Florida Anti-Robocall Task Force Created to Investigate Scammers

Published Aug. 2, 2022, 1:14 p.m. ET | Updated Aug. 2, 2022

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August 2, 2022 Updated 1:15 P.M. ET

TALLAHASSEE (FLV) – Attorney General Ashley Moody announced a new Anti-Robocall Litigation Task Force to investigate scammers operating outside the United States.

“My office is working with states across the nation to stop the influx of illegal robocalls originating overseas,” Moody said. “These calls are often used to execute devious scams and steal from Americans—so it’s important that we work together to investigate these foreign phone calls and find ways to stop them from harming our citizens.”

More than 33 million scam robocalls are made to Americans every day, according to the National Consumer Law Center and Electronic Privacy Information Center. This includes government imposters posing as the Social Security Administration or the Internal Revenue Service, fraud against seniors, online shopping scams and many other schemes.

The task force issued 20 investigative demands to 20 gateway providers that are allegedly responsible for a majority of foreign robocall traffic. The task force does not think gateway providers are taking enough action to stop illegal robocall traffic. The task force plans to focus on “bad actors” in the telecom industry. The Attorney General’s office provided these tips for Floridians to avoid scams:

– Be wary of callers claiming to represent government agencies or other organizations who specifically request payment by gift card, wire transfer or cryptocurrency. For example, the IRS does not accept iTunes gift cards;
– Look out for prerecorded calls from imposters posing as government agencies. Typically, the SSA does not make phone calls to individuals; and
– If the call seems to be fraudulent activity, immediately hang up and do not provide any personal information. If unsure whether a call is from a business or imposter, hang up and call the company’s public customer service phone number.

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