LOS ANGELES (KNX) — California has teamed up with the Federal Communications Commission to develop a more advanced investigation process when it comes to defeating a common enemy — robocall schemers.
"Robocalls aren't just frustrating, they can lead to serious financial harm, and too often, it's our most vulnerable who pay the price," Attorney General Bonta said in a statement.
"With this new partnership with the FCC, we’ll be able to strengthen our enforcement in this space and better protect Californians from robocall scams."
The new working relationship is just one of many in which the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau will provide critical resources for building cases against possible scammers in 20 states.
Sander Kushen, an advocate for the statewide non-profit CalPIRG, told KNX that annually…billions of dollars are lost to the robocall industry.
“Unwanted robocalls can, honestly, terrorize and victimize a lot of people,” he said, adding that one of CalPIRG’s recent reports dug into the issue.
“One of the main findings was that robocalls cost Americans $10 billion a year in fraud losses from legal robocalls and another $3 billion a year in wasted time.”
With the FCC partnership in place, both Bonta’s office and the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau will be able to seek records, talk to witnesses, interview targets, examine consumer complaints, and take other critical steps to build a record against possible bad actors.
“My team’s commitment to protecting consumers fits hand-in-glove with the state Attorneys General’s ongoing efforts to combat these scams,” FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said in a statement.
“We share a goal – to protect consumers – and with agreements like this, we can also share the tools needed to achieve it. I thank state leaders for their cooperation and their dedication to enforcing strong consumer protection laws.”
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