Hearing your phone’s notification sound can trigger a rush of dopamine. “Who’s calling me?” you wonder. It could be a friend, a partner, or even your boss saying you can take the day off.

You think the possibilities are endless—then you see it’s just junk, and the smile slips from your face. The average American gets about 15 spammy text messages per month, according to research from Statista.

Scams (calls, texts, emails, and all the rest) are never-ending … because it works. Scam calls alone lost Americans $19.7 billion in 2020, up from $9.2 billion in 2019. If you’ve just given up on answering, you’re not alone. A new survey from antispam company Hiya says 94% of unknown calls go unanswered.

Some other numbers:

• Americans received an average of 144 spam calls in 2020. Of those, 58% were some form of fraud.
• Scam call victims lost an average of $182 last year.
• Texas was the most targeted state. Dallas, Houston, Austin, San Antonio, and Fort Worth all rank in the top 10.

Possible Preaching Angle:

Satan is also unrelenting in sending temptation our way. He never stops or takes a day off. While we can’t prevent it, we can refuse to answer his call, and “not give the devil an opportunity” (Eph. 4:27).