FTC Releases Do Not Call Registry Data Book

On November 23, 2021, the FTC released its 2021 Do Not Call Registry Data Book. This is the 13th year of publication for the data book. 

Highlights:

• Robocalls topped the list of consumer complaints (almost 594,000 were reported during the FY ending in September 2021)
• Many of the complaints were related to imposters falsely posing as government representatives, or legitimate business entities
• Calls about supposed debt reduction made up the third most commonly reported complaint
• The DNC registry contained 244.3 million actively registered phone numbers, which is an increase from 241.5 million at the end of FY 2020 
• The top five states reporting the most complaints in 2021 were: Maryland, Delaware, Arizona, Colorado, and Virginia 

insideARM Perspective:

The number of consumers adding their phone numbers to the FTC Do Not Call Registry increased for the second year in a row. Combined with the call caps laid out in Regulation F, reaching consumers by telephone is becoming more difficult. If they are not already, those in the debt collection industry would be wise to evaluate their outbound contact strategies and make adjustments based on consumer trends.