Utah spam call complaints surge after years of declines

SALT LAKE CITY — If it feels like your phone is ringing with more junk calls again, the numbers suggest you may not be imagining it. The problem, after getting better for years, is now getting worse, according to a Get Gephardt analysis of Do Not Call Registry data.

Spam call complaints fell sharply in Utah for years. Now, they are climbing again, and the rebound in Utah is bigger than the national jump.

Utahns filed more than 44,000 unwanted call complaints with the Federal Trade Commission in 2021.

By 2024, that number had dropped to fewer than 14,900. That's a decrease of about 66%.

Then, the line turned.

In 2025, Utah complaints jumped to 20,261, an increase of 36% in just one year. That's significantly higher than the national increase of about 26%. Nationally, it was also the first increase after three straight years of declines.

The biggest complaint categories included debt reduction, imposters, and medical or prescription pitches.

The FTC cautions that these numbers reflect consumer complaints, not a scientific survey of unwanted calls. So, while the data shows more people are complaining, it does not tell us exactly why the numbers have moved.

But if your number is on the Do Not Call list and you're still getting calls, the FTC says it wants to know about it. The agency shares reported phone numbers with companies working on call-blocking tools, meaning filing a complaint may help efforts to stop unwanted calls.

There is one caveat: The Do Not Call Registry is meant to stop legitimate telemarketers. Scammers who are already breaking the law may simply ignore it.

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