CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey wants the Federal Communications Commission to do more about robocalls.
Morrisey joined members of the National Association of Attorneys General in submitting a comment to the FCC regarding the implementation of caller identity authentication technology designed to prevent spoofed calls. The FCC is considering expanding rules to more companies.
“Based upon consumer complaints filed with our offices, these fraudulent, foreign-originated robocalls often involve caller ID spoofing of U.S.-based phone numbers. Yet, without assistance from willing domestic providers to deliver illegal robocalls, these calls would never reach Americans,” the attorneys general said.
The group wants the FCC to continue implementing the STIR/SHAKEN standards to reduce illegal and fraudulent calls.
“Importantly, requiring all intermediate providers to comply with STIR/SHAKEN so that they no longer strip this information from calls will both assist downstream voice service providers who can prevent known sources of illegal robocalls from abusing their network, and assist State AGs in targeting those individuals and companies that are responsible for, and participate in, an enterprise that robs Americans of the freedom to answer their phones and continues to cause billions of dollars in losses,” the attorneys general stated.
Robocalls cost law enforcement, telecommunications companies and the public around $13.5 billion annually.