WASHINGTON—To help stop “illegal” robocalls from overseas, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has said it has implemented Project Point of No Entry (PoNE), which targets “point of entry” or “gateway” Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service providers and warning they must work to keep illegal robocalls out of the U.S.
Through Project PoNE, the FTC said it is disrupting foreign-based “scammers and imposters” responsible for “blasting” U.S. consumers with unwanted calls. Through Project PoNE, the FTC said it identifies point of entry VoIP service providers that are routing or transmitting illegal call traffic, demands they stop doing so, and warns their conduct may violate the Telemarketing Sales Rule, and then monitors them to pursue recalcitrant providers, including by opening law enforcement investigations and filing lawsuits when appropriate.
The FTC noted it can seek civil penalties and court injunctions to stop TSR violations. It can also seek money to refund to consumers who were defrauded via illegal telemarketing calls.
Coordinated Efforts
The FTC added it “coordinates directly with the agency’s federal and state partners, which support the program and pursue their own actions to fight illegal telemarketing robocalls.”
Results to date have shown that Project PoNE is having a significant impact in the fight to stop illegal calls, the agency said.
The FTC said its enforcement efforts and collaboration with partners that include the Industry Traceback Group (ITG), the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and state attorneys general, Project PoNE has uncovered the activity of 24 target point of entry service providers responsible for routing and transmitting illegal robocalls between 2021 and 2023, in connection with approximately 307 telemarketing campaigns, including government and business imposters, COVID-19 relief payment scams, and student loan debt relief and forgiveness schemes, among others. According to ITG, a single campaign often represents hundreds of thousands or millions of calls, the FTC said.
Demands Made
The FTC said it demanded that each of the target providers stop allowing illegal robocalls into the United States, warning of potential law enforcement action for illegal conduct. ITG traceback data show that after being contacted by Project PoNE staff, 22 of the 24 targets significantly curbed or altogether stopped the flow of illegal robocalls entering the country over their networks.
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