State No. 2 in robocall prevention, but residents still inundated

Connecticut was among the top states nationally to cut down on “robocall” marketing pitches and scams last year — but with state residents still fielding some 470 million calls, according to a new study.

YouMail, which has a platform to block robocalls, reported Tuesday that U.S. telephone customers absorbed nearly 46 billion robocalls last year. That was down 22 percent, with Connecticut and New York households seeing a 27 percent reduction to slot among states behind only Louisiana (29 percent)

Robocalls continue to swamp home lines, however, at a rate in Connecticut equating to roughly three calls a week for each person. Last year, the Connecticut Insurance Department warned of robocallers attempting to trick people into purchasing coronavirus test kits that were bogus.

The deluge continues annually despite Connecticut listed second nationally for the most sign-ups to the National Do Not Call Registry, at a rate of roughly 92 of every 100 residents; and several high-profile penalties against companies violating Federal Communications Commission rules.

By law, robocallers are barred from dialing mobile numbers, but the FCC notes that some have expressed concern that a proposed 411 directory for mobile phones could lead to abuses. The Federal Trade Commission lists tips online (www.consumer.ftc.gov) on how to wall off phone numbers from robocalls.

States have taken action, as well. Connecticut cracked down on Spark Energy two years ago after it hired telemarketers who conductJoseph ed a barrage of 150,000 calls in the state, with less than 600 customers enrolled in its electricity plans.

In March 2020, the FCC issued a mandate for telephone carriers to install new technology using the acronym STIR/SHAKEN that would allow them to spot and block illicit “spoofing” of local numbers that trick people into taking a call.

An FCC advisory group — formed last year to develop ways for hospitals to ward off robocalls — noted the possibilities for STIR/ SHAKEN, with the technology one focus of a subcommittee led by DeLotto, a vice president of Stamford-based Charter Communications.

“Voice-service providers need to confirm customer identities,” DeLotto said during a December web conference convened by the FCC advisory group. “STIR/ SHAKEN ... can form the basis for voice-service providers to assess and make decisions on traffic coming into their network — and is more effective the more broadly it is deployed.”