BOSTON — Unwanted spam calls offering personal loans are inundating mobile phone users, disrupting routines and raising privacy concerns for consumers nationwide. Some recipients tell Boston 25 News they receive automated calls multiple times a day despite never submitting loan inquiries.
The automated calls often stem from personal information scraped from public websites or exposed in data breaches. Patrick Crotty, a senior attorney specializing in telephone consumer protection at the National Consumer Law Center in Boston, said scammers compile that data into lead lists and use it to distribute fraudulent loan offers.
Garrett Kistler of Leominster has dealt with persistent telemarketing calls since February. He’s accumulated more than 230 unsolicited voicemails on his phone. They happen so often, they interfere with his daily routine.
“Almost four or five times a day, sometimes even up to 10 times a day,” Kistler told Boston 25 News. “And sometimes that actually leads me to miss important calls.”
Kistler said the automated calls continue even with no response.
“Most programs would probably say stop after reaching out a dozen times, right? But this clearly is not the case. It just keeps going and going and going,” Kistler said.
Consumer protection experts warn that many of these calls are AI-generated scams designed to gather personal information. Crotty said scammers structure automated pitches to bypass consumers’ instincts and defenses.
“What they’re trying to do is get around your natural defenses,” Crotty said.
Scammers often harvest public information to create databases of potential targets.
“That data can oftentimes be scraped from public-facing websites and used to build these lead lists, which can be used for scams,” Crotty said.
While the Federal Trade Commission works to curb illegal telemarketing, consumers have several options for limiting unwanted calls. Wireless carriers offer tools that screen calls and flag suspected scams.
“All of the major mobile providers will give you a call blocking app with basic functionality at no charge,” Crotty said.
Consumers can also forward unwanted spam text messages to 7726 to alert their wireless carrier.
Security experts recommend hanging up immediately when receiving calls from unknown numbers, avoiding callbacks to unrecognized voicemail numbers, and never sharing personal information. Legitimate financial institutions do not make unsolicited calls offering preapproved personal loans.
Consumers can monitor their credit history for free through AnnualCreditReport.com. Kistler said he reviewed his records to ensure no fraudulent loans had been opened in his name.
“Nobody’s taking out any loans in my name, which makes me feel better. But you know the spam calls are obviously annoying,” Kistler said.
Consumers can also register their phone numbers with the FTC’s National Do Not Call Registry at DoNotCall.gov.
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