NY Attorney General Tish James Cracks Down on Robocalls

By Yehudit Garmaise

Every day, more than 33 million Americans receive robocalls that are scams, and New York Attorney General Letitia James wants to protect consumers.

On Monday, James joined the 49 other attorneys general nationwide to form a bipartisan Anti-Robocall Litigation Taskforce that will work to cut down on illegal robocalls.

The task force of nationwide attorneys general will investigate and take legal action against the telecommunications companies that are responsible for facilitating the majority of robocalls that come into the US from foreign countries. 

Through scam calls, US citizens were robbed of an estimated $29.8 billion dollars in 2021, according to the National Consumer Law Center and Electronic Privacy Information Center.

The constant robocalls often target vulnerable groups, such as seniors, who are targeted for Social Security Administration fraud.

Other schemers deceive recipients by impersonating other government agencies, Amazon, and other well-known companies.

“Robocalls are more than just a nuisance, they are used to scam seniors and defraud consumers,” said NY Attorney General James. “Across the country, phones are ringing off the hook with robocalls that sound legitimate but are frauds. 

“New Yorkers should not have to worry about being scammed whenever they answer their phones.”

To avoid scams and unwanted calls, Attorney General James offers the following tips: 

• Be wary of callers who specifically ask you to pay by gift cards, wire transfers, and cryptocurrency. For example, the US Internal Revenue Service does not accept iTunes gift cards.

• Look out for prerecorded calls from imposters who pose as government agencies. Typically, the Social Security Administration does not make phone calls to individuals.

• Immediately hang up and do not provide any personal information to any caller whom you suspect is committing fraudulent activity.

• To report scams, file online complaints with the Office of the Attorney General’s (OAG) Bureau of Consumer Frauds.