News Savvy Scammers May Put Bipartisan Robocall Bill to Test

March 4, 2019

It’s not easy to stop a robocaller.

The Federal Communications Commission has levied millions of dollars in fines for tricking consumers with spoofed calls. Phone companies like Verizon Communications Inc. and AT&T Inc. offer call-blocking tools and are working with law enforcement to crack down on scammers. Still, the number of robocalls received yearly are in the billions and rising.

After failing at least a dozen times to pass legislation to address the problem, Congress is considering a measure with good prospects of passage. The bipartisan TRACED Act (S. 151) by Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Ed Markey (D-Mass.) would increase the FCC’s enforcement authority against illegal robocallers and mandate the adoption of call authentication systems. The bill has the backing of the commission as well as both industry and consumer groups…