TLDR
National Consumer Protection Week 2026 arrives with sobering data. PIRG research shows robocalls increased 16% in 2025, and the average phone scam loss climbed to $3,690 per incident. AI is making scams more convincing, driving both volume and conversion rates higher. ScamVerify™ tracks 11 million+ threat records across its database: 7.7 million FTC complaints, 352,000 FCC complaints, 74,032 URLhaus malicious domains, and 60,758 ThreatFox indicators of compromise.
What Is Consumer Protection Week?
National Consumer Protection Week is a coordinated awareness campaign led by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), state attorneys general, and consumer advocacy organizations. Held annually in March, it highlights the most pressing consumer fraud threats and educates the public on prevention strategies.
The 2026 edition coincides with a threat landscape that is measurably worse than the prior year. The 16% increase in robocalls reverses a brief post-pandemic decline and represents a return to pre-2020 levels of phone spam volume.
The 2026 Data: Robocalls and Losses
PIRG Findings
Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) data for 2025, released ahead of Consumer Protection Week 2026:
| Metric | 2024 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Robocall volume | Baseline | +16% increase | 16% worse |
| Average loss per phone scam | ~$3,100 | $3,690 | +19% increase |
| Total estimated robocalls (annual) | ~25 billion | ~29 billion | Returning to highs |
| Consumer complaints filed (FTC) | 3.2 million+ | Growing | Still underreported |
The $3,690 average loss per incident is particularly significant. This reflects not just the number of scam calls, but the increased effectiveness of each call. AI-powered personalization, deepfake voice cloning, and data breach enrichment are all contributing to higher conversion rates and higher dollar amounts per successful scam.
ScamVerify Database Context
The ScamVerify database provides granular detail behind these aggregate numbers:
| Data Source | Records | Top Finding |
|---|---|---|
| FTC complaints | 7,700,000+ | Debt reduction: 935,542 complaints, 89% robocall |
| FCC complaints | 352,000+ | Impersonation and unwanted calls lead |
| Phone summaries | 2,900,000+ | Top number: (877) 200-2515 at 3,258 complaints |
| URLhaus domains | 74,032 | 81% use .com extension |
| ThreatFox IOCs | 60,758 | Active threat indicators across campaigns |
For a comprehensive breakdown of robocall statistics, see our 2026 robocall statistics report.
Why Robocalls Increased 16%
Several factors drove the increase:
AI-Powered Automation
AI tools now generate natural-sounding voice messages at scale. The old robocall with a clearly synthetic voice is being replaced by AI-generated speech that sounds human. This makes robocalls more effective per call, which incentivizes higher volume.
Cheaper VoIP Infrastructure
The cost of VoIP calling continues to decline. Scam operations can place millions of calls per month for a few hundred dollars in telecommunications costs. The economics favor volume: even with low answer rates, the revenue from successful scams vastly exceeds the cost of dialing.
Data Breach Fuel
Major breaches in 2024 and 2025 exposed hundreds of millions of records containing phone numbers, names, and personal details. This data feeds targeted robocall campaigns that reference real personal information, making the calls more convincing. See our analysis of how data breaches fuel scam campaigns.
STIR/SHAKEN Gaps
The STIR/SHAKEN caller ID authentication framework, while reducing some spoofed calls, has significant gaps. International calls, VoIP-originated calls, and calls through non-compliant carriers can still reach consumers with spoofed caller IDs. Scam operations have adapted by routing calls through jurisdictions with weaker enforcement.
Top Scam Categories During Consumer Protection Week
The FTC and consumer advocates highlight these categories as the most active threats in 2026:
1. Debt Reduction Robocalls
The single largest category in the ScamVerify database with 935,542 FTC complaints and an 89% robocall rate. These calls promise to reduce credit card debt, consolidate student loans, or settle medical bills. They collect upfront fees and deliver nothing. For a deep dive, see our debt reduction robocall analysis.
2. Government Impersonation
684,045 FTC impersonation complaints include callers claiming to be from the IRS, Social Security Administration, Medicare, and more recently, DOGE. These calls threaten arrest, benefit suspension, or financial penalties to coerce immediate payment.
3. AI Deepfake Voice Scams
1 in 4 Americans has been targeted. AI clones family members' voices to create emotional emergency scenarios. The 77% conversion rate among engagers makes this the most effective scam type by far.
What Consumer Protection Week Asks You to Do
The FTC and consumer protection organizations recommend these specific actions:
- Register on the Do Not Call Registry at donotcall.gov (or verify your registration)
- Report scam contacts to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov
- Enable carrier spam filtering such as AT&T ActiveArmor, Verizon Call Filter, or T-Mobile Scam Shield
- Check phone numbers before answering or calling back at ScamVerify phone lookup
- Forward suspicious emails to scan@scamverify.ai for AI analysis
- Check QR codes before scanning at the ScamVerify QR scanner
For a complete guide to actionable protection steps, see our 5 scam protection steps that actually work.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is the 16% robocall increase happening everywhere or just in certain areas?
The 16% increase is a national average. Some areas experience higher increases, particularly those with area codes that scam rings favor for spoofing. Toll-free prefixes (800, 833, 844, 855, 866, 877, 888) see the highest scam call concentrations regardless of geography.
Why is the average scam loss going up?
Three factors. First, AI makes individual scam calls more convincing, leading to higher conversion rates. Second, scammers are increasingly using personalized data from breaches to request specific, larger amounts. Third, high-value targets (seniors, business employees with wire transfer authority) are being specifically identified and targeted using data enrichment.
Does the Do Not Call Registry actually reduce robocalls?
The registry stops legitimate telemarketers from calling registered numbers. It does not stop illegal robocall operations that are already violating federal law. However, registering gives the FTC enforcement data and establishes that any robocall to your number is a violation, which supports legal action.
What is the most effective single step I can take?
Do not answer calls from unknown numbers. Let them go to voicemail. Legitimate callers leave messages. Scammers and robocalls rarely do. If a voicemail seems concerning, verify independently by calling the organization at a number you find yourself (not the number from the voicemail). This single behavior change eliminates your exposure to the vast majority of phone scams.
