FCC Seeks Telecom Help to Detect Illegal Robocalls That Originate Abroad

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The FCC is asking telecoms that allow international robocalls into U.S. networks to participate in efforts to trace back those calls. FCC Enforcement Bureau Chief Rosemary Harold sent letters to seven gateway service providers Tuesday, asking for their support in tracking down the originators of illegal spoofed foreign robocalls. Letters were sent to All Access, Globex, Piratel, Talkie, Telcast, ThinQ, and Third Base.  

The letters followed both DOJ’s recent announcement of actions to stop service providers that facilitated hundreds of millions of fraudulent robocalls to American consumers. The Federal Trade Commission sent letters to 19 VoIP providers warning that assisting and facilitating illegal telemarketing robocalling is against the law. The Enforcement Bureau’s letters are part of a coordinated effort with the Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission.  Continue Reading

The letters went to U.S.-based voice providers that accept foreign call traffic and terminate it to U.S. consumers. The companies are used as gateways into the United States for robocalls that originate overseas, according to the bureau. As the point of entry for this traffic into the U.S. telephone network, these companies are in a unique position to help government and industry efforts to combat scam robocalls. The agency encouraged the companies to take measures to prevent the flow of apparently illegal traffic originating outside America.  

Additionally, on January 28, Chairman Ajit Pai circulated to his colleagues for their consideration proposed new rules that would establish a registration process for selecting a consortium to conduct private-led efforts to trace back the origin of suspected unlawful robocalls. The proposed rules would implement a provision of the recently-enacted Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence Act (TRACED Act). The Commission says industry participation in call traceback efforts has proved useful in its enforcement efforts to combat illegal robocalling and spoofing.  

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