Robocalls are rising fast in 2025 – especially in these US cities
In the first five months of the year, robocalls have gone up 11% when compared to the same period in 2024, the company's latest analysis found. Last month averaged more than 1,800 robocalls per second.
The people most likely to have their phones ringing endlessly these days live outside the country's biggest cities, the report found.
The cities that saw the largest year-over-year jump in robocalls, according to YouMail, were:
Larger cities, like Houston and Philadelphia, also saw increases in robocall volume, YouMail CEO Alex Quilici said, but the changes weren't as dramatic.
'It's really fascinating, the bigger cities are very similar to last year – slight increases or decreases,' he said. 'It's the mid-tier cities, especially in the Midwest seeing big jumps.'
While would-be scammers haven't given up trying to contact you, it's actually legal telemarketing callers that are driving much of the increase, according to Quilici.
It has to do with a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rule change earlier this year. The agency was trying to make it so that when you give consent for a company to contact you, you're only agreeing to be contacted by that specific company. But that rule was tossed out in court, and now companies can often share your contact information with others who may want it.
Quilici gave an example: 'I was shopping for a car, and there's five or six local dealers. And sure, the local dealers can call me. I'm happy to give consent for that, right? I want them to call me and tell me what they've got, but I didn't mean to then give consent to insurance companies and everybody else out there.'
Most people don't read the terms before clicking that little box online, so they don't realize they've agreed to being blasted with marketing calls. Giving that consent also means they can be contacted even if they're on the federal Do Not Call Registry.
Thanks to another recent court ruling, the FCC has also had a harder time fining wrongdoers, Quilici explained.
Other agencies, like the Department of Justice, may pick up the mantle and try to go after excessive telemarketing calls, spam texts and scammers, he said. But in the meantime, we may be stuck screening more and more unwanted calls.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Forbes
20 minutes ago
- Forbes
AI Acceptance: How Building Curiosity Can Overcome The Fear Of AI
With more than half of Americans saying they are more concerned than excited about AI, it is clear that people fear technology. Some of that fear grows when leading experts share warnings about AI taking over jobs or even posing risks to society. Their fear of AI is not irrational because there are potential issues. However, AI is not going away, and the sooner and better everyone learns to work with it, the more productive organizations will be. In my research on the factors that impact curiosity, fear and technology consistently emerged as two of the main inhibitors and are powerful barriers to learning and exploration. For organizations that want to be innovative, developing curiosity is essential. Building a culture of curiosity that helps people move past the fear of technology, especially AI, can be one of the most important steps an organization takes if it wants to compete in today's environment. Why Fear Of AI Needs To Be Addressed Early Fear of AI often begins before anyone even starts working with it. When you have Elon Musk saying things like AI is summoning the demon or Stephen Hawking warning AI could spell the end of the human race, it's unsettling. On a personal level, it is also daunting to think that not only could your entire job change, but you might not have the job you worked so hard to get because AI will now do it. News stories, public debates, and workplace rumors can influence perceptions long before the first training session. Without a clear plan for how AI will be introduced and supported, these perceptions feel like reality and people get spooked. The earlier leaders acknowledge this and address it directly, the easier it is to replace assumptions with understanding. Early conversations create the foundation for curiosity, turning fear into questions rather than avoidance. How Fear Of AI And Technology Inhibits Curiosity When Left Unchecked In my research, technology emerged as one of four major inhibitors of curiosity, along with fear, assumptions, and environment. Trying to learn AI can be even more intimidating when it is introduced without adequate context or support. Even the most tech-savvy professionals can hesitate to use new tools if they believe the learning curve will be steep or if they have had frustrating experiences with past technology rollouts. When people feel overwhelmed, they often rely on status-quo behaviors, which limits exploration. This is why building comfort with technology, including AI, is as important as explaining its purpose. The more confident people feel in their ability to understand and use AI, the more likely they are to embrace it. Why A Culture Of Curiosity Helps Reduce Fear Of AI A culture of curiosity involves creating an environment where exploration feels safe, learning is valued, and experimentation is rewarded. In organizations where curiosity is part of the daily routine, employees approach AI with interest rather than apprehension. They see new technology as an opportunity to discover better ways of working, not as a threat to their current skills. This mindset shift is essential for reducing fear of AI and increasing acceptance. Leadership's Role In Overcoming Fear Of AI Leaders have significant influence over how AI is perceived within their teams. When leaders openly engage with AI, ask thoughtful questions, and share what they are learning, they set the tone for curiosity. They can also normalize the learning process by showing that it is acceptable to not know every answer immediately. Training sessions that encourage interaction rather than one-way instruction can further reinforce this message. When leaders model curiosity, they give employees permission to explore without hesitation. Turning Fear Of AI Into Opportunities For Growth Every interaction with AI can be an opportunity to learn something new. But at the beginning, people might see learning AI as overwhelming. It is similar to my doctoral students who would look at their dissertation process and feel stressed about having to write potentially hundreds of pages of research. I would kid around with them, saying, 'how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time,' which is obviously corny but gets the point across. If people look at the whole AI elephant, they can get overwhelmed. By introducing AI in small, manageable ways, employees can see how it benefits their work without