Robocalls Surge in March, with Political Scare Tactics Leading the Pack
- Cyber Jack
- 7 days ago
- 3 min read
In March 2025, U.S. phones rang an uncomfortable 4.8 billion times—courtesy of robocallers. That's a 7.9% spike from February, according to YouMail’s latest Robocall Index, and while the leap is mostly tied to the longer month, the trend reveals something far more troubling: robocalls are back on the rise, and they’re nastier and more manipulative than ever.
"Robocall volume in March continues the trend of 2025 starting off at a monthly volume roughly 10% higher than the same period in 2024," said Alex Quilici, CEO of YouMail. “This trend is not what consumers were hoping for, and there continues to be a need for apps and services that protect consumers.”
The Big Picture: More Calls, More Scams
The average U.S. consumer endured 155 million robocalls a day, or roughly 1,794 robocalls per second throughout March. That’s not just annoying—it’s the backdrop to a growing digital arms race between scam artists and the anti-robocall technologies trying to block them.
YouMail’s data shows increases across all types of robocalls—from appointment reminders to outright scams. The breakdown is bleak:
40% were telemarketing
26% were general notifications
20% were payment reminders
14% were scams
And of those 4.8 billion calls, 2.6 billion were categorized as spam or unwanted telemarketing, further underscoring the scale of the problem.
The Worst Offender: Medical Panic Meets Political Rhetoric
One robocall campaign stood out for both its aggression and scale. A series of calls—believed to number over 50 million—flooded American phones, pushing high-deductible health insurance plans through politically charged, fear-based messaging. With lines like “Trump’s revenge tour will wipe this off the map” and “Press one before it’s too late”, the script read like a mashup of health misinformation and political conspiracy theory.
These calls didn’t identify a company, originated from hundreds of thousands of spoofed numbers, and targeted individuals who, according to YouMail’s feedback, never opted in or requested contact.
It’s a campaign that’s emblematic of the new robocall playbook: manipulate fear, obscure origin, and blast at scale.
Robocall Blocking Isn’t Dead—It’s Evolving
YouMail’s defense against this onslaught is a blend of audio fingerprinting, network analysis, and consumer reporting—all part of what it calls the “telephone sensor network.” The goal? Spot illegal or malicious calling campaigns in real time and neutralize them before they spread like wildfire.
When YouMail blocks a call, the app answers it with a “this number is out of service” tone, tricking the spam system into thinking it reached a dead end. It’s a clever hack, but the war is far from won.
Why This Matters More Than Ever
This isn’t just about spam. Robocalls are increasingly used to steal identities, push disinformation, and commit large-scale fraud. The fact that nearly 13% more robocalls were made this March than last year should concern anyone with a phone—especially in a high-stakes election year where politically motivated messaging is increasingly blending with commercial scams.
YouMail's monthly Robocall Index continues to be the most authoritative source on national robocall trends, even used by the FCC to track problematic behavior. But consumers still shoulder the burden of staying vigilant.
What You Can Do
Install a robocall-blocking app like YouMail or a carrier-provided solution
Don’t engage with suspicious calls—pressing “1” often confirms your number is active
Report scam calls to the FTC and platforms like YouMail’s robocall directory
Use call screening and voicemail transcription to preview unknown numbers
Scammers are evolving faster than ever. With robocallers now using everything from AI voice cloning to real-time number spoofing, 2025’s robocall war is more sophisticated—and more personal—than anything we've seen before.