Federal Officials Dial Up Investigation Against Illegal Telemarketing Calls
Federal officials announced a crackdown on telemarketers and related companies responsible for billions of illegal calls to U.S. consumers. Such calls have resulted in numerous instances of consumer fraud, particularly against elderly Americans.
The crackdown, dubbed “Operation Stop Scam Calls,” has been running for approximately a year and is a coordinated effort between federal and state officials. The Department of Justice (DOJ), Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the U.S. Postal Service, Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General, and attorneys general from all 50 states and the District of Columbia are among those participating.
At a recent press conference in Chicago, Deputy Assistant Attorney General Arun G. Rao of the Civil Division, Consumer Protection Branch, gave an update on the ongoing operation, saying DOJ is committed to pursuing scammers with both civil and criminal remedies.
“Illegal telephone calls interrupt cherished time with family and friends and, when they are used to commit fraud, can be financially and emotionally devastating,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Rao. “Stopping these pernicious calls requires taking a comprehensive approach to the problem.”
Since the launch of the operation, DOJ pursued approximately 90 cases against illegal telemarketers and the entities that facilitate such calls.
Besides targeting the actual people who make the calls, enforcement actions targeted “lead generators” who collect telephone numbers and provide them to robocallers and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service providers that “facilitate tens of billions of illegal calls every year.” Actions were also taken against individuals and entities who made money off the scam calls.
DOJ’s actions contributed to the 180 total actions taken by federal and state partners.
“Government agencies at all levels are united in fighting the scourge of illegal telemarketing. We are taking action against those who trick people into phony consent to receive these calls and those who make it easy and cheap to place these calls,” said Director Samuel Levine of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection.
Cases targeted both foreign and domestic telemarketing operations.
Civil, Criminal Cases
DOJ highlighted a few of the cases, including nine civil actions. In four of the civil cases, VoIP providers were sued for transmitting illegal phone calls, some of which originated at foreign call centers and involved scammers impersonating government agencies or e-commerce companies.
On the criminal side, DOJ said it prosecuted perpetrators who tried to scam older Americans, particularly for a scheme where the victim was told they won a large prize but must pay money to receive that prize.
DOJ released the following tips to help Americans stay safe and protect themselves from phone scams:
· Callers may pressure you to send money by trying to scare you. They may pretend to be someone you know who is in trouble, a government agency, or a major company. These are fraudsters. Hang up.
· Don’t trust your caller ID. It can be faked.
· If you answer the telephone and hear a recorded message instead of a live person, it’s potentially a robocall trying to sell you something. It is probably illegal and likely a scam.
· Only call a telephone number you know is real.
· Make sure your number is on the Do Not Call Registry and consider using your telephone’s call blocking options or getting a call blocking app or service.
“We, alongside our partners, will not let up in tracking, prosecuting, and penalizing the bad actors in this space and protecting consumers,” said FCC Enforcement Bureau Chief Loyaan Egal.