FROM: HOLLEY CARNRIGHT
DATE: NOVEMBER 26, 2018
RE: PRESS RELEASE – ROBOCALLS HIT AN ALL TIME HIGH
The number of robocalls for October raised the bar to an all-time high of 5.1 billion across the United States, according to www.consumeraffairs.com. The is the first time the scourge has passed the 5 billion mark since the YouMail Robocall Index (https://robocallindex.com) was launched in 2015, and it’s nearly double the number of calls placed in January 2018.
While it may seem like a never-ending battle, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) says it’s pulling out all stops to end the robocall scourge. The agency is going as far as penalizing robocall services $2.8 million if caught making robocalls to wireless phones using artificial or prerecorded voice messages without the prior express consent of the called parties. Last month, a coalition of 34 states attorneys general asked the FCC to craft new rules that would allow telephone service providers to block more illegal robocalls.
Until there’s a judgment day for robo criminals, the Ulster County District Attorney’s Division of Consumer Affairs (340-3260) advises consumers to use good judgment and not answer calls from phone numbers you don’t know and not provide personal information to any unknown caller. Complaints can be made at www.fcc.gov.