The Federal Communications Commission has taken another step to protect consumers from robocall scammers. The agency is moving to permanently block spam auto warranty robocalls, the top unwanted call complaint filed by consumers for the past two years.
On July 7, the FCC announced a series of actions to prevent the calls that target billions of consumers. The agency believes that more than 8 billion car warranty spam robocalls originated from a single source.
The FCC’s Enforcement Bureau contends that Roy Cox Jr., Aaron Michael Jones and their Sumco Panama companies and international associates, have generated these calls since 2018.
The bureau’s published statement warns all U.S.-based telecom service providers to cease carrying any traffic originating in California, Texas, Hungary and Panama from the culpable companies.
The statement goes on to clarify that the bureau may take action against companies that facilitate traffic from these parties.
In addition, the agency sent cease-and-desist letters to eight small phone carriers that route most of these calls, warning them to stop carrying this suspicious traffic. If they fail to comply, the bureau may direct other providers to cut off traffic from these companies.
The Enforcement Bureau has opened a formal case against these actors to investigate the calls for possible legal violations. Financial penalties may be considered.
Additionally, the FCC is teaming up with state partners in the fight. For example, Ohio’s attorney general just filed a federal lawsuit against 22 defendants accused of spamming and “spoofing” customers.
“The Enforcement Bureau will use all the tools at its disposal to protect consumers and U.S. telecommunications networks from the scourge of illegal robocalls,” Acting FCC Enforcement Bureau Chief Loyaan A. Egal said in a statement. “The actions announced today, in coordination with the Ohio Attorney General’s lawsuit, demonstrate the benefits of the federal and state partnerships that have been established to address this enforcement priority.”
The FCC advises consumers to protect themselves against car warranty scams. They can appear legitimate, but scammers seek to gain personal and financial information from you. These tips can help you safeguard your information.
- Never share personal information with an unexpected caller.
- Be aware that phone scammers often use factual information, such as your vehicle make or model, and spoofed phone numbers, so you will believe they work for a trusted company.
- If unsure whether the call is legitimate, hang up and call the company you have done business with using the phone number on a bill or from its website.
- File a complaint for scam calls with the FCC.
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