A new report says scam calls are falling, but the average victim now loses more, and many phone companies still lag on caller verification.
Fewer scam calls are reaching people, but the ones that work are costing more. A new report from the U.S. PIRG Education Fund, covered by ConsumerAffairs, finds that average losses from phone and text scams are rising in 2026.
The average loss from a phone scam reached $3,973 in early 2026. That is up nearly 8% from a year earlier. The average loss from a scam text hit $1,960, up about 35%. The report also notes that AI can now mimic familiar voices, which makes a fake call from a relative or a bank sound more believable.
Phone companies are part of the problem. Only 4,853 of 11,467 registered phone companies had fully installed call-verification technology, which is meant to help confirm who is really calling. That is fewer than half.
Anyone with a phone or text messages. The calls most worth doubting claim to come from a bank, a government agency, a retailer or a family member.
A familiar caller ID or voice is not proof. Pause before sending money or sharing personal details on any unexpected call or text. The alert box above lists the specific steps.
The material does not say why losses are rising while calls fall, or which phone companies are behind on verification. Those details are likely in the full report.
A familiar number or voice proves nothing, so pause before sending money or sharing details on any unexpected call or text.
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