--- title: Need relief? Phone scammers are betting you do description: There are debt relief scams, tax relief scams, credit card relief scams, mortgage relief scams, COVID relief scams, and more. See how these phone scams work. image: https://blog.hiya.com/hubfs/For%20Open%20Graph%20(with%20Text)-4.png --- [![Hiya logo](https://blog.hiya.com/hubfs/hiya-new-purple.svg)](https://www.hiya.com/) Solutions Solutions [For Mobile Operators Protect your network](https://www.hiya.com/solutions/operators) [For Businesses Brand your calls](https://www.hiya.com/solutions/businesses) [For People Get the mobile app](https://www.hiya.com/products/apps/hiya-spam-blocker) ###### Webinar Branded Calling 101 Weekly Webinar Make your company's calls more recognizable. Learn how Hiya can drive value for your business. [Sign up today Arrow Right](https://www.hiya.com/lp/webinar-series-intro-to-hiya-branded-call) Products Connect ###### [Branded Call Display your branded caller ID](https://www.hiya.com/products/connect/branded-call) ###### [Number Registration Display your branded caller ID](https://www.hiya.com/products/connect/number-registration) ###### [View Plans Flexible pricing for teams of all sizes](https://www.hiya.com/products/connect/pricing) Protect ###### [Spam Analytics Stop spam & fraud on your mobile network](https://www.hiya.com/products/protect/spam-analytics) ###### [AI Voice Detection Real-time AI voice detection](https://www.hiya.com/products/protect/ai-voice-detection) Mobile apps ###### [Hiya Spam Blocker Fraud & AI voice protection](https://www.hiya.com/products/apps/hiya-spam-blocker) ###### [Hiya AI Phone Productivity for busy people](https://www.hiya.com/products/apps/hiya-ai-phone) ![](https://blog.hiya.com/hubfs/sotc-report.avif) ###### Report State of the Call 2026 86% of unidentified calls go unanswered. Read the benchmark report for what is happening in voice today, and what you can do to drive business. [Read the report Arrow Right](https://www.hiya.com/state-of-the-call) Why Hiya? Overview [Why Hiya Your voice innovation partner](https://www.hiya.com/why-hiya) [How it works Get started quickly & easily](https://www.hiya.com/how-it-works) [Customer Stories Real companies, real results](https://www.hiya.com/case-studies) [Voice Intelligence Platform Industry’s leading voice platform](https://www.hiya.com/why-hiya/voice-intelligence-platform) [Trust Center Compliance, security, & privacy](https://www.hiya.com/why-hiya/trust-center) Company [About Leadership and history](https://www.hiya.com/company/about) [Careers We're hiring!](https://www.hiya.com/company/careers) [Contact us Get in touch](https://www.hiya.com/contact-us) ![](https://blog.hiya.com/hubfs/bclc-hero-img.webp) ###### Customer Story BCLC increases business KPIs with Hiya With Hiya Branded Call BCLC was able to increase contact rates, campaign efficiency, and revenue. [Read their story Arrow Right](https://www.hiya.com/customer-stories/bclc) Resources Resources [Resource Center](https://www.hiya.com/resources) [Partner Program](https://partners.hiya.com/) [Get Support](https://hiya.com/support) [Developer Docs](https://developer.hiya.com/) [Hiya Blog](https://blog.hiya.com/) [Newsroom](https://www.hiya.com/newsroom) [Events](https://www.hiya.com/events) ###### eBook 10 Tips for customer-friendly phone calls Prevent caller reputation issues and complaints with customer-friendly calling practices. [Read eBook Arrow Right](https://www.hiya.com/resources/ebooks/10-tips-for-customer-friendly-phone-calls) [Get Started Arrow Right](https://www.hiya.com/#audience) [Log in](https://connect.hiya.com/login) [Get started](https://www.hiya.com/#audience) - [Home](https://hiya.com) - [Blog](https://blog.hiya.com) - [Need