Everyone knows them, nobody likes them: Dubious companies bother people on the phone with annoying advertising calls. The Federal Network Agency is now reporting a new high. The number of complaints has increased by a quarter. The fines imposed have also reached a new record level.
Annoying sales calls: Complaints at peak
The Federal Network Agency has published new numbers about unwanted advertising on the phone. According to this, the number of complaints received rose by 26 percent in 2021. In the previous year there were 63,273 reports to the authority Number increased to 79,702 complaints. Already in 2020 it was a new high.
The content of the annoying calls is often about Energy contracts, insurance or products from the financial sector. Dubious sweepstakes and advertising for magazine subscriptions are also often reported to the Federal Network Agency. The authority is investigating the complaints and ordered a total fine of 1.435 million euros in 2021, which also corresponds to a new record (source: Federal Network Agency).
The amount is likely to increase again significantly in 2022, because the fine framework was revised in December 2021. If you not only call in an obtrusive advertising manner, but also suppress your phone number at the same time, you can now asked to pay up to 300,000 euros will. Previously it was a maximum of 10,000 euros.
This is how easy it is to block a number on your smartphone:
Unsolicited advertising also via SMS and fax
Dubious companies try not only by telephone, but also by SMS and even by fax. The Federal Network Agency has also observed an increase in complaints here. When it comes to unsolicited fax advertising, the focus is often on corona tests and masks while it with SMS often amounts to phishing attempts. The Federal Network Agency therefore had 1,110 telephone numbers blocked last year. Phone numbers can also be quickly blocked on Android and iOS themselves.