Attorney General Cameron joins FCC letter supporting efforts to stop robocallers

FRANKFORT, Ky. (WTVQ/Press Release) – Attorney General Daniel Cameron has joined a coalition of 51 attorneys general in sending a letter to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), supporting the agency’s efforts to reduce the access illegal robocallers’ have to legitimate phone numbers.

“As our efforts to combat caller ID spoofing start to reduce the number of illegal robocalls, bad actors are searching for alternative means to continue making these calls,” said Attorney General Cameron. “Today, we asked the FCC to adopt new policies that will aid us in stopping scammers from posing as legitimate companies in order to make illegal robocalls to Kentuckians.”

Phone companies were required earlier in 2021 to implement STIR/SHAKEN – caller ID authentication technology to combat spoofing by ensuring that telephone calls originate from verified numbers. Scam robocalls have dropped by 29% since June when the policy took effect.

However, robocallers are now evading caller ID authentication by purchasing access to legitimate phone numbers to conceal their identities. This is typically done by providing false information to, or otherwise shielding their identities from, the companies that have access to legitimate numbers.

The attorneys general’s letter supports the FCC’s proposals to implement a more thorough application, review, and monitoring process for phone companies that request direct access to phone numbers. The coalition also supports the FCC’s efforts to require these companies to verify their customers’ identities to help keep the numbers from being sold, leased, or rented to illegal robocallers. This includes limiting the use of both temporary phone numbers for trial customers and untraceable payment mechanisms.

Attorney General Cameron is joined in sending this comment letter by the Attorneys General of Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

A copy of the letter is available here.