FCC adopts new rules to fight spam callers
NEW YORK — Phone companies will have greater authority to block unwanted calls from reaching customers as regulators adopted new rules to combat automated messages known as robocalls.
Rules adopted Thursday by the Federal Communications Commission represent the latest tools against robocalls, which pester consumers, sometimes multiple times each day, and often push scams. The agency, which regulates phone, broadcast TV and internet services, also hopes that recent big fines will help deter scammers.
Phone companies can already block some calls that trick consumers by showing up on Caller ID with fake numbers. The new rules make clear that they can block additional calls that are likely scams, such as numbers that start with a 911 area code, or one that isn’t currently assigned to anyone.
The changes won’t stop robocalls completely, though experts say these steps are a good start.
Scammers reach people cheaply and easily using autodialers, which spew out a large number of calls automatically. It’s estimated that Americans receive tens of millions of robocalls every day.
Spam callers have tricky technology that alters what pops up on a phone’s caller ID to a local number, or one from an official organization, so you’re more likely to pick up.
The steps the FCC took Thursday let carriers crack down on spoofed numbers. If successful, that would make running a scam more difficult and save consumers millions of dollars, a group of state attorneys general said in an FCC filing.
Experts have said these are solid developments, but won’t protect consumers from all unwanted calls. Debt collectors and political campaigns are not covered under the Do Not Call lists.