relief? Phone scammers are betting you do](https://blog.hiya.com/need-relief-phone-scammers-are-betting-you-do) [Hiya Protect](https://blog.hiya.com/tag/hiya-protect) [Scam Trends](https://blog.hiya.com/tag/scam-trends) [Spam & Fraud Protection](https://blog.hiya.com/tag/spam-fraud-protection) # Need relief? Phone scammers are betting you do [Andrea Moreno](https://blog.hiya.com/author/andrea-moreno) Nov. 29, 2023 [![](https://blog.hiya.com/hubfs/icon-fb.svg)](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https://blog.hiya.com/need-relief-phone-scammers-are-betting-you-do) [![](https://blog.hiya.com/hubfs/icon-x.svg)](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://blog.hiya.com/need-relief-phone-scammers-are-betting-you-do&text=Need+relief%3F+Phone+scammers+are+betting+you+do) [![](https://blog.hiya.com/hubfs/icon-linkedin.svg)](https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://blog.hiya.com/need-relief-phone-scammers-are-betting-you-do) ## At a glance ![Need relief? Phone scammers are betting you do](https://blog.hiya.com/hubfs/For%20Open%20Graph%20(with%20Text)-4.png) Relief scams were among the top phone scams in the US, according to Hiya’s [Q3 Global Call Threat Report](https://www.hiya.com/global-call-threat-report), which reveals spam rates in 39 countries worldwide and details the most prominent types of scam calls in select countries. Rather than being a single scam, relief scams cover various topics. Hiya users report getting calls offering debt relief, tax relief, credit card relief, mortgage relief, pandemic relief, and more. Often, these scams will increase following announcements of new programs for [student loan relief](https://blog.hiya.com/scam-of-the-month-student-loan-debt?hsLang=en), [COVID relief](https://blog.hiya.com/scam-of-the-month-covid-related-threats?hsLang=en), and other government-funded relief programs. ![Global Call Threat Report_2023Q3_US Trend@2x](https://blog.hiya.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Global%20Call%20Threat%20Report_2023Q3_US%20Trend@2x.jpg?width=1300&height=585&name=Global%20Call%20Threat%20Report_2023Q3_US%20Trend@2x.jpg) *Relief scams (yellow line) rank among the top phone scams, with around 300 users reporting various relief scams weekly.* ##### **Samples of robocalls offering relief** Below are examples of robocalls offering some type of relief. These come from the [Hiya honeypot](https://blog.hiya.com/hiya-honeypots-and-user-reports-capture-a-wealth-of-insight-on-phone-scams?hsLang=en), a collection of more than 100,000 Hiya-owned phone numbers used to record and analyze incoming calls. The honeypot is one of the many tools Hiya uses to identify spam campaigns so it can block scam calls and label nuisance calls.  *“This is a very urgent and time sensitive message from Relief Advisory Agency about funding your hardship account. You have been prequalified for a $31,000 hardship benefit to pay your bills. So, if you have unsecured debt totaling over $10,000 this money is the solution you've been looking for. Call us now at 866-924-3393 to enroll in the publicly backed debt elimination program that provides funding to help you get out of your unpaid bills.”* *“Hi. This is Kelsey with IRS Tax Relief. I'm reaching out because I noticed that you might have some tax debt and I wanted to offer my assistance in finding you a solution. Are you familiar with the IRS Fresh Start Program?* ***Hi. This is Michael calling from the Relief Center. I'm reaching out to you about our assistance program. The benefit is up to $20,000. So if you're struggling with credit cards at this time and you could use some assistance, please give me a call. We're ready to help you out and answer any questions that you have.”