Maura Healey

New National Task Force Will Crack Down on Robocalls

The task force will take action against the telecommunications companies responsible for letting these calls get through

NBC Universal, Inc.

Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey is among 50 attorneys general who have announced the formation of a nationwide anti-robocall litigation task force.

Last year almost $30 billion was stolen from people through scam calls, according to the National Consumer Law Center and Electronic Privacy Information Center. Most of the scam robocall traffic originates from overseas.

The task force will take action against the telecommunications companies responsible for letting these calls get through.

“Gateway providers are often the companies that are the first touch point for robocalls when they come into the United States, very often from outside the United States, so they’re the first stop. And they have the ability and the responsibility to stop robocalls from getting through to all of us, abusing us harassing us and engaging in scam activity,” Attorney General William Tong said.

While the task force gets to work, the AG’s office offers tips to avoid becoming a victim:

  • Be wary of callers who specifically ask you to pay by gift card, wire transfer, or cryptocurrency.
  • Look out for prerecorded calls from imposters posing as government agencies. Organizations such as the Social Security Administration will not make phone calls to individuals.
  • If you suspect fraudulent activity, immediately hang-up and do not provide any personal information.
  • Report illegal robocalls and similar scammers to DoNotCall.gov.
  • Report robotexts and text message scams to ReportFraud.ftc.gov or forward the text message to 7726 (“SPAM”).
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