Michigan AG Nessel Joins Bipartisan Group of State AGs to Combat Caller ID Spoofing, Illegal Robocalls
LANSING – Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel joined a bipartisan group of 42 state attorneys general Monday in filing comments with the Federal Communications Commission to combat the intrusion of illegal robocalls and malicious caller ID spoofing in voice, alternative voice, and text message services.
In the comment letter, the attorneys general urged the FCC to adopt the proposed Ray Baum’s Act rule changes which will allow it to more proactively fight caller ID spoofing activities and robocalls originating outside the U.S.
According to the letter, industry experts estimated U.S. consumers received nearly 48 billion robocalls in 2018, 1.2 billion of which were made to Michigan residents specifically. And already in 2019, experts are estimating residents have received more than 500 million robocalls.
In Michigan, telemarketing and robocall scams remain on the list of top 10 consumer complaints the Michigan Attorney General’s Office receives each year, coming in at No. 2 on the list for 2018. Last year, the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division received 235 complaints on these scams; 107 complaints have come in since Nessel took office in January.
“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.”
A copy of the comment letter can be read here.
