WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.) votes for S. 151, the TRACED Act, to stop illegal robocalls that are scamming Americans. This bill overwhelmingly passed the House yesterday, passed the Senate 97-1, and is expected to be signed into law.
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“Robocalls are not only annoying, but they are an avenue for fraud that targets seniors and many other Americans,” said Davis. “It’s now estimated that nearly half of all calls to mobile phones are fraudulent. Many of us have answered a call either on our cell or home phone from a local number only for it to be a scam. This is a new scam technique commonly referred to as ‘Neighborhood Spoofing.’ This legislation, drafted by both Republicans and Democrats, will give consumers more control and transparency over who is calling them and ensure that law enforcement and the FCC can go after the bad actors who break the law.”
More information regarding the robocall issue and S. 151:
More illegal robocalls than ever before
It is estimated that there were nearly 48 billion robocalls in 2018 nationwide, up over 64 percent since 2016. See YouMail.
Some predict that this year, nearly 50 percent of all calls to cell phones in America will be scam calls. See First Orion.
Disrupting hospitals and other legit calls
There have been an increasing number of stories of scammers disrupting the operations of hospitals. They have been disguised as the IRS looking to collect a debt, local governments and police departments, and loved ones, in trouble, looking for help. See New York Times and Washington Post.
What this bill does
Implements a nationwide caller authentication system so consumers can again trust that the number they see on their caller ID is actually the person calling them.
Allows consumers to block unlawful calls in a consistent and transparent way, at no extra charge.
Makes sure that law enforcement and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) have the tools, information, and incentives to go after robocallers that break the law.
