Verizon helps customers avoid nearly 6 billion to date; leads industry in robocall protection

BASKING RIDGE, NJ -- Verizon leads the industry in protecting more than 75 million consumer, business and prepaid wireless lines with Call Filter, which helps curb unwanted robocalls made to consumers. In fact, for the past eight months, the industry has experienced a drop in monthly spam calls, according to Transaction Network Services, Verizon’s robocall analytics partner.

Verizon’s ongoing efforts coupled with the global pandemic have disrupted robocallers, causing more than a 30% decline in unwanted calls over the last three months, and eight consecutive months of decline.

Recently, Verizon systems have identified that illegal robocallers are changing their approach, using coronavirus as a lure when impersonating healthcare providers, government entities and credit card companies. Verizon customers can block or avoid many of these calls at no cost thanks to the free Call Filter app.

“Verizon continues to lead the way on robocalling efforts on behalf of our customers and the industry. Our ongoing efforts have helped contribute to eight consecutive months of decline in unwanted robocalls calls, and we will continue to lead the industry forward,” said Ronan Dunne, CEO Verizon Consumer Group.

Since Verizon launched its free Call Filter app to smartphone consumers last year, we’ve helped customers avoid nearly six billion spam calls and robocalls, and we’re just getting started. Earlier this year, we expanded Call Filter to devices like Basic Phones, Wireless Home Phone, and the Google Pixel. Customers with those devices can enroll in Call Filter spam block via My Verizon to silence high risk spam calls.

In addition to the free spam protection features of Verizon’s Call Filter app, which is preloaded on most Verizon Android devices and available on the Apple App store, postpaid customers can upgrade to Call Filter Plus for $2.99 per month. That version of the app offers additional features, including:

• Caller Name ID

• Spam Look Up

• Personal Block List

• Spam Risk Meter

Fios Digital Voice customers automatically get Caller ID & Spam Alerts for free, which warn of potential fraud calls, and can opt into Nomorobo, a free tool that stops robocalls from ringing on your home phone.

Verizon has made significant progress deploying STIR/SHAKEN, an industry-wide effort that helps verify that a call is in fact from the number displayed on the Caller ID and not spoofed. Verizon is currently verifying billions of calls every month within our network and has sent three billion STIR/SHAKEN calls to other carriers.