texts (aka "smishing") in seconds.

• Consumer losses are rising. The FCC reports U.S. consumers lost over $10 billion to phone scams in 2023, with the average loss per incident over $800.

Built-in iPhone Features That Block Spam

1. Silence Unknown Callers

This feature, available in iOS 13 and later, automatically silences numbers not in your contacts. Calls go straight to voicemail, helping you avoid unwanted interruptions.

How to enable:

• Settings > Phone > Silence Unknown Callers > Toggle ON

2. SMS Filtering

In Settings > Messages, toggle Filter Unknown Senders to push texts from unknown numbers into a separate tab — reducing phishing risk.

3. Report Junk

When you receive a suspicious message in iMessage, Apple gives you the option to “Report Junk”. This helps train Apple’s system to detect and block spam more effectively.

Third-Party Call and Text Blocking Apps

iPhones allow third-party apps to block calls and filter messages. These apps maintain live databases of known spam numbers and auto-block suspicious activity.

App	Key Features	Monthly Cost	Spam Text Blocking
Hiya	Real-time caller ID, auto-block fraud	Free / $2.99	✅
Truecaller	Caller ID, community spam reports	Free / $4.99	✅
RoboKiller	AI-powered call screening, answer bots	$4.99	✅
Nomorobo	Spam call blocking for VoIP/landline	Free trial / $1.99	❌

🔒 Fact: RoboKiller claims to block over 1 billion robocalls and spam texts per month across its users.

To enable a call blocking app:

• Download the app from the App Store

• Go to Settings > Phone > Call Blocking & Identification

• Enable the app from the list

Carrier Tools for Extra Protection

Most major carriers offer free and paid call filtering services that work seamlessly with iPhones:

Carrier	Service	Free Version	Premium Features
AT&T	ActiveArmor	✅	Threat level alerts, reverse lookup
T-Mobile	Scam Shield	✅	Number masking, voicemail-to-text
Verizon	Call Filter	✅	Spam lookup, auto-block high risk

These services can label calls as "Scam Likely", block robocalls outright, and send alerts for high-risk numbers.

Spam Text Trends in 2024

• Top spam text types: Delivery scams (e.g., “Your package is held”), bank phishing, fake job offers.

• Peak spam hours: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. local time.

• Most spammed area codes: 213 (Los Angeles), 347 (New York), 305 (Miami)

📊 Stat: According to RoboKiller, the average American received 28 spam texts per month in 2024 — nearly one per day.

How to Reduce Spam Long-Term

• Don’t answer unknown numbers.

• Never click links in suspicious texts.

• Register your number at donotcall.gov

• Use 2FA apps (like Authy) instead of SMS for security.

• Report spam to 7726 (SPAM) — this works for most U.S. carriers.

Final Thoughts

With spam calls and texts on the rise, iPhone users need to take full advantage of Apple’s built-in tools, carrier protection, and advanced third-party apps. Whether you’re silencing unknown numbers or using a robocall-blocking AI assistant, the right setup can make a big difference.

Say goodbye to scam calls — and take back your phone.

Why Does T-Mobile Charge Me $4 a Month to Block Scam Calls?

If you’re a T-Mobile customer scratching your head over a $4 monthly charge just to block scam calls, you're not alone. Scam calls are annoying, intrusive, and increasingly common—and it feels wrong to pay extra just to keep them at bay. So what gives?

Let’s break down what that $4 charge is all about, what you’re actually paying for, and why the government isn’t stepping in to fix this mess.

What Is T-Mobile’s Scam Shield?

Do Wireless Consumer Trust The FCC or FTC?

 

Why Does Gmail Think So Many Emails Are Spam?

 

If Gmail consistently marks legitimate emails as spam, there are a few possible reasons for this behavior. Gmail employs various algorithms and filters to automatically detect and filter out spam emails. However, these filters may occasionally generate false positives, mistakenly categorizing legitimate emails as spam. Here are some factors that can contribute to Gmail's spam detection:

Content Analysis: Gmail's spam filters analyze the content of emails to identify potential spam indicators. This includes looking for specific keywords, phrases, or patterns commonly found in spam messages. If your emails contain certain elements that trigger these filters, they may be marked as spam.

Sender Reputation: Gmail considers the reputation of the sender's email address or domain when determining whether an email is spam or not. If the sender's email address or domain has been associated with spam in the past or has a poor reputation, it can result in legitimate emails being flagged as spam.

User Feedback: Gmail takes user feedback into account when assessing email deliverability. If a significant number of users mark emails from a particular sender as spam or move them to the spam folder, Gmail's filters may learn to categorize similar emails as spam.

Authentication and Encryption: Emails that lack proper authentication, such as SPF (Sender Policy Framework) or DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail), may be more likely to be treated as spam. Similarly, emails that are not encrypted using TLS (Transport Layer Security) may receive higher scrutiny from spam filters.