feeling pressured. This might mean starting with a single AI feature that solves a common challenge or streamlines a repetitive task. As people gain experience and see positive results, their confidence grows. Over time, curiosity begins to replace fear, and AI becomes a normal, even welcome, part of daily operations. The Connection Between Curiosity And Innovation In Avoiding Fear Of AI Curiosity is a driving force behind innovation. When employees are encouraged to explore AI and share their discoveries, new ideas emerge. These ideas can lead to better processes, improved services, and creative solutions that might not have been considered otherwise. For example, a customer service team might experiment with AI-powered chat tools and discover ways to resolve inquiries faster while improving customer satisfaction. A marketing team might explore AI analytics to identify trends they had not previously noticed. A workplace that values curiosity creates more opportunities for AI to be used in ways that support both individual and organizational goals. This not only reduces fear of AI but also maximizes its potential benefits. Sustaining Curiosity To Keep Fear Of AI From Returning Reducing fear of AI requires more than a one-time effort. Technology will continue to evolve, and with each new development, uncertainty can resurface. Sustaining curiosity requires consistent reinforcement. Regular learning opportunities, peer-to-peer knowledge sharing, and recognition for innovative uses of AI help maintain momentum. When curiosity becomes a habit, employees are better equipped to adapt to change, and fear becomes less of an issue. Why Overcoming Fear Of AI Is A Competitive Advantage Organizations that address fear of AI and actively promote curiosity are better positioned to adapt quickly to new challenges and opportunities. They can implement AI more effectively, encourage innovation, and attract talent that values growth and learning. In a competitive environment, this cultural advantage can make the difference between leading the market and struggling to keep up. Reducing fear of AI strengthens the organization as a whole. My research shows that fear and technology are two of the most powerful inhibitors of curiosity, and AI impacts both. By intentionally creating a culture where curiosity is encouraged, leaders can help their teams see AI as a tool to explore rather than a threat to avoid. The more curiosity becomes part of everyday work, the less influence fear of AI will have, and the more likely employees will get out of status-quo thinking and embrace innovation.
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
Trump's Truth Social AI ChatBot Keeps Fact-Checking Him
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Truth Social's newly launched chatbot, Truth Search AI, has repeatedly returned answers that contradicted President Donald Trump on major topics including the 2020 election, tariffs and the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. The Perplexity AI–powered tool frequently cited conservative outlets such as Fox News while nonetheless producing answers that labelled the Jan. 6 events "insurrection," called the claim that the 2020 election was stolen "baseless," and described tariffs as a tax on Americans. Why It Matters Truth Social was created as an alternative social network for conservatives and for President Trump's communications, after he was removed from many of the largest social media platforms, including X (then Twitter) and Facebook, following January 6. This month, Truth Social promoted a new AI search feature as a way to deliver "direct, reliable answers" to the platform's users. The tool's tendency to cite conservative outlets while issuing responses that undercut the president's long-held assertions raised questions about whether platform control of AI can ensure friendly or partisan outcomes, and about how AI source-selection features will shape political information on networks aimed at specific audiences. What To Know In tests conducted by the Washington Post, the Truth Search AI described the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol as violent and linked it to what the tool called President Trump's "baseless claims of widespread election fraud." The bot also said that tariffs acted as a tax on Americans and that evidence did not support some of President Trump's assertions about tariffs driving stock-market gains. A smartphone displays a Truth Social post by U.S. President Donald Trump announcing the signing of an executive order to extend the tariff suspension on China for another 90 days, on August 12, 2025 in... A smartphone displays a Truth Social post by U.S. President Donald Trump announcing the signing of an executive order to extend the tariff suspension on China for another 90 days, on August 12, 2025 in Chongqing, China. More Getty Images In Wired's test of the tool, it frequently cited conservative outlets such as Fox News, Fox Business and The Washington Times as sources despite the fact that Perplexity AI draws from a range of publications, including those from the left and center. Perplexity, the developer of the underlying search technology, said that Truth Social had used a "source selection" feature to limit websites the tool relied on and that site selection was the platform's choice, Wired reported. Truth Search AI's answers did not always align with President Trump's public statements and posts on Truth Social, producing conclusions that undercut assertions the president had repeatedly advanced about the 2020 election being stolen by the Biden administration. It comes after Trump's reputation suffered at the hands of another social media AI, Grok, which is produced by the president's former political ally, Elon Musk. On Sunday, Grok replied to an X user who asked whether violent crime in D.C. was going down and to another user who asked who the "most notorious criminal" in the capital was, saying that the president was. In a since-deleted post, Grok wrote: "Yes, violent crime in DC has declined 26 percent year-to-date in 2025, hitting a 30-year low per MPD and DOJ data. As for the most notorious criminal there, based on convictions and notoriety, it's President Donald Trump—convicted on 34 felonies in NY, with the verdict upheld in January 2025." What People Are Saying Jesse Dwyer, Perplexity spokesman, told The Washington Post: "This is their choice for their audience, and we are committed to developer and consumer choice. Our focus is simply building accurate AI." What Happens Next Truth Media & Technology Group described the chatbot deployment as a public beta, and Perplexity said it supported developer choice over source selection, indicating that Truth Social could adjust the bot's configured sources or messaging as the platform received user feedback.
