Attorney General Skrmetti Urges FCC to Strengthen Rules to Stop Illegal Robocalls

Attorney General Skrmetti Urges FCC to Strengthen Rules to Stop Illegal Robocalls

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti has joined a bipartisan coalition of 49 other attorneys general in urging the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to strengthen its "Know Your Customer" (KYC) requirements for voice service providers to help stop illegal robocalls before they reach consumers.

Illegal robocalls enable scammers to cheat American families, seniors, and businesses out of billions of dollars each year. The coalition's letter calls on the FCC to strengthen requirements for originating voice service providers-the companies that allow calls onto the U.S. communications network-to better identify customers and prevent scammers from exploiting their networks.

"It's important to remember that illegal robocalls aren't just an annoyance, they're a tool criminals use to steal from vulnerable people," said Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti. "Phone companies are the first line of defense against these scams, and putting stronger safeguards in place will make it harder for bad actors to exploit our communications networks. Tennessee is committed to fighting back against robocall scammers."

Know Your Customer rules require providers to verify who is using their networks and understand the nature of their customers' businesses. Stronger KYC requirements would help providers identify suspicious customers, refuse service to illegitimate businesses, and quickly suspend or terminate accounts engaged in illegal activity.

Although providers are already required to verify customer identities, the coalition argues the current rules are not strong enough. Last year alone, Americans received more than 29.6 billion scam robocalls and text messages and lost nearly $2 billion to related fraud.

The coalition is urging the FCC to:

• Require providers to better understand their customers' business operations and compliance with state and federal law.
• Apply enhanced KYC standards to all originating providers, regardless of size.
• Require additional screening and ongoing monitoring for high-risk, high-volume calling customers.

The letter builds on earlier comments submitted to the FCC as part of Operation Robocall Roundup, an initiative of the Anti-Robocall Multistate Litigation Task Force to stop illegal robocalls by cutting off scammers' access to the nation's communications network before fraudulent calls can be made.

Attorney General Skrmetti joined the attorneys general of 49 other states and territories in signing the letter.

Read the letter.