*** [**Download the Q3 2023 Global Call Threat Report**](https://www.hiya.com/global-call-threat-report?__hstc=45788219.2c8b33d23c0f4bb65765abd5c27fdab1.1701278010553.1701278010553.1701278010553.1&__hssc=45788219.1.1701278010553&__hsfp=2556139473) ##### **What users are reporting** In addition to the honeypot, Hiya also analyzes [user reports](https://blog.hiya.com/hiya-honeypots-and-user-reports-capture-a-wealth-of-insight-on-phone-scams?__hstc=45788219.2c8b33d23c0f4bb65765abd5c27fdab1.1701278010553.1701278010553.1701278010553.1&__hssc=45788219.1.1701278010553&__hsfp=2556139473&hsLang=en) to learn more about ongoing spam campaigns. Consumers using [Hiya Protect](https://www.hiya.com/products/protect?__hstc=45788219.2c8b33d23c0f4bb65765abd5c27fdab1.1701278010553.1701278010553.1701278010553.1&__hssc=45788219.1.1701278010553&__hsfp=2556139473) via their carrier, device manufacturer, or the [Hiya mobile app](https://www.hiya.com/products/app?__hstc=45788219.2c8b33d23c0f4bb65765abd5c27fdab1.1701278010553.1701278010553.1701278010553.1&__hssc=45788219.1.1701278010553&__hsfp=2556139473) can tap a prompt on their handset to report the call. Hiya receives millions of user reports each month. Users can also leave a comment about the call they just received. These often provide additional details about the call. Here’s what users have been saying about a wide variety of relief scams they’ve received: *“They call about* ***tax relief*** *every day. I block the calls, and they call back from other phone numbers.”* *“They claim to be calling me about* ***student loan debt relief****. They call 6 times a day.”* *“****Pain relief*** *scam targeting Medicare patients.”* *“****Credit card relief****. They call spoofing the number like it’s a local call. That tells me it's a scam.”* *“Says they’re contacting me about the money my business is owed from the* ***COVID W2 relief funds****. I don’t own a business.”* *“Hi! I wanted to let you know about a new grant available now that provides financial* ***relief to businesses****!”* *“Claimed to be from* ***Breast Cancer Relief****. Not sure if robo or telemarketer.”* *“Claims I called them for* ***debt relief****, which is laughable. Wanted my banking information.”* ##### **Learn more about phone scams worldwide** Want to learn more about phone scams affecting consumers in the US and other countries throughout the world? Download Hiya’s [Q3 Global Call Threat Report](https://www.hiya.com/global-call-threat-report?__hstc=45788219.2c8b33d23c0f4bb65765abd5c27fdab1.1701278010553.1701278010553.1701278010553.1&__hssc=45788219.1.1701278010553&__hsfp=2556139473). The report highlights the most common scam calls in the US, Canada, the UK, Spain, France, Germany and Brazil.  The report also provides spam and fraud rates in the 39 countries Hiya tracks. Charts in the report break down spam and fraud rates by region, including Europe, the Americas, and the Asia-Pacific region. You can download the report below.   [![gctr-cover-q3-01](https://blog.hiya.com/hs-fs/hubfs/gctr-cover-q3-01.png?width=650&height=685&name=gctr-cover-q3-01.png)](https://www.hiya.com/global-call-threat-report)   [![banner-hiya-reg](https://blog.hiya.com/hubfs/banner-hiya-reg.jpg)](https://www.hiya.com/products/connect/number-registration) ### Latest Articles ⚡️ - Hiya awarded 16 G2 Summer 2026 badges for branded caller ID Lena Prickett Jul. 9, 2026 - How Canada is leading the fight to stop bank scams Stephanie Boulanger Jun. 26, 2026 - How to check phone numbers for spam labels Michelle Wallace Jun. 9, 2026 ## Related articles ![](https://blog.hiya.com/hubfs/rogers-toronto-event-blog-hero.webp) ## [How Canada is leading the