Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, in partnership with law enforcement authorities from all 50 states and the District of Columbia, has announced a nationwide crackdown on illegal robocalling. This is the latest effort by states and federal organizations to reduce the billions of unwanted calls U.S. citizens receive every year.
Titled “Operation Stop Scam Calls,” the joint state and federal initiative will focus on persecuting robocallers, companies that assist them, lead generators that collect and provide phone numbers of consumers who have not consented to receive calls, and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) providers that facilitate overseas calls.
This initiative follows Minnesota’s and other states’ and federal agencies’ attempts to combat robocalls and reduce the volumes of illegal calls that bombard the country every year.
Attorney General Ellison offers the following tips to avoid scams and unwanted calls:
*If you suspect fraudulent activity, immediately hang up and do not provide any personal information.
*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 payment in iTunes gift cards.
*Look out for prerecorded calls from imposters posing as government agencies. Typically, the Social Security Administration does not make phone calls to individuals.
Author:
Joshua Kafka
KFMC
Fairmont