If you find that Gmail consistently marks legitimate emails as spam, here are a few steps you can take:

Check the Spam Folder: Make sure to regularly review your Gmail spam folder and mark legitimate emails as "Not Spam." This helps Gmail learn that those emails are not unwanted.

Whitelist Senders: Add the email addresses or domains of legitimate senders to your Gmail Contacts or create filters to ensure their emails are not marked as spam.

Request Whitelisting: If you are a sender and notice that your emails are consistently marked as spam by Gmail, you can ask your recipients to add your email address to their contacts or whitelist your domain to improve email deliverability.

Review Email Content: Avoid using language, formatting, or content that resembles typical spam messages. Ensure that your emails are well-written, relevant, and personalized to reduce the chances of them being marked as spam.

Remember that Gmail's spam filters continually learn and adapt based on user feedback and new spam patterns. By actively managing your inbox, providing feedback, and following best practices, you can help improve Gmail's accuracy in distinguishing between spam and legitimate emails.what these companies are doing today is based on the influence of money and not the public good. 

Does the FCC regulate or do anything about SPAM phone calls?  Not really we get tons of spam phone calls daily.   There are ways to prevent spam phone calls but do they even work?  Are spam phone calls driving you insane? 

If you are small and are trying to send emails to people you don't know you are screwed and your email is likely to go into a spam folder.  Don't waste your time! 

Does T-Mobile's Scam Shield Spam Blocker Work & Why Not Free?

There's a new weapon in the ongoing war against annoying robocalls and text spams.  WHY ISN'T THIS APP FREE?

In the ongoing war against annoying robocalls and text spams, T-Mobile has just created a new weapon. The company unveiled Scam Shield, a free service for all T-Mobile customers (including Sprint) that’s designed to prevent unwanted texts and calls from reaching your phone.

The idea is pretty simple: when you subscribe to Scam Shield, T-Mobile automatically blocks numbers that have been reported as scams. If you receive an unsolicited call from one of these numbers, it will drop off silently without leaving a trace on your phone. If you want to know if this is happening in real time, there's also an app for Android or iOS devices that will show how many texts and calls are being blocked each day.

Why isn't this app provided free?

Spam and robocalls are enabled by the carriers and the FCC and no one seems to care.  If wireless carriers truely cared about preventing you from getting spammed they would provide this free.  However, I think these carriers make too much money enabling companies to spam their customers.

For example, my wife was on Verizon Wireless for many years and recently switched over to T-Mobile.  Now she is innundated with spam calls and texts?  Why?  Does T-Mobile make money off of selling lists of phone numbers to spamming companies?  We might never find out and this maybe why T-Mobile keeps their pricing plans less than AT&T and Verizon. 

What is Scam Shield?

Scam Shield is a free service from T-Mobile that helps protect you from phone scams. It lets you automatically block calls, texts and spam messages from suspected scammers or fraudsters, as well as robocallers and telemarketers. You can also set up call alerts to be notified if a potential scammer is calling your number.

It's easy to set up Scam Shield with the T-Mobile app or by signing in to your account on web browser. The service works with all cell phones, even those not provided by T-Mobile. This makes it an excellent option for people who don't want to switch carriers because they're happy with their current provider but are also looking for extra protection against unwanted callers.

The basics of Scam Shield

Scam Shield is a free app for your T-Mobile phone, available on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. If you're an Android, iOS or feature phone user, you can download the app to take advantage of its call and text blocking features. For iPhone users, Scam Shield also works with iMessage.

One of Scam Shield's main features is Scam ID, which comes enabled by default when you download the app. With this feature turned on, you'll see a "Scam Likely" alert pop up when suspicious calls come through on your T-Mobile line. You can then choose to answer and speak with the caller or send them directly to voice mail without lifting a finger (or even looking at your screen). Scammers won't be able to leave prerecorded messages in your voice mail either if they get routed there; instead they'll hear a recording that warns them you may report this number as spam.

Should you get it?

If you're a T-Mobile customer, I recommend that you install the app. You can always turn certain features off if they don't work for your lifestyle and needs.  However, I wouldn't pay a dime for this product. 

As for everyone else? It's complicated. If you're on AT&T or Verizon, you may have a similar feature built into your network and/or phone, but it won't be as powerful as Scam Shield. For example, my friend Kevin has an AT&T Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G phone with the AT&T Call Protect app installed. The app doesn't show where calls are coming from (other than the city), and it only labels numbers as scams after they've called him personally (the suspect numbers aren't blocked). With this protection in place, Kevin's still getting plenty of scam calls—but he'll get even more when he installs Scam Shield to compare them side by side. His phone will be ringing off the hook!

Verizon's Call Filter Plus or AT&T's Call Protect Plus which includes Caller ID and spam warnings right on your home screen whether the call comes in via VoIP or landline!

How much does Scam Shield cost and should you pay for it?

Scam Shield is available to all T-Mobile customers at no cost, and MetroPCS customers can also use all of the standard features. However, if you want access to the premium version, you'll need to be a postpaid T-Mobile customer. Postpaid customers are those who pay for their phones and plans at the end of each month instead of paying for them in advance.

