Texas AG putting pressure on telecom providers allowing foreign scam calls

SAN ANTONIO (KTSA News) — Texas is joining a new effort to put an end to foreign scam calls coming into your phone.

Attorney General Ken Paxton is joining a nationwide Anti-Robocall Litigation Task Force with 49 other states that will bring legal action into the battle.

Numbers from the National Consumer Law Center and Electronic Privacy Information Center show more than 33 million scam phone calls made around the U.S. every day, and calls like those cost Americans $29.8 million in 2021.

Among the many challenges associated with stopping scam phone calls in the fact that many are coming from overseas. Unknown callers may end up posing as representatives of the Social Security Administration, the Internal Revenue Service or major retailers, all trying to get money from even a small percentage of people who are not aware of the scam.

But the new task force is intended to attack the root of the foreign calls with aggressive action towards telecommunication providers that Paxton says are often turning a blind eye to the problem.

“Robocalls have become a nationwide problem and I’m proud to join my fellow Attorneys General to put a stop to the incessant interruptions these calls inflict on Texans every day,” Attorney General Paxton said. “We will take this fight to all who assist or enable these scam calls. If the telecom industry refuses to create and comply with reasonable regulations, then our Task Force will demand compliance.”

The Attorney General is offering some tips you can follow that will help you avoid falling victim to a scam.

Be wary of callers who specifically ask you to pay by gift card, wire transfer, or cryptocurrency.

For example, the Internal Revenue Service does not accept iTunes gift cards.

Look out for prerecorded calls from impostors posing as government agencies. Typically, the Social Security Administration does not make phone calls directly to people.

If you suspect fraudulent activity, do not provide any personal information and hang up right away.