FCC pushes to combat robo calls

NEW INITIATIVE

As of June 30, LW residents are getting fewer of those annoying robocalls, thanks to a new initiative by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

Most phone providers nationwide have been instructed to install Caller ID verification to confirm whether calls on their networks are actually coming from the number on display. Some smaller phone companies have a grace period, but all phone companies were required to report to the FCC by June 30 how they are protecting customers from illegal robocalls. With the new caller ID technology, scammers should no longer be able to spoof phone numbers to pose as legitimate callers like your bank or local sheriff ’s office.

According to the Federal Trade Commission and FCC, illegal robocalls cost Americans $10 billion a year in fraud and $3 billion a year in wasted time. This year, Americans have received 4 billion robocalls a month, which is twice as many as five years ago. Advancements in technology made it easy to make massive numbers of, and “spoof,” caller ID information to hide a caller’s true identity.