Government Cracking Down on Robocalls With ‘Operation Call It Quits’
We can all agree that robocalls have to stop. Most of us are smart enough to hang up after we hear a robotic voice on the other end of the line imploring us to hang on the line because they've got important news regarding our credit card.
However, the nuisance of having these calls pop up at all hours of the night and the tricky tactics of using local numbers to fool us into thinking it's some real person that wants to chat with us just has to stop.
The Federal Trade Commission agrees. That's why they've announced a collaboration with multiple law enforcement agencies to crack down on robocalls. They've called the project "Operation Call It Quits."
"Our message is simple: it's time to call it quits," Bureau of Consumer Protections Director Andrew Smith said.
The FTC and law enforcement are taking targeted actions against telemarketer operations responsible for more than one billion robocalls. They plan to file charges against several companies and individuals as a result.
"We will never stem the tide until we prove we have the resolve and wherewithal to make offenders pay," says Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill.
Experts applaud the joint law enforcement efforts but say the dampening effect on illegal robocalls may only be temporary.
"When there's a crackdown or an enforcement action, you see fewer robocalls from the people who are cracked down on. They usually stop," said Alex Quilici, CEO of the call blocking company YouMail. "The challenge is they're replaced by someone else who often does the same scam."
There are some tips in the video below on how you can slow down the number of robocalls you receive.