Texas joins anti-robocall task force

The Texas Attorney General announced Aug. 2 that the state  is joining a nationwide Anti-Robocall Litigation Task Force with 49 other states to investigate and take legal action against the telecommunications companies responsible for bringing a majority of foreign robocalls into the United States. This bipartisan nationwide task force has one goal: to cut down on illegal robocalls.

The task force has issued 20 civil investigative demands to 20 gateway providers and other entities that are allegedly responsible for a majority of foreign robocall traffic. Gateway providers that bring foreign traffic into the U.S. telephone network have a responsibility to ensure the traffic is legal, but these providers are turning a blind eye to robocall traffic. The task force will help reduce the number of robocalls Texans receive and provide incentives to companies that are following the rules.

According to the National Consumer Law Center and Electronic Privacy Information Center, over 33 million scam robocalls are made to Americans every day. These scam calls include phony Social Security Administration calls to seniors, Amazon scams against consumers, and many other frauds targeting all consumers, including some of our most vulnerable citizens. An estimated $29.8 billion dollars was stolen through scam calls in 2021. Most of this scam robocall traffic originates overseas. The Task Force is focused on shutting down the providers that profit from this illegal traffic and who refuse to take steps to prevent these scam calls.

  “Be wary of callers who specifically ask you to pay by gift card, wire transfer, or cryptocurrency. For example, the Internal Revenue Service does not accept iTunes gift cards,” warns the AG’s office. “Look out for prerecorded calls from imposters posing as government agencies. Typically, the Social Security Administration does not make phone calls to individuals. If you suspect fraudulent activity, do not provide any personal information and immediately hang up.”