Industry experts say there were 48 billion robo-calls made to the U.S. last year, Michigan alone received one point two billion. Last year telemarketing and robocall scams ranked second on the list of top 10 consumer complaints received by the Michigan Attorney General’s Office.
On Monday, State Attorney General Dana Nessel signed a letter to the FCC requesting a rule change. The letter included signatures from 41 other state Attorneys General.
The requested change would allow the FCC to prosecute caller ID spoofing activities from outside the U.S. if it targets United States residents.
In a written press release on Wednesday, Nessel explained her reasoning for signing: “Protecting the people of Michigan is our first priority and that’s precisely why I’ve joined attorneys general from across the nation in support of this rule change,” Nessel said. “The exponential surge in scams through spoofing and robocalls that some Michigan residents have fallen victim to compels us to speak up and urge the FCC to take up these new rules so we can provide better protections for our residents and all Americans.”
While the FCC has yet to respond to the comments from the Attorneys General, they have continued to raise awareness of the scams in the days since the comments were sent.
The Attorneys General comments can be read at https://www.michigan.gov/documents/ag/190503_Reply_Comments_of_State_Attorneys_General_RAY_BAUMS_654566_7.pdf