PHOENIX - Attorney General Mark Brnovich, along with the State Attorneys General Robocall Working Group, is encouraging the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to facilitate continued collaboration among state attorneys general and telecom companies to trace back illegal robocalls to their source.
Under the TRACED Act, which became law in December 2019, the FCC will select a single registered association to manage the work to trace back illegal robocalls. Because a call can pass through the networks of many telecom companies before reaching its final destination, tracing that call—which is key to enforcing laws against illegal robocallers—requires collaboration among telecom companies and state attorneys general. In the comments submitted by Attorney General Brnovich and other states to the FCC, the states note that traceback investigations are necessary for law enforcement to identify and investigate illegal robocallers more efficiently and expose voice service providers that assist and facilitate illegal robocallers.
For the last few years, state attorneys general have encouraged the telecom industry to increase the number and speed of traceback investigations each month. Many telecom companies have joined this effort and are working hard to stop illegal robocallers. Traceback investigations are more urgent than ever because of coronavirus-related robocall scams that are relentlessly targeting Arizonans. The Arizona Attorney General’s Office (AGO) has issued several warnings on COVID-19 scams including stimulus check fraud, fake miracle cures, and work-from-home offers.
Since 2018, Arizona has been on the executive committee of a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general to combat the scourge of robocalls. The coalition has been working with the telecom industry on implementing common-sense business practices to minimize illegal robocalls and to trace these calls back to their source.
Since 2017, the AGO has obtained numerous judgments against companies making phone calls to individuals on the FTC’s Do Not Call List. This includes a $1,000,000 civil penalty against Adobe Carpet Cleaning, a $340,000 civil penalty against Desert Valley Aire, and a $150,000 civil penalty against Orangutan Home Services.
If you believe you have been the victim of consumer fraud or illegal robocalls, you can file a consumer complaint by visiting the Attorney General’s website. If you need a complaint form sent to you, you can contact the Attorney General’s Office in Phoenix at (602) 542-5763, in Tucson at (520) 628-6648, or outside the Phoenix and Tucson metro areas at (800) 352-8431.
Attorney General Brnovich is joined in submitting the comments by the Attorneys General of Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and West Virginia.
A copy of the comments.