FCC Takes Major Step Forward in Fight Against Fraud

10/29/25

The Federal Communications Commission yesterday voted to advance a new Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that reflects several key improvements the Ohio Bankers League has strongly advocated for to protect consumers and financial institutions from fraud and illegal robocalls.

The action would modernize outdated Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) requirements - a 1991 law that governs automated calls and text communications - and address real-world challenges that Ohio banks face every day when contacting customers about potential fraud.

Key Reforms Under Consideration

• Fixing the overly broad "revoke all" rule that currently restricts a bank's ability to send important fraud-related messages if a customer revokes consent for any type of communication.
• Eliminating a harmful limitation on fraud alert calls that only allows banks to contact the exact number provided by the customer - even when fraudsters have taken over or changed the customer's contact information.
• Removing the outdated requirement to add customers to internal "do not call" lists simply because they opt out of telemarketing - a barrier that can impede critical fraud-prevention outreach.

These changes would help Ohio banks stay in contact with vulnerable customers at the moments when quick intervention matters most.

Strengthening Caller ID Authentication

The FCC also advanced proposals to bolster the STIR/SHAKEN caller authentication framework - a priority long pressed by the OBL - by:

• Requiring voice service providers to verify caller identity information, limiting criminals' ability to spoof legitimate bank phone numbers.
• Enhancing monitoring and enforcement tools to protect consumers from fraudulent impersonation schemes.

These improvements would make it far harder for criminals to pose as banks and deceive Ohio customers - a growing threat our members have repeatedly flagged.

The OBL will be commenting on the proposed rule lending our support to the FCC efforts to require telecommunication companies to help in the fight against fraud.