Attorney General William Tong has announced the launch of Phase 2 of Operation Robocall Roundup, an initiative targeting illegal robocalls by focusing on four major voice service providers: Inteliquent, Bandwidth, Lumen, and Peerless. This action is part of an ongoing investigation led by the bipartisan Anti-Robocall Multistate Litigation Task Force.
The Task Force has directed these companies to stop transmitting suspected illegal robocalls across their networks. According to Attorney General Tong, “Robocalls are an obnoxious nuisance and a prime gateway for scammers. In coordination with attorneys general across the country, we’re escalating our crack down on the fraud facilitators transmitting these illegal robocalls across their networks. Our first phase is already delivering results and blocking bad actors from transmitting calls to the United States. If you receive a call or a text from someone you do not recognize, do not answer, do not engage, and report it to us.”
Connecticut residents are encouraged to help with investigations by reporting unwanted robocalls through the state’s complaint website at www.ct.gov/agcomplaints.
Earlier this year, Attorney General Tong sent warning letters to 37 smaller voice providers accused of allowing suspected illegal robocalls onto U.S. telephone networks. The current phase shifts focus to larger companies that continue to transmit high volumes of suspicious calls. Data collected shows that these four companies have received numerous traceback notices since 2019—official alerts indicating involvement in suspected illegal robocall campaigns—and have transmitted large numbers of scam calls involving schemes such as fake Amazon, Apple, Social Security, or IRS messages.
As significant players in telecommunications, these providers are expected to take stronger measures against repeat offenders. Despite receiving multiple industry warnings over several years, they have continued routing suspicious calls into American households.
Results from Phase 1 included immediate changes: thirteen companies were removed from the FCC’s Robocall Mitigation Database and can no longer have their call traffic accepted in the United States; nineteen companies stopped appearing in traceback results; and at least four terminated accounts identified as sources of illegal traffic.
The Anti-Robocall Litigation Task Force was formed in 2022 by 51 attorneys general nationwide and is currently led by North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson, Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita, and Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost. The group investigates and pursues legal action against entities responsible for substantial amounts of fraudulent or illegal robocall activity within the United States.