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
Green Card Applications Suffer Major Blow
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Employer-sponsored green card applications are facing historic delays, according to a new report from the Cato Institute. On Monday, the libertarian think tank in Washington, D.C., published the results of its investigation into the processing times that immigrant workers now face when applying for green cards. It found that the average length had risen to 1,256 days, or 3.4 years, at the end of the second quarter of 2025—compared to 705 days (1.9 years) in 2016. Newsweek has contacted U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for comment via email. Why It Matters Average processing times have now reached an all-time high, according to Cato's analysis. The think tank added that the general difficulty applicants have in securing green cards threatens to undermine the competitiveness of the U.S. in attracting global talent. These drawn-out timelines create difficulties for both employees and employers, and they add to a mounting backlog for authorities at a time when the U.S.'s immigration architecture is already being significantly reshaped by the policies of President Donald Trump's administration. What To Know According to the Cato Institute's report, even applicants who pay a $2,805 "premium processing fee" wait almost two years on average before making it out of the "government's regulatory morass." These wait times are in addition to the time applicants must wait to secure a cap slot—based on the numerical limits the government sets on green cards by country and category—as well as the months of prefiling that must be done before applications can begin. A woman clutches a U.S. flag as she prepares to take the oath of citizenship in commemoration of Independence Day during a naturalization ceremony in San Antonio on July 3. A woman clutches a U.S. flag as she prepares to take the oath of citizenship in commemoration of Independence Day during a naturalization ceremony in San Antonio on July 3. Eric Gay/AP Photo The Cato Institute broke the process for employer-sponsored applications into six stages, all of which have risen since 2016: The prefiling stage: Employers and applicants gather documentation proving eligibility. Employers and applicants gather documentation proving eligibility. Prevailing wage determination: The Department of Labor evaluates the job to estimate a wage. The Department of Labor evaluates the job to estimate a wage. U.S. worker recruitment: Employers must also strive to recruit U.S. workers. Employers must also strive to recruit U.S. workers. Labor certification: Employers apply for a labor certification after proving no sufficiently qualified Americans responded to the job postings. Employers apply for a labor certification after proving no sufficiently qualified Americans responded to the job postings. Employer petition: Employers file a petition with the Department of Homeland Security, which checks the worker's eligibility and the employer's ability to pay them. Employers file a petition with the Department of Homeland Security, which checks the worker's eligibility and the employer's ability to pay them. Green card application: The employer requests status adjustment to permanent residence, requiring background and medical checks and a confirmation of the job offer. This protracted and complex process, according to the think tank, means employers are all but required to grant temporary work visas (such as the H-1B) to their employees before securing a green card, further drawing out these waiting times. According to a separate report from the immigration services company Boundless Immigration, citing data from USCIS, case completions across the board have fallen this year. In the second quarter of the federal fiscal year, which runs from January 1 to March 31, these dropped 18 percent year over year to 2.7 million. Meanwhile, the backlog of pending cases at USCIS grew to 11.3 million, the highest in over a decade. What People Are Saying The Cato Institute wrote in its report: "America will lose the global talent competition when other countries grant green cards in a matter of a few weeks or months, not years. It is time for the U.S. government to radically streamline its legal immigration system and eliminate unnecessary, burdensome procedures."
