Connecticut Attorney General William Tong and New York Attorney General Letitia James have announced the formation of a nationwide Anti-Robocall Litigation Task Force investigate and take legal action against the telecommunications companies that bring a majority of foreign robocalls into the country.
According to the National Consumer Law Center and Electronic Privacy Information Center, more than over 33 million scam robocalls are made daily, with and an estimated $29.8 billion dollars was stolen through these scams in 2021.
The task force, which covers all 50 states, has issued 20 civil investigative demands to 20 gateway providers and other entities that are allegedly responsible for a majority of foreign robocall traffic. According to the attorneys general, the gateway providers are not taking sufficient action to stop robocall traffic and may be intentionally allowing this activity to continue in return for a steady revenue stream.
“Robocalls are an intrusive and obnoxious menace, responsible for $29.8 billion in fraud last year alone,” said Tong. “Our Anti-Robocall Litigation Task Force will shut down the telecom fraud highway and bringing these scammers to justice.”
“Across the country, phones are ringing off the hook with robocalls that sound legitimate but are actually a fraud,” said James. “New Yorkers should not have to worry about being scammed whenever they answer their phone. I am proud to join this coalition to dial up our efforts to block these unwanted calls and protect consumers nationwide.”