fight to stop bank scams](https://blog.hiya.com/how-canada-is-leading-the-fight-to-stop-bank-scams?hsLang=en) Stephanie Boulanger Jun. 26, 2026 ![](https://blog.hiya.com/hubfs/Blog_How-to-check-phone-numbers-for-spam-labels_B.webp) ## [How to check phone numbers for spam labels](https://blog.hiya.com/how-to-check-phone-numbers-for-spam-labels?hsLang=en) Michelle Wallace Jun. 9, 2026 ![](https://blog.hiya.com/hubfs/Hiya%20x%20DNA-blog@2x.webp) ## [Hiya and DNA Finland launch network-level call protection](https://blog.hiya.com/hiya-and-dna-finland-launch-network-level-call-protection?hsLang=en) Stephanie Boulanger Jun. 2, 2026 [![](https://blog.hiya.com/hubfs/hiya-new-purple.svg)](https://www.hiya.com/) [![](https://blog.hiya.com/hubfs/linkedin-1.svg)](https://www.linkedin.com/company/hiyainc) [![](https://blog.hiya.com/hubfs/facebook-1.svg)](https://www.facebook.com/hiyainc/) ###### Products - Connect - [Number Registration](https://www.hiya.com/products/connect/number-registration) - [Branded Call](https://www.hiya.com/products/connect/branded-call) - [View Plans](https://www.hiya.com/products/connect/pricing) - Protect - [Spam Analytics](https://www.hiya.com/products/protect/spam-analytics) - [AI Voice Detection](https://www.hiya.com/products/protect/ai-voice-detection) - Apps - [Hiya Spam Blocker](https://www.hiya.com/products/apps/hiya-spam-blocker) - [Hiya AI Phone](https://www.hiya.com/products/apps/hiya-ai-phone) ###### Solutions - Company size - [Enterprise](https://www.hiya.com/solutions/enterprise) - [Call Centers](https://www.hiya.com/solutions/call-center) - [Small and Medium](https://www.hiya.com/solutions/businesses) - Service providers - [Operators](https://www.hiya.com/solutions/operators) - [OEMs and technology](https://www.hiya.com/solutions/technology-partners) ###### Considering Hiya? - [Why Hiya](https://www.hiya.com/why-hiya) - [How it Works](https://www.hiya.com/how-it-works) - [Customer Stories](https://www.hiya.com/case-studies) - [Voice Intelligence Platform](https://www.hiya.com/why-hiya/voice-intelligence-platform) - [Trust Center](https://www.hiya.com/why-hiya/trust-center) - [Modern Slavery](https://www.hiya.com/company/modern-slavery) - [About Hiya](https://www.hiya.com/company/about) - [Careers: We're hiring!](https://www.hiya.com/company/careers) - [Contact us](https://www.hiya.com/contact-us) ###### Resources - [Resource Center](https://www.hiya.com/resources) - [Partner Program](https://partners.hiya.com/) - [Get Support](https://hiya.com/support) - [Developer Docs](https://developer.hiya.com/) - [Hiya Blog](https://hiya.com/blog) - [Events](https://www.hiya.com/events) - [Press Kit](https://www.hiya.com/newsroom#press-kit) ![ANAB](https://blog.hiya.com/hubfs/logo-anab.svg) ![ISO 27001](https://blog.hiya.com/hubfs/logo-iso27017.png) ![AICPA](https://blog.hiya.com/hubfs/logo-aicpa.svg) ![IAF](https://blog.hiya.com/hubfs/logo-iaf.svg) [Privacy Policy](https://www.hiya.com/legal/privacy) [Terms of Service](https://www.hiya.com/legal/terms-of-service) [App Data Privacy Policy](https://www.hiya.com/legal/app-data-protection-and-privacy-policy) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Andrea Moreno", "url" : "https://blog.hiya.com/author/andrea-moreno" }, "dateModified" : "2023-11-29T20:19:23.740Z", "datePublished" : "2023-11-29T20:19:23.000Z", "headline" : "Need relief? Phone scammers are betting you do", "image" : [ "https://blog.hiya.com/hubfs/For%20Open%20Graph%20(with%20Text)-4.png" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://blog.hiya.com/need-relief-phone-scammers-are-betting-you-do", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://blog.hiya.com/hubfs/hiya-logo-3.svg" }, "name" : "Hiya Inc." } } ```