Only 42% of phone companies have fully installed required technology designed to help stop fraudulent robocalls, according to a new analysis.
Although scam and unwanted calls have declined, the average reported financial loss from successful phone and text scams has increased.
Artificial intelligence is making it easier for scammers to impersonate trusted people and organizations, raising concerns about how consumers can protect their money.
Unwanted calls may be becoming slightly less common, but that doesn't mean consumers are out of the woods when it comes to phone scams.
A new report from the U.S. PIRG Education Fund finds that many phone companies still haven't fully implemented technology designed to verify callers and help prevent fraudulent calls from reaching consumers.
The report, “Ringing in Our Fears 2026,” examines how well phone companies are following federal requirements intended to combat robocalls. Five years after those requirements began, fewer than half of registered phone companies have completely installed the necessary technology across their networks.
Scam losses are climbing despite fewer calls
The analysis found that 4,853 of the 11,467 phone companies registered with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) had fully implemented the required technology. The remaining 6,614 had not.
Among the 34 largest or most significant phone companies in the country, 20 had completed installation across their entire networks, 10 had installed the technology on only part of their networks, and four hadn't installed it at all.
There is some encouraging news: YouMail data cited in the report shows that scam and unwanted calls fell to about 2.1 billion per month in 2026, down from nearly 2.5 billion per month in 2025.
However, the financial consequences of successful scams have worsened. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) data shows that consumers who reported losing money to phone scams in the first half of 2026 lost an average of $3,973 per incident, an increase of nearly 8% from the same period in 2025. Average reported losses from scam text messages reached $1,960, up about 35%.
The report points to increasingly convincing scams that use personal information and impersonate banks or government agencies. Artificial intelligence adds another concern by allowing scammers to mimic familiar voices through deepfake calls.
What this means for consumers
Phone number spoofing can make a scam call appear to come from a legitimate source, such as a bank, retailer, or local police department. When phone companies cannot properly verify callers, it becomes harder to identify fraudulent calls and potentially trace the people responsible.
Consumers should be cautious when an unexpected call or text asks for money or personal information, even if it appears to come from a trusted organization. A familiar caller ID or convincing voice isn't proof that a request is legitimate.
The report also highlights the need for continued action from phone companies, regulators, banks, and consumer advocates. While unwanted calls have declined, rising losses show that reducing call volume alone isn't enough. Better verification technology and greater awareness of increasingly sophisticated scams remain important parts of protecting consumers.