FRAUD TACTICS AND THE GROWING PREVALENCE OF AI SCAMS
In the first half of 2024, Hiya flagged nearly 20 billion calls as suspected spam, averaging more than 107 million spam calls each day. The data revealed spam flagging rates exceeding 20% for unknown calls across 25 out of 42 countries, with some flag rates soaring above 50%.
The first half of 2024 also witnessed a surge in AI deepfake scams, employing AI-generated voice-cloning technology to impersonate individuals or organizations. For instance, ahead of the primary election in January, voters in New Hampshire received robocalls mimicking Joe Biden’s voice using this AI technology.
As AI tools grow in power and accessibility, researchers predict that tactics involving voice-cloning impersonation scams will only escalate throughout 2024 and beyond.
MEDICARE AND INSURANCE SCAMS CONTINUE TO TARGET AMERICANS
During the first six months of 2024, Americans received an average of 14 spam calls per month. Spam flagging rates varied by state, with Oklahoma, Indiana, and Ohio reporting the highest rates, while Alaska, New York, and North Dakota had the lowest.
Health insurance and medicare scams dominated the landscape in the US from January to June, followed by various other insurance scams, such as those related to auto, home, and life insurance. Tax-related scams rose significantly as the April 15 tax filing deadline approached.
FRANCE AND SPAIN CONTINUE TO HAVE THE WORST SPAM ACROSS EUROPE FOR THE PAST SEVEN QUARTERS
In France and Spain, more than half of all unknown calls were unwanted, with spam flagging rates at 53% and 51%, respectively. On average, residents in these countries receive over 12 nuisance or fraudulent calls monthly. Despite similar spam rates, Spain faces a more severe fraud issue, with 12% of unknown calls identified as fraudulent compared to 5% in France.
Commonly reported fraud calls in Spain included scams related to utility and mobile phone sales. In February, a new TikTok scam emerged, where users reported receiving robocalls promising 800 Euros daily for simply watching and liking videos on TikTok. In France, utility-related scams, particularly involving electricity suppliers and solar energy offers, were rampant in the first half of 2024. Other prevalent scams included telemarketing calls, banking-related fraud, and package delivery scams.
UK RESIDENTS ARE TARGETED WITH TAX AGENCY AND AMAZON SCAMS
In the UK, the spam flagging rate for unknown calls stood at 28%, with 3% of those calls being fraudulent in the first half of the year. Notable scams included tax fraud, especially those impersonating Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, as well as scams involving Amazon and credit card fraud. There was also a notable increase in scams related to cryptocurrency, energy, and immigration.
BRAZILIANS RECEIVE THE MOST SPAM CALLS PER MONTH ACROSS THE GLOBE
Brazilians experienced an average of 26 spam calls per month in the first half of 2024. Over half of the unidentified calls in Brazil were spam (51%), with 13% of those attributable to fraud. Banking scams were particularly prevalent, with reports of scammers impersonating banks to obtain personal information and passwords.
AMAZON SCAMS SURGED ACROSS CANADA
While Canadians received an average of only 4 spam calls each month, 7% of those calls were fraudulent. In 2023, Amazon scams took the lead among scams targeting Canadians, continuing into 2024 with a peak observed in mid-April. Scams impersonating government officials also gained traction in the first half of the year, followed by credit card and cryptocurrency fraud.
“Phone fraud, spam, and the emerging use of AI-driven deepfake voice scams are escalating threats to the voice channel, affecting every phone user across every major market,” said Kush Parikh, President of Hiya. “The voice channel deserves the same level of vigilance that enterprises apply to cybersecurity. In fact, voice security must be swiftly integrated into cybersecurity strategies, as it represents a significant vulnerability in protecting enterprises.”
