Robocall nightmare: NJ lawmaker says it’s time to call the FBI

Only a few things life are certain: Death, taxes, and apparently a non-stop barrage of robocalls.

The latest data finds Americans received more than 4.2 billion robocalls last month and about 30 billion robocalls so far this year.

That averages out to 136.3% million robocalls a day, and 1,578 every second.

Assemblyman Paul Moriarty, D-Gloucester, who chairs the Consumer Affairs Committee, said a bad situation has now spiraled out of control.

“Most people have gotten into the habit of not answering their home phone. Now we’re getting all of these types of calls on our cell phones as well, most people don’t answer,” he said.

He said some people do pick up the phone.

“People are getting separated from their money. Many people don’t come forward because they’re so embarrassed,” Moriarty said.

He pointed out the Federal Trade Commission has suggested consumers should get robocall blocking apps to stop the calls from coming in but he stressed this is a federal issue and FTC needs to crack down on the bad guys.

“But also the FBI should be in on this and other organizations. There should be a combined task force that is attacking this problem,” he said. “We need them to use all of their resources, all of their technology to track down and trace and fine the bad actors, bring criminal charges and massive fines."

According to data from YouMail, a robocall blocking app company, the most common type of robocall being made are scams (42%), followed by alerts and reminders (37%), and telemarketing (20%).

They report car warranty and health related scams continue to top the list.

You can contact reporter David Matthau at David.Matthau@townsquaremedia.com