The paid version costs $4 per month for your entire account, which gives both you and anyone else on your T-Mobile plan access to all of its features (though only one person can use identity theft protection at a time). It includes Scam ID and Scam Block, along with additional features like identity theft protection and fraud alerts that work even if you're not a T-Mobile customer; identity restoration assistance; dark web monitoring; up to $1 million in insurance covering stolen funds from accounts such as bank or investment accounts; up to $25,000 in coverage for online fraud that happens because someone misused your personal information or hacked into your email account; and credit reports and scores from three credit reporting agencies: Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion.

What should you know about T-Mobile's Scam Shield?

You can try Scam Shield for free for 30 days. After that, it costs $4 a month.

This is what you should know about T-Mobile's Scam Shield service:

• You can block all spam calls and texts, or just the ones that are likely to be scams.

• You can add phone numbers to a blacklist and won't get any calls from them.

• There's a log of blocked calls and texts so you can see which ones were filtered out.

Can't you block spam calls yourself?

It's true that you can block spam calls yourself. The problem is, blocking each number individually takes a lot of time and effort. If you miss one, or if the scammer spoofs another number, you're back in the same boat.

One solution is to use an app. There are free ones like Hiya and Truecaller, but there are also paid options like RoboKiller ($3/month) and Nomorobo ($1.99/month). These apps work with your carrier to automatically identify suspected spam calls before they reach your phone; you can then set up automatic blocking at a system-wide level if you'd like. It's a hassle to set up and run these apps in addition to your regular phone experience, but they do provide some comfort in knowing that your phone has been protected from spammers without any active participation on your part (beyond the initial setup).

If you don't want to deal with blocking numbers individually or downloading an app, Scam Shield is the way to go.

If you're the type of person who hates constantly fiddling with your phone to block unwanted texts and calls, T-Mobile Scam Shield will save you time and frustration. If you have an iPhone, you can use the feature to block spam texts from appearing in your messaging app. With iPhones running iOS 13 or later, you can download a third-party app that automatically sends spam calls straight to voicemail. That's something that Android users don't get with Google's built-in call screening features.

For those who want more control over their phones, there are cheaper options available. You could just download an app like YouMail Voicemail & Spam Blocker (free; $3 per month for premium version) or Hiya (free), which offer a lot of the same features as T-Mobile's service as well as additional ones, like reverse phone number lookup and ID verification tools. Alternatively, instead of paying for a service to do it for you, you could block numbers on your own manually if they show up frequently enough.

Related Articles:

Americans Are Drowning in Spam & Robocalls & FCC Does Nothing

Americans Are Drowning in Spam & Robocalls & FCC Does Nothing

You're not imagining it: The flood of spam calls, texts, emails and social media posts into your life is getting a lot bigger.

Why it matters: Junk messages aren't just annoying — they also open the door to more fraud, cybercrime and identity theft than ever before.

Driving the news: The average American received roughly 42 spam texts just in the month of March, according to new data from RoboKiller, an app that blocks spam calls and texts.

• Spammers like using text messages because of their high open rates — and are now even mimicking targets' own phone numbers to get them to click malicious links, the New York Times reported.

What they're saying: "Just like with robocalls, it's extremely easy to deploy [spam texts] in enormous volume and hide your identity," Will Maxson, assistant director of the FTC's division of marketing practices, told Axios.

• "There's a large number of actors all over the world trying to squeeze spam into the network from almost an infinite number of entry points all the time."

It's not just texts. Every form of spam is on the rise.

• There were more spam calls last month than in any of the previous six months, per YouMail's Robocall Index.
• Spam emails rose by 30% from 2020 to 2021, according to a January report from the Washington Post.
• There was an unprecedented increase in social media scams last year, according to data from the Federal Trade Commission. Many scams were related to bogus cryptocurrency investments.

Between the lines: Experts attribute the sharp increase in spam to the pandemic. People's increased reliance on digital communications turned them into ready targets.

• The Federal Communications Commission saw a nearly 146% increase in the number of complaints about unwanted text messages in 2020.

And it's working: Americans reported losing $131 million to fraud schemes initiated by text in 2021, a jump over 50% from the year before, according to data from the FTC.

Our thought bubble: Email spam has been around forever, but email providers have largely filtered it out for us. Cell providers, though, are still behind.

What's next: The FCC tried to reduce robocalls in part by working with cell phone carriers to implement call authentication requirements. But now the agency is playing catch-up on policing spam texts.

• FCC chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel announced a proposal in October to craft rules that would require wireless providers to block illegal text messaging, but her plan has not yet been voted on by the agency.

Yes, but: As regulators and service providers try to crack down, spammers keep getting more creative. Their latest tactic is mass FaceTime calls, often at late hours of the night.

Related Article:

Does T-Mobile's Scam Shield Spam Blocker Work & Why Not Free?