The FCC has taken a number of steps in recent years to try to cut down on nuisance robocalls. Some of the FCC’s actions include:
- The agency mandated that companies that originate voice calls implement STIR/SHAKEN, a set of rules that require validation of caller ID. One of the primary functions of this effort is to make sure that the number displayed on caller ID is the same as the number of the originating caller. The big telcos implemented this in 2021, and smaller carriers a year later.
- Over time, the FCC expanded STIR/SHAKEN to gateway providers (tandems) and eventually to intermediate non-gateway providers.
- In conjunction with the industry, the FCC actively tries to shut down active robocall campaigns.
- The FCC has taken enforcement actions, including large fines against robocallers. In 2021, the FCC issued a $225 million fine against a group of telemarketers in Texas who were selling scam life insurance plans. In February of this year, the FCC issued a fine of $4.5 million against Telnyx for making sham calls that impersonated politicians.
- The FCC requires that anybody selling a voice product give customers a free call-blocking tool.
- Phone companies are free to block calls by default that they believe are illegal or unwanted.
The FCC’s actions put a dent in robocalling. According to the Robocall Index from YouMail, there were 4.8 billion robocalls in February 2020. That dropped to 4.6 billion in February 2021 and 3.8 billion in February 2022, Buit since then, volumes are back up to 4.2 billion in February 2023, and now 4.5 billion in February 2025.
Not all robocalls are bad, and the FCC’s efforts are aimed at eliminating unwanted robocalls. YouMail classifies robocalls into four categories:
- Alerts and Reminders are calls from places like a school, a local government, or a doctor or dentist office.
- Payment Reminders are to remind folks that a payment of some sort is due, and perhaps late.
The two troublesome categories are:
- Telemarketing calls that come from a company with which a consumer is not a current or past customer.
- Scams are calls that the FCC considers to be fraudulent and that try to get money from folks.
In February 2024 there was 1.32 billion telemarketing calls, that rose to 1.575 billion in 2025, up 19%. There was 840 million scam calls in February 2024, up to 1.035 billion in 2025, a 23% increase.
Robocallers have obviously figured out ways around the various network tools that have been implemented to stop them. Considering the sizes of fines that have been issued, there must be big payday from making large numbers of scam calls. The FCC says that stopping robocalls is still a top priority and posted this message to consumers earlier this year.
The bottom line is that the FCC seems to be losing the war against robocallers. They’ve shifted the battleground by killing techniques that used to work, but it seems like robocallers have gotten adept at still getting call through to the public. There is a lot of speculation that scam artists are using AI to be more effective in their calling effort.
It is like putting a finger in a dike. The best solution as a consumer is not to answer any call that you do not recognize and let it go to voice mail. If they don’t leave a message you just lost a spammer. Also implement any blocking tools your phone provider offers.
That process works well for most unknown calls, until it doesn’t.
About a year ago, I had left a message for the director of the facility where my parents live to give me a call, and when she called back hours later on a call with “unknown caller” listed, I let it go to VM. I missed her call.
When I did eventually get her on the line, I also told her about this problem with “unknown” Caller ID, and told her she needs to use an identifying line when she calls back so her clients know it is her. She did note that she herself likely would not have answered such a call.
As a VoIP provider, I’m having to bend over backwards to meet requirements. There’s a big hole in the system that legit businesses are encumbered by rules to prevent this but rogue agents can just bypass them at will.