Insights

$300M Fine Imposed: Repeat Robocallers Pay the Ultimate Price for Scamming Consumers

Aug 08, 2023

A robocall operation that has been scamming innocent consumers since at least 2018 will pay the price for their nuisance calls - $299,997,000 that is. Last week, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued a new record-breaking fine to the central players of a complex auto warranty scam. 

The scammers, who utilized a web of shell companies, aliases and fly-by-night phone providers, were known offenders – in fact, they were under lifetime bans against making telemarketing calls following lawsuits by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and State of Texas – and are yet another example of the FCC’s commitment to holding robocallers accountable for their nefarious actions.

FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel did not mince her words when speaking of the commission’s continued efforts to mitigate robocalling and protect consumers. She likewise shared an exciting next step in the efforts – the addition of two new robocall investigation partnerships with the Attorneys General of Hawaii and New Mexico. As of today, forty-six states and the District of Columbia and Guam have signed a Memoranda of Understanding to join with the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau to share evidence, coordinate investigations, pool enforcement resources and work together to combat illegal robocall campaigns and protect American consumers from scams.

To learn more, check out the following release from the FCC:  https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-assesses-nearly-300m-forfeiture-unlawful-robocalls