Acting Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin today announced a partnership with Federal Communications Commission to support investigations of illegal robocalls.
According to Acting Attorney General Platkin, more than twenty states have established formal working relationships with the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau to support robocall investigations and protect American consumers and businesses.
“We all know unsolicited robocalls are annoying, but they also are a tool scammers use to commit fraud,” Acting Attorney General Platkin said.
“Our new partnership with the Federal Communications Commission will help us crackdown on abusive robocalls and protect New Jersey residents.”
During joint investigations, both the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau and state investigators seek records, talk to witnesses, interview targets, examine consumer complaints, and take other critical steps to build a record against possible bad actors.
These partnerships can provide critical resources for building cases and preventing duplicative efforts in protecting consumers and businesses nationwide.
According to Acting Attorney General Platkin, the FCC offers partner states not only the expertise of its enforcement staff but also important resources to support state investigations.
For example, the MOUs may facilitate relationships with other actors in this space, including other federal agencies and robocall blocking companies and will provide support for and expertise with critical investigative tools, including subpoenas and confidential response letters from suspected robocallers.
The Attorney General’s office has taken several important actions in recent years to protect the Garden State’s consumers and businesses from robocalls.
According to Acting Attorney General Platkin, most recently, in 2021, a lawsuit filed by New Jersey, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), 38 states and the District of Columbia permanently shut down a charitable fundraising scam operation that made 1.3 billion deceptive fundraising calls – the bulk of them illegal robocalls – while collecting more than $110 million dollars from trusting donors.
The Division of Consumer Affairs offers consumer information about New Jersey’s Do Not Call Law, as well as tips on robocalling and telemarketing scams and how to avoid them. For more information or to file a complaint about robocalls or scams, please visit https://www.njconsumeraffairs.gov.