Attorney General Josh Stein Announces Fight Against Robocalls

RALEIGH, NC (December 5, 2018) — Attorney General Josh Stein today announced that he is leading a bipartisan group of 39 state attorneys general to stop or reduce annoying and harmful robocalls. This coalition focused on the technology major telecom companies are pursuing to combat illegal robocalls.

“At best, robocalls are annoying. At worst, they allow scammers to steal people’s hard-earned money,” said Attorney General Josh Stein. “I’m leading this investigation because I’m sick of criminals taking advantage of North Carolinians. I am encouraged by the progress we’ve made so far. Robocalls and spoofing are technological problems that need technological solutions. That’s why I am encouraging the telecom companies to implement these solutions as quickly as possible.”

Since it was formed, the multistate group has had in-depth meetings with several major telecom companies. Attorney General Stein and his colleagues are working to:

• Develop a detailed understanding of what is technologically feasible to minimize unwanted robocalls and illegal telemarking,
• Press the major telecom companies to expedite the best possible solutions for consumers, and
• Determine whether states should make further recommendations to the FCC.

This group, led by Attorney General Josh Stein, also includes attorneys general from Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, District of Columbia, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.